All these climate-related emissions goals! It’s hard to keep track sometimes. The World Resources Institute was out on Wednesday with a new report on how the United States can hit a 2025 greenhouse gas emissions reduction target of 26 to 28 percent below 2005 levels. This is the pledge that President Obama has made, outlined… Keep reading →
A quarter of the nation’s electricity would still come from coal in 2030, so it’s hard to view the Obama administration’s proposed Clean Power Plan as the wholesale remaking of the U.S. power sector that the increasingly dire science on global warming would seemingly compel. Nevertheless, a new U.S. Energy Information Administration analysis shows the… Keep reading →
The Asahi Shimbun reported in March on the decision of four big Japanese electric utilities to decommission a total of five nuclear reactors that have been in operation for more than 40 years. Respective plans have been submitted to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI). “This is the first application of the regulation… Keep reading →
As the “Internet of Things” rapidly expands, steep increases in power consumption by society are on the horizon. The lifeblood of all “Internet of Things” devices is the energy-intensive transmission and constant streaming of data between the internet/cloud-connected devices and massive data centers operated by Internet companies such as Apple, Google, Microsoft or Facebook. The… Keep reading →
Global investment in renewable energy sources in 2014 rose almost 17 percent year-on-year to $270.2 billion with investments in developing countries growing by 36 percent, finds a new UNEP Global Trends in Renewable Energy Investment 2015 report prepared by the Frankfurt School-UNEP Centre in collaboration with Bloomberg (BNEF). Overall, the research underscores the positive role… Keep reading →
It was just three years ago that Greenpeace was rallying the troops to put pressure on Apple to stop “powering their growing 21st-century clouds with dirty, 19th-century coal energy.” Whether it was the pressure that did it or not, Apple stands as a shining star in Greenpeace’s new update on the clean energy efforts of Internet-related… Keep reading →
The state of Hawaii: remote, tropical and a haven for tourists. But for locals the remoteness of the islands poses a problem. Since the state producers no hydrocarbon resources of its own, it has to import all of its energy needs, resulting in electricity prices as much as three to five times the national average.… Keep reading →
Egyptian energy production and distribution company TAQA Arabia is working to help tackle the country’s acute energy shortages. Egypt is struggling with electricity generation and delivery issues – among other energy-related problems – that require flexible solutions. Egypt’s growing population and power generation needs have bumped up against domestic energy production capacity, with demand exceeding… Keep reading →
MidAmerican Energy this week has announced $1.5 billion in planned new wind power investment, including $900 million to build 552 megawatts of new capacity in Iowa. And that state’s Republican governor, Terry Branstad, couldn’t be more pleased. “Iowa derives a greater percentage of its electricity from wind than any other state, and we’re second in the… Keep reading →
Renewable Energy Transmission: Giving Landowners the Power
By Johnathan HladikHigh-voltage transmission lines are needed to meet evolving energy needs. Engineers estimate that seven billion dollars of investment is required to properly maintain and update the electric grid. But building lines isn’t easy. Developers will need to acquire thousands of acres of land from landowners across the country. Typically developers attempt to purchase easements through… Keep reading →