Future can be far more efficient if we only adopted superior existing technology Improving energy productivity – getting more output from each unit of energy input – has long been recognized as a sensible thing to do. A recent report by ECOFYS documents just how sensible it can be in driving economic growth, creating jobs… Keep reading →
More EVs, more EV chargers. Who should invest, own and operate? Electric Vehicles, having suffered a number of setbacks and repeated delays, finally appear to be making modest inroads in selected markets such as in California and Japan where a growing network of charging stations are already in place with more expected. Not surprisingly, utilities,… Keep reading →
Intermittent it may be, but wind is a friend of EPA, not a foe Ever since the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) unveiled the Clean Power Plan (CPP), its proposal to reduce US greenhouse gas emissions 30% from 2005 levels by 2030, there has been speculation that it will lead, among other things, to premature retirements… Keep reading →
Electric vehicles (EVs), particularly if they are stylish and high performance, such as Tesla’s Model S, tend to be expensive. Which means that they appeal to the affluent or the environmentally committed. Those who drive them, like those who have installed solar PV panels on their roofs, tend to brag about them to neighbors, friends… Keep reading →
According to the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), wind installations worldwide grew by 44% in 2014, adding over 51 GW and pointing to a “solid sign of the recovery of the industry after a rough patch in the past few years.” Cumulative global wind capacity stood around 370 GW at the end of 2014. http://www.gwec.net/global-figures/graphs/… Keep reading →
Future is a race between renewables and gas; the former likely to prevail in the long-run For the first time in history, more new renewables were added to the US installed capacity in 2014 than any other form of generation. According to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) Office of Energy Projects, renewable energy sources… Keep reading →
Low demand, depressed wholesale prices & low cost shale gas are to blame In late December 2014, Entergy Corp. announced that Yankee nuclear power plant would cease operation after 42 years of service during which it generated 171 billion kWhrs of carbon-free electricity – more than 70% of Vermont’s electricity total demand since 1972. Bill… Keep reading →
Some utilities have belatedly decided to enter solar leasing business. Too little, too late? Some utilities have decided that fighting solar is futile. Instead, they will join their enemies, assisting more customers to install solar panels on the roof – if that is what they want – or make their homes and businesses more energy… Keep reading →
Empowered prosumers will increasingly do what is best for them, regardless of what utilities or regulators say For utility executives making New Year Resolutions, 2015 promises to bring in more grief in the form of lower demand growth (graph below and article on page 10), rising retail tariffs, and more competition from prosumers, who are… Keep reading →
Enjoy it while it lasts When oil prices went from where ever they were to $100 and above, everybody said oil is expensive. Consumers and oil importers complained when it hit $115 in July 2014. Gradually, however, everyone got used to $100+ oil. In the past couple of months, oil prices have plunged, hitting low… Keep reading →
