The next ten years are likely to bring dramatic and surprising changes to the US energy sector, and solar could become a much larger part of the mix, said Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz at the Energy Information Administration 2013 conference in Washington, DC on Monday. Moniz’s speech focused in large part on the intersection of… Keep reading →
Air pollution increased rapidly along with industrial growth during the last century. Major pollutants include SO2, NOX, suspended particulate matter, and carbon. Recently, CO2 has been suspected of being a major greenhouse gas that may contribute to what some call the climate change phenomenon. The relationship between CO2 and climate change remains unclear. Fossil-fuel burning… Keep reading →
New York City – the world’s energy finance capital and one of the world’s largest commodity trading marketplaces – is a fitting location for the Center on Global Energy Policy. As part of Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, the center will seek to “provide independent, balanced, data-driven analysis to help policymakers navigate the complex world of energy.”
At Wednesday’s launch event, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg was joined by energy experts and US government officials, who helped officially inaugurate the new energy policy initiative. Keep reading →
With Secretary of Energy Steven Chu set to depart his post in the coming weeks, many are watching for clues as to who President Obama will pick to be his successor. Some hope for a more industry-friendly pick, such as Duke Energy’s CEO Jim Rogers. Environmentalists have been pulling for names like Tom Steyer, billionaire investor and cleantech enthusiast, or John Podesta, head of the Center for American Progress. Considering Secretary Chu’s struggles with Congress, many want a more politically-adept pick like former Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND).
Whomever President Obama chooses, the nominee will be critical in laying out the energy agenda for the next four years. Keep reading →
Last year was significant for the sustainable industries, marked by the rise of natural gas, the decline in renewables, and debates on energy policy issues surrounding the election. Despite the uncertainties of where the market is headed, we expect to see an uptick in investments and deals across the natural gas, energy efficiency, and smart grid sectors over the next year. In 2013, we predict that the energy efficiency will be active with the continued growth of IT, but the natural gas sector will be the center of major investor attention. In the coming months, we also believe that our country will move towards a formal, comprehensive energy policy.
2013 predictions for the Energy, Environment, and Applied Technology Sectors: Keep reading →
You might think rising gasoline prices at a time of flat demand and surging domestic oil production would convince Americans that we need to find alternatives to oil. But no. A new survey shows the public increasingly tilting toward doubling down on oil, on the apparent assumption that if the United States just produces even more, all our $2.50-a-gallon dreams will come true.
A Pew Research Center survey conducted this month found 52 percent of Americans consider developing alternative energy a more important priority than expanding domestic fossil fuel exploration (coal, oil, natural gas), down from 63 percent a year ago. Keep reading →
