Technology constantly advances, as do related industries. So, why does it seem like time stands still for the electricity industry? Compare telecommunications: Since the arrival of the telephone in the late 1870s, we’ve seen consistent upgrades to phones and transmission technology, including larger and larger coverage areas. But in the West, the way we make,… Keep reading →
On May 4, 2016, the Environmental Integrity Project, National Resources Defense Council, Earthworks; Center for Health, Environment and Justice; and three other environmental groups filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
A few days ago, economists from the University of Chicago and the University of California, Berkeley released a study that called into question the cost-effectiveness of energy efficiency. The study was based on the team’s analysis of energy savings shortfalls in the Michigan low income Weatherization Assistance Program. Since then, a host of articles have… Keep reading →
The world is now adding more capacity for renewable power each year than coal, natural gas, and oil combined, attendants heard at the Bloomberg New Energy Finance annual summit in New York on Tuesday. “The shift occurred in 2013, when the world added 143 gigawatts of renewable electricity capacity, compared with 141 gigawatts in new plants… Keep reading →
The Obama administration announced plans earlier this week to regulate methane emissions form oil & gas operations, which resulted in the usual chorus of applause and grumbles from environmentalists and industry. “This is the biggest opportunity to curb climate change pollution that they haven’t already seized,” David Doniger, director of the climate and clean air… Keep reading →
A federal appeals court has rejected portions of revisions to EPA’s 2008 ozone rule that would delay compliance deadlines and revoke transportation conformity requirements. On December 23, 2014, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit vacated portions of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) 2008 National Ambient Air Quality Standards for ground-level ozone. The court… Keep reading →
In a decision loaded with potential economic and political consequence, the Cuomo administration today ended years of tortured consideration and said New York state would move to ban hydraulic fracturing, the controversial technique that uses pressurized fluids and sand to extract gas and oil from shale rock formations. At an Albany cabinet meeting, Acting Health… Keep reading →
Controversy is brewing as utilities consider “repowering” old coal-fired power plants across the US with natural gas. Several environmental groups initiated lawsuits to stop these plants from converting from coal to gas. Environmentalists want to shut the plants and replace the power they generate with renewables. Utilities argue this is not always possible, particularly in… Keep reading →
Quiz time. Which of the following two statements is true: Electric vehicle sales in the United States are growing at a remarkably fast rate. Electric vehicle sales are a small fraction of what many advocates had been hoping for just a few short years ago. OK, maybe you sniffed out the gambit – both are… Keep reading →
Opinion: Low Oil Prices Need not Slow Electric Cars
By Peter Lehner and Yossie HollanderThe sudden decline in oil price has prompted some analysts to predict bad days ahead for electric and other fuel-efficient cars. While the price of oil may be low today, history teaches us that it will rise again. The true cost of our oil dependence remains high. Oil pollutes our air and water, is dangerously… Keep reading →