Global energy consumption continues to increase each year and, with this increase, the demand for safe, clean, and unlimited energy is on the rise. The Federal and State governments promote clean energy through a variety of financially-beneficial incentives. With the understanding that renewable energy laws and regulations are constantly changing, The Chanler Group is committed to investing in its understanding and practice of this area of law. Our understanding allows us to guide homeowners, businesses, and/or developers on the various ways to structure these projects in order to take advantage of the many benefits. Read more about Renewable Energy
Under a new government policy, Japan can install renewable energy projects on farmland, reports Renewable Energy World. In April, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries approved the program, which allows farmers to install photovoltaic (PV) solar systems on existing crop-producing farmland. The new law breaks from previous land-use regulations; under the former Agricultural Land Act, any solar generation on farmland was prohibited, even if the land in question was currently... full text
The renewable energy industry in Maine received a major blow when Norwegian company Statoil announced earlier this week that it was abandoning a proposed $120 million wind energy project off the coast of Maine. Statoil’s decision came after Republican governor Paul LePage’s administration reopened the competitive bidding process for the project, reported the Boston Herald.
In January, Statoil gained state regulatory approval for a 20-year contract to install four... full text
GRID Alternatives is an environmental not-for-profit organization which leads teams of volunteers and trainees to install solar electric systems exclusively for low-income neighborhoods, thereby providing low-cost and clean energy to those who would otherwise be unable to afford it, writes the Huffington Post. Since 2004, GRID Alternatives has installed more than 10 MW of renewable power for over 3,700 families in California and elsewhere in United States.
Although government... full text
A new study performed by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory found that more than half of the energy used by Americans is wasted. The study analyzed the amount of energy that flowed into the U.S. economy in 2012 and found that only 39% was constructively used for energy services in the residential, commercial, industrial, and transportation sectors. The remainder of the energy, termed “rejected energy,” was not utilized. As clean-tech focused blog Clean... full text
IKEA, the world’s largest furniture store, announced today that it would be selling solar panels in the U.K, according to an article posted on Reuters’ website. This is the first time that IKEA has offered solar panels for sale.
IKEA currently plans to offer solar panels at all seventeen of its U.K. stores within the next ten months. At a minimum price of 5,700 pounds ($9,200), the solar panel package includes 18 panels in addition to in-store consultation, installation... full text
A new energy bill passed by California legislators on Monday could affect millions of Southern California residents as well as the renewable energy industry, the Los Angeles Times reported on September 9. AB 327 authorizes the Public Utility Commission to change the energy pricing tiers for California residents, which have been frozen since the blackouts and rolling brownouts that plagued the state’s electrical grid in 2000 and 2001.
According to state-regulated utilities Southern... full text
A new world record for crowd funding was set yesterday, when 1,700 Dutch households purchased 6,648 shares in a wind turbine. In just thirteen hours, they collectively raised 1.7 million dollars by purchasing all of the shares for the wind turbine, according to the Renewable Energy World website.
The turbine, which is located in Culemborg, in the center of the Netherlands, will provide these households with sustainable energy for the next twelve years. Each household... full text
The world’s largest solar ship completed its second transatlantic crossing this year, reported Renewable Energy World website. The catamaran PlanetSolar voyaged from Canada to Belgium, a distance of 2,857 miles, in 23 days. The German-built catamaran is exclusively powered by solar energy.
The 2013 expedition was designed to demonstrate the ship’s practical applications for scientific research. The “PlanetSolar DeepWater” voyage collected a continuous... full text
Vermont Yankee, Vermont’s only nuclear power plant, will close by the end of 2014, Entergy Corporation announced earlier this week. The station will remain under the oversight of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission throughout the decommission process.
The future of the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station has been uncertain since 2010, when the Vermont Senate voted against granting a permit to allow the plant to operate for an additional 20 years. Public concern has risen... full text
On August 14, environmental magazine Sierra, published by the Sierra Club, released its seventh annual report ranking American universities according to their degree of environmentalism. The Cool School 2013 report is intended to guide prospective students wishing to attend “green” schools and to reward those institutions that are dedicated to sustainability.
In 2013, the top-ranked school was the University of Connecticut, followed by Dickinson College, University of... full text
