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 International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) has just published its 2015 Annual Review on “Renewable Energy and Jobs” and estimates that globally renewable energy jobs (excluding large hydropower) reached approximately 7.7 million in 2014. Renewable Energy Employment in Selected Countries Source: IRENA The graphic above illustrates that familiar suspects can be found among the world’s… Keep reading →
Here’s something to keep in mind when you encounter a story detailing the fast rate of growth of renewable energy somewhere: It’s not good enough. Big change is afoot, and some learned observers are less pessimistic than others, but there’s little mistaking what a desperate situation the world is in. The latest reminder comes in… 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 →
High-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 →
Back in March it was first reported by the major German TV network ARD (Tagesschau.de) that German utility E.ON was contemplating mothballing one of the most efficient power plants in Europe, a gas-fired high-efficiency combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGT) power plant called ‘Irsching 4 and 5’ in the southern state of Bavaria – which only went… Keep reading →
SolaRoad Performs Better Than Expected, Remains Pointless
By Pete DankoHere we go again. Last week it was a wind turbine without a turbine that won the Internet. This week, a solar bike path in the Netherlands – a fun extravagance that has no hope of making a meaningful difference in anyone’s energy future – is drawing massive attention. What will it be next week? I predict… Keep reading →