Ford Opens Up Electric Vehicle Patents, Following Tesla and BMW

Here are some of the stories we’re reading this morning.

Christian Science Monitor: Ford Shares Electric Car Technology With Rival Automakers. Why?

In June of 2014, Tesla Motors' CEO Elon Musk did something highly unusual: he unlocked Tesla's patent box and offered to share the company's electric car technology with other automakers.

The following month, BMW did the same thing.

Now, Ford is following suit, giving rivals around the globe access to its portfolio of patents related to electric vehicle technology.

Politico: What's Gone Wrong for the 'Clean Coal' Project That's Supposed to Save an Industry?

The Kemper County Energy Facility is the showcase for the decades-old dream of “clean coal” -- the idea that the country’s most important, but dirtiest, power source can be burned with minimal damage to the environment.

Just one problem: It was supposed to be doing all those things two years ago. The plant was scheduled to start generating power in 2013. But during the permitting and regulatory approval process, opening day got moved to 2014. Blaming bad weather, faulty estimates and contractor delays, company officials again delayed the deadline to May 2015. Now Kemper managers say the plant won’t be on-line until the first half of next year at the earliest.

Oil Price: Coal Facing Worst Year Yet in 2015

2015 is shaping up to be a fateful year for the coal industry.

After coal prices tumbled from their highs in 2011, the industry hit a rough patch. Years of buildup in mining capacity hit the markets at the same time, sending prices crashing. By the beginning of 2014, things were looking pretty grim. But optimists hoped it would be merely temporary, a supply glut that would ease once demand picked up.

However, demand has not been nearly as strong as expected. The U.S. has been moving away from coal for a few years now, with cheap natural gas, more renewables, and energy efficiency.

Huffington Post: California Is Giving Poor Residents Solar Energy Using Polluting Companies' Dollars

California's fight against global warming is providing green energy to low-income residents -- and polluting companies are footing the bill.

As the San Francisco Chronicle reported, about $14.7 million raised from the Golden State's cap-and-trade system is going toward an initiative by nonprofit Grid Alternatives to install solar panels on homes in disadvantaged neighborhoods for free. The program reduces energy costs for families that could use the help, while simultaneously lessening their environmental footprints.

Solar Industry: Renewable Share of U.S. Energy Consumption Highest Since 1930s

Renewable energy accounted for 9.8% of total domestic energy consumption in 2014. This marks the highest renewable energy share since the 1930s, when wood was a much larger contributor to domestic energy supply, according to a report from the Energy Information Administration.

Renewable energy use grew an average of 5% per year over the period 2001-2014 from its most recent low in 2001. The increase over the past 14 years was in part because of the growing use of wind, solar and biofuels.