The energy generated is fed straight into the club's electricity control cabinet where a grid-tie inverter pumps energy back on to the grid.

CNN: Virtuous cycles

It could facilitate investments in electric grid improvements that enable long-distance transmission of renewable energy, as well as provide consistent long-term policy on grid upgrades and electric vehicle charging that makes utility investments predictably worthwhile.

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Those demand spikes are unavoidable mini-disasters for energy companies -- their own grid doesn't have the power on hand, and the utility has to buy it elsewhere -- competing with other utilities trying to keep the lights on for their customers.

CNN: Nest's plan to stop brownouts before they start

The alliance's manifesto calls for measures to reduce demand on the main electricity transmission grid, including smart meters, encouragement for community and small-scale local energy generation, and further research on methods of storage of electricity.

BBC: Fears over pylons in beauty spots

Thanks to its commitment to renewable energy, Hawaii is now also becoming something of a test bed for renewable energy technologies, from the study of various geothermal and algae-based biofuel technologies happening at the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority on the Big Island to smart grid experiments the state is conducting along with representatives from Japan and China.

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The Chinese government has started to discourage the expansion of energy-intensive industries, including aluminium and steelmaking, in an effort to ease the burden on its grid.

ECONOMIST: Commodities 1