What if all the energy we needed was stored underneath the ground we walk on every day?
Geothermal power, generated from capturing earth’s core heat stored deep underground, has become a growing reality as the industry marks a total US generation capacity of 3,000 MW this year. But unlike more recognized renewable energy sources like wind, solar and biomass, geothermal power is not widely recognized for its capability to produce base load, dependable, renewable energy. Keep reading →
As technology improves the world grows smaller and as it does energy markets have become more intertwined than ever before.
Its no longer unusual for an American company to invest in Turkey or for a European company to manufacture in Asia. But even as globalization has opened opportunities for investors and entrepreneurs, it has added–at times this year–crippling pressures on sectors of the energy industry. Keep reading →
As the energy paradigm shifts from centralized utility scale power plants to more distributed solar panels, wind turbines and fracking sites, small communities around the country are experiencing the boom and the pain of power production.
The natural gas boom that continued this year, unlocked by the relatively new technology of hydraulic fracturing, (“fracking”) has brought millions of dollars into rural communities across the country. According to Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett the state’s gas bonanza has created more than 100,000 direct and indirect jobs, contributed millions of dollars in state and local tax revenues, and made some landowners rich with lease and royalty payments. Keep reading →
Once an obscure technology, smart grid nearly become a household name this year when the White House announced this June a multi-pronged smart grid strategy.
“Even in today’s information age, many utilities don’t have real-time information about the state of the grid,” the White House said at the time. It lauded two high school girls, Daniela Lapidous & Shreya Indukuri, juniors at the Harker Upper School in San Jose, California who successfully implemented a smart sub-metering system in their school. Keep reading →
The solar industry is moving into a low-cost future overshadowed by technology changes, but is still growing quickly.
The solar industry weathered a somewhat cloudy year, rife with the political consequences of the Solyndra bankruptcy, rapidly falling prices for photovoltaic (PV) modules, and the impending expiration of the federal cash grant that has existed in lieu of a similarly lucrative but harder to obtain investment tax credit. Keep reading →
Fear for the future amid the plenty of the present characterized the wind industry in 2011.
The US wind power business is only just getting started with 43,461 MW of installed capacity as of the end of September 2011–3.25% of the country’s electricity–and more than 8,400 MW under construction. Keep reading →
For the nuclear industry, 2011 was Biblical.
Earthquakes. Tsunamis. Tornadoes. Floods. Fires. 2011 had everything but plagues of locusts. Keep reading →
2011 was the year of natural gas.
Production continued to boom while prices continued to stagnate. As the industry began to comprehend this year just how transformative natural gas will be, the public has also become more aware than ever of hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”), the relatively new technology that has unlocked the vast American underground shale plays. Keep reading →
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 →
