Next100 - A Dialogue on the Next Century of Energy

Mar 20 2009

The Green Seen

Several items relating to the business and technology of clean energy caught our attention this week:

First Solar has reached a milestone of producing one gigawatt of clean, solar electricity with its thin-film solar modules since it began commercial production in early 2002. The company, with manufacturing facilities in the U.S., Germany, and Malaysia, has enough capacity to produce more than one gigawatt per year - the equivalent of an average-sized nuclear power plant (at least when the sun is directly shining).
The place that calls itself the happiest place on Earth is now also seeking to become one of the greenest. The Walt Disney Company announced a sweeping sustainability initiative to reduce emissions, waste, electricity and fuel use, and its impact on water and ecosystems. Its long-term goals include achieving zero net direct greenhouse gas emissions, zero waste and net positive impact on ecosystems, among others. For more highlights, visit www.disney.com/crreport.
In other entertainment news, Fox's "24" has become the first television program to go "carbon neutral." The show took a variety of steps to reduce its impact, including purchasing renewable energy, incorporating alternative fuels on-set, and offsetting the rest through the purchase of carbon offsets.

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