Charlie Gay's blog

The demand for coal-powered electricity generation continued to grow, especially in Asia, during the 2009 global recession. Over 1 gigawatt of coal-powered electricity generation was added in China per week. With no signs of slowing, what can be done to change this pattern? One idea being discussed with friends is the creation of an America-China Energy Trust to help build a new green energy economy in China.

Renewable Energy World North America magazine features an excerpt from a presentation by Applied Materials' Dr. Charles Gay, President for Applied Solar, speaking at the Industry Strategy Symposium held earlier this year.  Dr. Gay discussed current solar industry dynamics, how photovoltaic solar power will evolve in the next decade and the factors that will drive that evolution, including where electricity is being generated, what people are doing with it, and the policy shifts required to grow the market.  Click here to read the full excerpt!

We replaced all the coal power plants scheduled to come off-line due to new EPA emissions rules over the next five years with solar farms. This would dramatically position solar as a solid new generation resource by 2015. It's not that far-fetched and here's how this scenario could unfold.

Michael Shellenberger, President and Ted Nordhaus, Chairman of Breakthrough Institute are co-authors of this piece. The Statesman published a shortened version.

A race is on to lead by example in the burgeoning clean energy sector. While the United States may be behind for now, we are far from the finish line.

Nearly 120 years after the birth of India’s first Prime Minister, the Government of India announced the launch of its latest solar-power policy, the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission, named after the PM. In principle the policy approves 20 gigawatts (GW) of solar power generation to the national grid by 2022. To put the 20GW into perspective, last year India produced about 100 megawatts (MW) worth of photovoltaic (PV) cells and modules — 75% of which were exported, primarily to Europe.