PV Magazine: Germany Sees the Lowest Monthly PV Installs Since March 2009

October 2014 has delivered the weakest new solar installation figures in almost five years, with around 75.5 MW of new PV capacity being added in the country over the month. The figures confirm the depressed state of the market since the new Renewable Energy Act was enacted in August.

Former PV industry giant Germany continues to see serious market decline, with only 75.43 MW of new capacity being installed across 5,367 installations in October. This represents a decline on 140 MW in August and 110 MW in September. This is the first time that installations totaled only a double-digit MW figure since March 2009.

Bloomberg: George Shultz Has Gone Solar. Now That's a Sign of Thawing in the U.S. Climate Debate

As Ronald Reagan’s secretary of state, George Shultz faced off against Muammar Gaddafi, the Soviet Union, and Chinese communists.

His latest cause, though, is one few fellow Republicans support: fighting climate change.

Two years ago, Shultz was alarmed when a retired Navy admiral showed him a video of vanishing Arctic sea ice and explained the implications for global stability. Now, the former Cold Warrior drives an electric car, sports solar panels on his California roof and argues for government action against global warming at clean-energy conferences.

Reuters: October Oil Shale Permits Drop 15 Percent

U.S. oil producers have been racing full-speed ahead to drill new shale wells in recent years, even in the face of lower oil prices. But new data suggests that the much-anticipated slowdown in shale country may have finally arrived.

Permits for new wells dropped 15 percent across twelve major shale formations in October, according to exclusive information provided to Reuters by DrillingInfo, an industry data firm, offering the first sign of a slowdown in a drilling frenzy that has seen permits double since last November.

Guardian: E.ON’s Switch to Renewables Is a Sign of Things to Come, Say Experts

More companies are likely to follow the German utility giant E.ON and shift their energy generation away from coal and nuclear to renewable power, the president of Germany’s Federal Environment Agency (UBA) has told the Guardian.

E.ON’s surprise announcement on Monday, that it would split its operations to focus on clean energy, power grids and energy efficiency services, also increased the prospect of success for Germany’s ambitious Energiewende [Energy Transition] project, UBA president Maria Krautzberger said.

Washington Post: Could Gas Prices Go to $2 Per Gallon?

After last week's dramatic plunge in oil prices -- prices for U.S. benchmark crude have fallen more than $30 a barrel since late June, and were most recently at around $68.50 per barrel -- a natural question arises: How much lower could they go -- and where will that leave nationwide gasoline prices?

As of today, according to AAA, the nationwide average price for a gallon of unleaded gasoline is $2.77. But given the recent plunge in oil markets, "we expect gas prices could drop another 10 to 20 cents per gallon in the near term as retail prices catch up on the steep declines in the cost of wholesale gasoline," says AAA spokesperson Michael Green.