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The recently extended wind energy tax credit was welcome news to much of Kansas. Congress approved the credit of 2.2 cents a kilowatt through the end of 2013. According to the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) the extension will also save up to 37,000 jobs in the wind energy industry. The Kansas City Star has […]

NASA is making a change on the International Space Station to help the astronauts sleep more soundly, combat insomnia which can trigger depression or sickness. “NASA is preparing to replace the station’s florescent panel lights with solid-state lighting modules that would dim and change hues between colors to reflect the time of day.” See the […]

State regulators on Wednesday approved a rate increase that will affect 600,000 customers in Missouri. Great Plains Energy, the parent company to Kansas City Power & Light, was granted $64 million of the $106 million requested. The increases varied among the utility’s three service areas. About half of the customers in the KCP&L territory will […]

Flat Ridge 2, the largest wind farm to be built in Kansas, was set to begin operation at the end of 2012. The project has 274 wind turbines, each generating 1.6 megawatts of electricity that's enough to power 160,000 homes. "Besides being the largest wind farm in Kansas, the $800 million project is the largest […]

The energy efficient ripple effect is taking place in New England. While individual efficiency projects continue to grow, they accumulate across a regional grid, where efficiency savings add up quickly, as New England’s grid operator recently discovered. During the ISO-NE’s energy efficiency forecast the multi-state outlook saw a $260 million savings due to state and private programs […]

Residents around Lake of the Ozarks may have more heating options as infrastructure develops in the area. Natural gas will soon be available to a larger area than ever before, including places that traditionally use propane or wood. Natural gas was available to some Ameren Missouri customers until now. But what's the different between propane […]

What state leads the way when it comes to renewable energy? Surprisingly, Iowa. Iowa is not a particularly windy or sunny place, and it's certainly not a state you think of when you consider cutting edge initiatives and energy efficiency. As it turns out, Iowa ranks first in the nation in the production of ethanol, […]

Wind energy production is sure to continue its growth, at least for one more year. The production tax credit for wind energy was given a one-year extension, which energy analysts and economic-development officials believe will help the renewable energy industry. "Though good for only one year, the extension contains wording that applies the credit to […]

Renewable energy certainly had a model year in 2012, but what's the future look for solar, wind, and natural gas? In the U.S., new solar capacity reached nearly 2,000 MW, and wind capacity reached 6,519 NW, just edging out gas capacity and more than doubling new coal installations. As great as those numbers look, there […]