February 03, 2010

Renewable energy is making a gradual presence in this country. But the key question facing U.S. lawmakers is whether to mandate broad portfolio standards or whether to continue giving the states the authority to determine such measures.

The greening of America has a permanent place in the mindset of most citizens. And policymakers are keenly aware of this sentiment despite some concerns over rising costs and the creation of unrealistic goals. Through cooperative efforts that have involved all participants, state officials were first to require a certain percentage of utility portfolios to come from green fuels. Now, though, federal lawmakers are considering the same.

Marc Gunther: This is Marc Gunther for GreenBiz.com. I'm here today with Dan Yates. Dan is the founder and CEO of OPower. OPower is a company that helps people conserve energy, and we'll talk about that in a moment, but first a little about Dan. He's just 32, but he previously started and sold an educational software company, then spent about a year traveling with his girlfriend, now his wife, from the Arctic Circle in Alaska to the tip of South America. It was that adventure that led Dan to start OPower. Dan, first tell us why you started the company, and then please describe OPower. Tell us what you do.

Dan Yates: Thanks, Marc. Yeah. I started with my good friend and co-founder Alex Lasky, who is president of OPower. We started it very specifically to have a large scaled impact on emissions. I, in light of my background in information services, having started up a previous internet start-up, and Alex, with his background in politics and policy, surveyed the landscape looking at a bunch of different opportunities.

February 01, 2010

As President Obama rounds the corner and heads into the second year of his administration, he is discovering what nearly all of his predecessors have -- that voters become disenchanted during the midterm and tend to elect more of the opposition.

With that comes the challenge of how to enact what he and his supporters have determined to be the country's greatest priorities. To that end, Obama has not forsaken the issues to which he got elected. Instead, he has chosen to extend a hand to Republicans and Independents and offer them a chance to influence the course of history.

January 27, 2010

In countries around the world, there is a growing need to move what is expected to be significant amounts of wind, solar and hydro-generated electricity from sparsely populated remote regions to the cities where demand is great.

This has ignited a quest for new high-voltage and ultra-high-voltage transmission systems that can carry more electricity longer distances. And to be sure these systems work properly, there is a growing need for test facilities to evaluate and certify the new transmission products and technologies.

January 25, 2010

The Obama administration is bucking up and funding research into biofuels, which can be used as power for electric generators or fuel for automobiles. Altogether, it is placing $800 million into such projects under the federal stimulus plan.

It's all part of a broader effort by the White House to foster a variety of green energy forms. Biofuels are not without controversy. But experts generally agree that advanced technologies that involve the use of algae, waste or wood chips can produce cleaner electricity supplies while also eroding the country's dependence on foreign oil.