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Energy

  1. Blade breaks off wind turbine near El Centro

    A 173-foot-long blade broke off a wind turbine and fell to the ground at a 315-megawatt wind farm that supplies electricity near El Centro, it was reported Saturday.

    • 1:26 PM
  2. Competitive Power Ventures' Sentinel natural-gas power plant near Desert Hot Springs is ready to supply power to the California market. Courtesy photo

    Valley's new 'peaker' plant ready early

    Competitive Power Ventures' Sentinel natural-gas power plant near Desert Hot Springs is ready to start pumping electricity onto the grid two and a half months ahead of its original commissioning date, just as officials are raising warnings of possible summer energy shortages.

    • May 16, 2013
  3. Construction workers connect wiring to solar panels at the 550-megawatt Desert Sunlight project, which struck its own deal with Riverside County for a franchise fee. The county has reached a settlement with industry groups over its solar fee for other projects. / Courtesy of Desert Sunlight

    Riverside County solar fee slashed in settlement

    A settlement has been reached that could end two solar industry trade groups' 15-month-long legal battle over Riverside County's $450-per-acre solar fee by slashing it to to $150 per acre, to be raised 2 percent per year.

    • May 16, 2013
  4. The San Onofre nuclear power plant in north San Diego County, Calif., is seen in this March 1, 2010 file photo. AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi, File

    SCE plans for summer without San Onofre

    Southern California Edison is once again urging customers in the Coachella Valley and across the utility's 50,000-square-mile service territory to start conserving energy now as it prepares for a second summer without its San Onofre nuclear power plant.

    • May 14, 2013
  5. Argonne chemist Trevor Dzwiniel runs an experiment in Argonne's Materials Engineering and Research Facility. Argonne National Laboratory

    Researchers crank up search for better battery

    On an arid mountain in Eureka County, Nev., a mining company believes it's struck the 21st-century equivalent of gold.

    • May 13, 2013
  6. K Kaufmann. Desert Sun file

    Green Desert: Don't leave climate change off curriculum

    I attended the opening session of the Environmental and Sustainability Expo at California State University, San Bernardino's Palm Desert campus Thursday evening, where several dozen attendees got a preview of what 600 students from across the valley would be doing at the next day's event.

    • May 11, 2013
  7. Lights are powered by a battery system on display by EnerDel during ExFOB (Experimental Forward Operating Base) at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center on Thursday in Twentynine Palms. Marilyn Chung/The Desert Sun

    Twentynine Palms tries green

    In the not-so-distant future, U.S. troops could go into combat with solar panels on their backs and laptop-controlled microgrid systems that will make frontline bases super energy efficient.

    • May 10, 2013
  8. Hot Purple Energy installation crew members Andrew Houston of Indio Hills (bandana) and Hank Henss of Desert Hot Springs (white hat) install solar panels on a residential roof in Palm Springs on Thursday, August 4, 2011. Crystal Chatham, The Desert Sun

    IID panel mulls more solar rebates

    Nonprofit groups in the Coachella Valley and Imperial County may have a second chance to get thousands of dollars in solar rebates from the Imperial Irrigation District.

    • May 7, 2013
  9. REAL Academy seniors Luis Vargas (right), Baneza Aguilar (left) give a student presentation including a solar installation design and considerations on Wednesday, May 1, 2013 at Desert Hot Springs High School. Crystal Chatham/The Desert Sun Crystal Chatham/The Desert Sun

    Students well-versed in renewable energy

    When the 24 seniors in the REAL program at Desert Hot Springs High School pick up their diplomas next month, they will have a marketable skill few, if any, of their fellow graduates have.

    • May 5, 2013
  10. One of the parabolic solar troughs at NextEra Energy's Genesis solar plant, now under construction east of the Coachella Valley, reflects the desert and a nearby truck. This first of two 125-megawatt units at Genesis will go online later this year. K Kaufmann, The Desert Sun

    Calif.'s solar energy industry cloudy

    Later this year, two large-scale solar plants now rising on public land east of the Coachella Valley will pump their first power onto the grid, as part of a massive influx of renewable power coming online across California.

    • May 4, 2013
  11. CVAG chooses PACE firm

    The Coachella Valley Association of Governments' Executive Committee voted Monday to go with Santa Rosa-based Ygrene Energy Fund to organize a regional property-assessed clean energy (PACE) financing program.

    • Apr. 29, 2013
  12. Mark Wasson of Palm Desert put solar panels on his home and installed a variable speed pool pump on his home using Palm Desert's energy loan program. Here he is photographed next to his pool pump. Omar Ornelas/ The Desert Sun

    Vote Monday aims to expand solar financing

    Since Palm Desert launched one of the nation's first property-assessed clean energy (PACE) financing programs in 2008, Coachella Valley officials have been wrestling with how to create a similar, valleywide program to provide residents with affordable loans for energy-efficient home upgrades.

    • Apr. 28, 2013
  13. Programmable and automatic thermostats from the Nest can learn the houses daily energy schedules and adjust even while the homeowner is away. courtesy of nest.com

    Gadget adjusts based on energy use patterns

    Do an Internet search for the words 'learning thermostat,' and what likely will pop up are thousands and thousands of hits, almost all of them about the Nest thermostat.

    • Apr. 27, 2013
  14. K Kaufmann. Desert Sun file

    Green Desert: California leads nation in power outages

    California led the nation in power outages in 2012, with the state racking up 510 blackouts totaling 16,984 minutes — nearly 12 days — affecting more than 1.4 million people.

    • Apr. 27, 2013
  15. A drop in the price of oil is making gas cheaper at a time of year when it usually gets more expensive. AP

    Sharp drop in gas prices benefits drivers, economy

    A sharp decline in the price of oil this month is making gasoline cheaper at a time of year when it typically gets more expensive. It's a relief to motorists and business owners and a positive development for the economy.

    • Apr. 22, 2013
  16. Toyota's gasoline- hybrid Prius, shown here with its creator, Takeshi Uchiyamada, may sell less in the United States now that gas prices are falling. AP

    Low gas prices may stall Prius sales

    The race is on to see which falls faster: gas prices or Toyota's Prius sales.

    • Apr. 22, 2013
  17. At the GRID Alternatives 2012 Solarthon on May 19, dozens of volunteers gathered in San Jacinto to installed solar panels on eight homes in one day. Beginning April 26, COD will launch a new series of classes aimed at broadening its solar and wind training programs with evening and weekend courses targeted at working people. K Kaufmann/The Desert Sun

    College of the Desert courses offer green energy training

    For the past three years, solar and wind training programs at College of the Desert have been free, but places in the classes were limited to unemployed workers who signed up through Riverside County Workforce Development.

    • Apr. 20, 2013
  18. K Kaufmann. Desert Sun file

    Solar meeting is worthwhile listening

    After spending a good chunk of time Wednesday afternoon on my computer, listening in to the California Energy Commission's public meeting on BrightSource Energy's Palen solar project, I wish I had something exciting or urgent to report.

    • Apr. 20, 2013

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