In 2007, directors at the Idaho National Laboratory had their researchers play the role of computer hackers for an afternoon. Using the Internet to access an on-site electrical generator’s computer code, the “hackers” were able to reprogram the machine to destroy itself, demonstrating a key vulnerability of the U.S. electricity system.   READ MORE >>

In his State of the Union Address, President Obama promised to use his executive authority to accelerate the construction of 10 gigawatts of renewable energy installations on public lands. But, as encouraging as this announcement was, the administration could and should go beyond public lands by focusing on public roofs.   READ MORE >>

Rocky Mountain Institute visited the University of California, San Diego to study and document the “microgrid” that controls and integrates electricity supply and demand on the campus. UCSD’s microgrid is one of the best examples of an electricity network that provides local control yet is interconnected with the larger electricity grid.   READ MORE >>

Sometimes, the cost and risks of doing nothing far outweigh the costs of making a profound leap forward. The EPA’s new mercury rules, issued Dec. 21 and facing challenges from opponents, present a real opportunity to transform the electricity system.   READ MORE >>

Oil and coal have created modern civilization; yet their rising costs are starting to erode and outweigh their benefits. Is there a better way to fuel and power the world’s advanced industrial societies than digging up and burning roughly four cubic miles a year of the rotten remains of primeval swamp goo? Originally posted on Corporate Eco Forum on October 27, 2011.   READ MORE >>