Insights from our Editorial Team

Clean energy policy may be a muddle at the federal level but investors are still willing to commit billions to the sector given the long-term global needs for new sources of energy.

The battle is heating up in the solar trade war. On one side, the government came ever closer to hammering Chinese imports, while on the other, such an action was determined to put thousands of jobs at risk.

Like most renewable technologies, geothermal energy is awaiting clarity from Congress on the amount of federal support it will receive and for how long. But there’s a catch: projects take much longer to bring on line than Congress has been willing to extend tax credits.

There are two big ideas leading the way toward a more competitive solar market: lower installed cost for systems, obviously, but also the recognition of new business models that encourage utilities to use more of the resource.