- About 8.8 percent of the total amount of energy consumed by the federal government comes from renewable sources; the Department of Defense claims 22 percent of that total, the biggest share of any agency.

- The Clean Power Plan will increase renewable energy more in the Midwestern states than anywhere else in the country because the region has the highest potential for wind and is also most dependent on coal.

- Geothermal energy is growing rapidly around the world. The US has approximately 3,700 MW of installed geothermal capacity and about 1,250 MW of geothermal power under development. The global geothermal power market is about 13,300 MW, with 12,500 MW of planned capacity across 82 countries. AES Premium Members have access to the 2016 Annual US & Global Geothermal Power Production Report.

- The US Department of Transportation, Amazon Web Services, and Paul Allen's Vulcan Inc. have pledged up to $40 million to help one city become the country's first "Smart City." It will fully integrate innovative technologies - self-driving cars, connected vehicles, and smart sensors - into its transportation network. Out of 78 applicants, the finalists are: Austin; Columbus; Denver; Kansas City, MO; Pittsburgh; Portland; and San Francisco.

- A group of cities in the US announced the launch of the Energy Secure Cities Coalition (ESCC) to shift their municipal fleets from petroleum-fueled vehicles to those powered by alternative fuels, electricity and natural gas. The participating cities are: Atlanta, Charlotte, Indianapolis, Orlando, Rochester, Sacramento, San Diego, and West Palm Beach.

- The US solar market is set to grow 119 percent in 2016. 16 GW of solar will be installed, more than doubling the record-breaking 7.3 GW installed in 2015.

- The US energy storage market had its best quarter and best year - 112 megawatts of energy storage capacity was deployed in the fourth quarter of 2015, bringing the annual total to 221 megawatts of storage capacity.
 

Courtesy of the American Energy Society