Energy politics have been more partisan than ever this year.
Republicans have been consistently supporting incumbent fossil fuel electricity generators–nuclear, coal and natural gas–while Democrats have been vocally supporting emissions regulations, renewables loan guarantees and tax incentives as well as increased taxes on oil and gas companies. Keep reading →
A majority of the public still supports government funding for alternative energy research, although the degree of enthusiasm has decreased substantially since President Barack Obama took office, according to a new study conducted by the Pew Research Center.
The Pew report comes as congressional Republicans investigate solar company Solyndra, which received a multimillion-dollar loan guarantee from the Department of Energy, declared bankruptcy and became a focal point for the ire of those who oppose government subsidies for new forms of energy. Keep reading →
A wind rush is sweeping the world, with record installations planned for this year and next. This June, worldwide wind capacity reached 215 GW, a rise from 17.4 GW in just a decade.
“It’s come a long way in terms of installed capacity, geographic diversity, the maturity of the technology, and the size of the turbines. Growth has been dramatic, with scope for further growth on- and offshore,” says Brian Smith of the National Wind Technology Center at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and former chair of the International Energy Agency executive agency on wind. Keep reading →
When global demand for solar photovoltaic (PV) panels tapered off this year, Chinese manufacturers were left with stockpiles of supply just waiting to be sold.
When these manufacturers began “dumping” their supply into the American market, prices for panels suddenly plummeted and companies like Solyndra felt the effects. One German solar manufacturer, SolarWorld, decided to take action by filing an anti-trade legislation with the US government. Keep reading →
Governments play an important role in innovation, says David Sandalow.
The role of the federal government is up for question, Sandalow, Assistant Secretary for Policy and International Affairs at the Department of Energy, acknowledges. But failures in promoting innovation through basic research should not force a change of direction, and the government must keep its resolve despite challenging times. Sandalow does not mention Solyndra by name in this video shot at the US Association for Energy Economics Summit in Washington, DC, but the solar company’s high-profile collapse has weighed on the entire energy sector and cast a long shadow over both the summit and this address. Keep reading →
President Obama has issued an independent review to oversee the operations of the DOE Loan Program, mostly in response to the backlash caused by Solyndra, but Energy Secretary Steven Chu says he still proud of the program.
“Our loan programs are putting thousands of Americans to work and helping our country compete in the global race for the clean energy jobs of the future,” he said in a statement. Keep reading →
The US already has a diversified domestic energy mix for power production but would face challenges in moving beyond its dependence on global oil markets.
Moving to a fully renewable energy future in the US is more than 25-35 years away, BP Americas head of supply and trading Andy Milnes said, speaking at the CME Global Financial Leadership Conference in Naples, Florida. Technology would need to make significant leaps before the US could move away from coal, and with natural gas supply in the country set to expand significantly, fossil fuels will remain in the domestic energy mix for the foreseeable future. Keep reading →
Large technology and manufacturing firms are boosting their investment in solar components, leveraging large balance sheets and access to capital as they introduce new products while smaller competitors struggle.
The collapsing price of solar panels has brought down several firms in recent months, and is blamed in part for the high-profile bankruptcy of Solyndra, a Department of Energy-backed firm that claimed it had a high-technology solution but was unable to bring down costs or expand quickly enough in the rapidly-transforming solar business. Keep reading →
Obama and business finally agree. The renewable energy business, that is.
“If we are going to compete in the 21st century, we have to dominate cutting edge technologies,” Obama said at a Thursday morning press conference. Keep reading →
AOL Energy Week In Review
By Peter GardettThe roles of government and business in driving energy investment are areas of continual debate, but this week brought the turmoil to a new high.
The Department of Energy and the Obama Administration went on the offensive to defend their renewable energy and clean tech programs, many of them funded or arranged under previous administrations but implemented and promoted by current leaders. Keep reading →