Las Vegas Sun: NV Energy Fights to Keep Rooftop Solar From Cutting Into Its Profit
The future of solar energy in Nevada is at stake in a furious battle that likely won’t be resolved as the 2015 state legislative session nears an end next month.
Solar advocates, Nevada businesses and solar industry reps are pushing for more rooftop solar, saying it’s unfair to force consumers to remain chained to the grid and warning that the state could lose thousands of jobs if it doesn’t adapt. State utility NV Energy claims more household solar means increased prices for traditional customers who can’t or won’t install solar panels on their houses or businesses.
Quartz: Mass-Market Electric Cars Will Go 200 miles, but Are a Long Way From Being Profitable
Several major automobile makers are racing to create electric cars within an upper-mass-market sweet spot -- traveling 200 miles or more on a charge, and costing $30,000 to $40,000. But a new report adds to doubts that they will make money, especially at first.
Electric cars are currently in a variation of the innovation world’s infamous “valley of death,” the pre-profit period when most new products die. In this case, relatively few electric cars are selling well, mainly because they cost too much, go too short a distance before running out of charge, or both.
Sydney Morning Herald: Solar the Most Popular Energy Source in Australia
Solar energy is the most popular source of electricity in Australia, with more than three times the backing of coal-fired or nuclear power, a survey by Ipsos has found.
The poll of almost 1,200 people around the country found that solar panels on rooftops were supported by 87 percent of respondents, with large-scale solar farms "strongly" or "somewhat" backed by 78 percent.
NBC: Quake Hits Tokyo Days After Japan OK's Third Nuclear Restart
An earthquake shook buildings and halted train lines in Tokyo early Monday, days after Japan's nuclear regulator green-lighted the restarting of atomic energy at a third plant.
The quake, with a preliminary magnitude of 5.6, was centered in Ibaraki prefecture just northeast of the country's capital, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. There was no tsunami warning.
Bloomberg: Your Home Doesn't Matter for Tesla's Dream of a Battery-Powered Planet
Elon Musk has done something remarkable. He built a 220-pound battery to hang on the garage wall and convinced a huge number of people that owning one is a lifestyle choice -- like having a compost bin in the garden and reusable diapers on the baby. His battery is personal, and it's going to change the world with your help.
If only it were so. While the pairing of home batteries with solar power makes deeply intuitive sense, the problem is that it doesn’t make financial sense. Not now, not anytime soon, and definitely not in the U.S.