From the looks of it, Michigan and Wisconsin have the two lowest renewable energy standards in the Midwest. The states have committed to ramping up their renewable use to 10 percent by 2015, while other states in the region, like Minnesota and Illinois, are shooting for more than 20 percent by 2025.

Posted by: Michael Noble on Mar 21, 2011 with Fresh Energy

Although the effectiveness is debatable, it is uplifting to see the United Nations set goals in reducing fossil fuel usage and raise renewable energy accessibility. At the January 17, 2011 4th Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi, UAE, the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon commented upon the expected increase of energy consumption of 40% over the next 20 years, mainly in developing countries which makes sense due to increasing populations. Ban Ki-Moon estimates that 1.6 billion people lack access to electricity.

Oil prices are rising as we can see by how much it is now costing to fill our gas tanks and heat our homes. The Northeast of the United States is making efforts to reduce this stress by implementing more renewable energy for average home and business owners. Here is an article we found where a coalition is determined to advance the use of biomass for heat and power.

Electric bills can become overwhelming, especially in mid-winter. Here are some tips that can have an impressive impact on lowering your electric bill.

Xcel Energy has voluntarily created a solar rewards program in Minnesota. This reward pays it's customers a large sum of money to help offset the cost of installing solar. In exchange Xcel takes ownership of the Renewable Energy Credits - a bi-product of generating renewable energy. It is a huge incentive and truly brings the upfront investment down to a manageable amount. But what is Xcel doing elsewhere?

We've been keeping up with Fresh Energy, and this article they posted reminds us of how important it is to keep legislative bills in favor of sustainability and efficiency. It benefits us citizens first and foremost.

At a recent Board Meeting for MRES the guest speaker, Lynn Hinkle, the Director of Policy Development for Minnesota Solar Energy Industries Association, discussed the potential for more jobs in green energy in the State of Minnesota. It was a very impressive presentation and something we felt was very important and worth discussing.

Where will solar energy take you? Haidar Taleb, a 47 year old man from United Arab Emirates, is determined to make a 200 mile journey with solar power. However, he is not using typical transportation methods. Haidar has built himself a solar powered wheelchair and plans to travel 200 miles, breaking a world record he previously had for travelling 80 miles from Abu Dahbi to Sharjah, UAE.

We read this article on Fresh Energy's website and thought it was great in relaying the potential solar energy has in reducing oil and coal use by implementing more efficient and solar powered vehicles. Fresh Energy is a nonprofit organization that is working towards a smooth transition into a clean, efficient, and fair energy system.