Economists at the National Economists Conference in February 2012.
Every attendee at the USAEE/IAEE conference this week has something important to add, from the university students giving their first professional presentations and preparing to enter a rapidly expanding industry to the former ambassadors and corporate chiefs gathered to headline sessions and lunches at the event Austin. Keep reading →
In a year rife with strife, the solar power industry in the United States continued to chug along. The nonprofit Solar Foundation reported on Friday that the U.S. industry added 13,872 employees in the year ended in September, a 13.2 percent increase that brought total domestic employment to 119,016.
The period measured in the third annual National Solar Jobs Census was dominated by a fierce debate that pitted hard-hit manufacturers – led by the Oregon-based unit of the German company SolarWorld – who pushed for duties on Chinese crystalline silicon solar PV products from China, against thriving developers, installers and others in the solar supply chain who said such protectionist measures would stifle growth. Keep reading →
What do Lockheed Martin, the city of Austin in Texas and Intel have in common? They all invest in renewable energy, alongside major consumers like the Department of Defense and major consumer brand companies like Whole Foods.
The business case for these projects and for ownership of renewable generating capacity is clear, Navigant Consulting Director Andrew Kinross told Breaking Energy in this video, but clear policy has also lent appeal to the sector and prompted creative financing for projects that in turn boosts employment. Financing around projects and structures like third-party ownership of solar energy assets by private equity firms or pension fund investors has been particularly interesting, Kinross says. Keep reading →
Big pay hikes in the energy industry have helped fuel the biggest jump in U.S. wages in more than five years, according to an industry report released Wednesday.
The Bakken Shale has already had a transformational impact on its region, with the lightly populated part of North Dakota experiencing an employment boom alongside serious strains on its infrastructure.
This infographic, pulled together by energy publishers Hart Energy, focuses more on what is next for the Bakken region and for the US as the possible further expansion of drilling for its oil and gas resources becomes a central component of the national conversation about energy independence, jobs in the oil and gas sector, and environmental tradeoffs. Keep reading →
The 20th century is often referred to as the “American Century” as it was during that time when the U.S. emerged as an economic and political superpower. But a decade into the 21st century, with the country mired in a jobs crisis alongside its eternal struggle to find new sources of energy, some companies in that sector, with the help of business-friendly research groups, are arguing that the practice of fracking would give the U.S. economy a much-needed boost.
The US oil and natural gas business has been an unusual bright spot for the American economy over the past four years, and that success has helped highlight energy issues as a major factor in the 2012 election cycle.
Energy has not traditionally been a focus of electoral politics beyond prices at the gasoline pump, but this year the broader focus on the economy and the government’s role in directing it have brought to light the successes, the potential and the risks of energy development in the US. Keep reading →
The campaign for presumed Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney laid out a plan Wednesday for America to be energy independent by 2020.
As we prepare for Breaking Energy’s 38 Degrees event in Washington, DC in October, we wanted to find new ways for the voices of our energy community leaders to be heard even when they couldn’t attend the event in person.
Former New Jersey Governor Christine Todd Whitman has built on her leadership in the CASEnergy Coalition and her vast experience as an EPA Administrator to bring attention to some of the most pressing issues in the energy sector. Especially after the Fukushima accident in 2011 and the resulting storm of controversy around the nuclear industry, Whitman took a brave stance and relied on the facts to make clear arguments about often difficult and complex topics. Keep reading →
Voters aren’t the only ones frustrated by the swirl of misinformation surrounding energy; so are those in the industry who find themselves in a constant battle against the sound bite and the stereotype.
Rayola Dougher, senior economic advisor for the American Petroleum Institute, says it irks her that a lot of voters assume that anyone in the petroleum industry is anti-renewable. Keep reading →
