Reducing the impact of operations on the environment is a lofty goal for any business, but good citizenship is, in most cases, an insufficient motivation for sweeping changes at a company that must answer to its shareholders. What makes many sustainability efforts feasible for profit-driven companies is that by pursuing them – especially those that… Keep reading →
As the developed world enjoys an energy production renaissance, developing countries – particularly in Asia – look to lead global energy consumption growth and are expected to burn lots of coal along the way. The US Energy Information Administration Thursday released its International Energy Outlook that forecasts energy balances and consumption trends out to 2040.… Keep reading →
Just because one energy source yields fewer emissions than another doesn’t mean it’s overall better for the environment. “The environmental benefits of an energy diet low in carbon emissions might be diminished by increased water consumption (or waste), and the unforeseen tradeoffs between the two resources can hurt us in the long run,” writes Environmental… Keep reading →
The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy gives out Champion of Energy Efficiency awards annually for “leadership and accomplishment in the energy field”. This year’s winners have made big strides in energy efficiency advocacy, policy and actual implementation of energy efficiency programs. Let’s face it…it’s not quite as sexy as the Oscars. But energy efficiency is… Keep reading →
Utilities are just beginning to utilize the advanced data monitoring, recording, and event reporting capabilities of smart meters. Around the world, new government mandates and stimulus funding have catalyzed the deployment of smart meters. In the U.S. alone, $3.4 billion allocated from American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding will be used to facilitate the installation… Keep reading →
The New York Energy Data Jam brings together business leaders, entrepreneurs, state and federal officials, academics and investors to brainstorm new ways to use the government’s open data to solve pressing energy problems. Participants at the event, located at Google’s New York office, breakout into groups in a fast-paced brainstorming session to come up with… Keep reading →
Weather-related risk is keeping insurers up at night. The bill to clean up Hurricane Sandy along the East Coast came in at a staggering $70 billion, but government and private insurers were able to cobble the funds together. However, an even more serious disaster or series of disasters could shred the social safety net, permanently… Keep reading →
Australia’s Prime Minister has announced a plan to replace a carbon tax with an emissions-trading scheme in 2014, a year earlier than the initial 2015 timetable. “The move to bring forward the market-based system a full year earlier is expected to quickly produce a sharp drop in the cost of carbon, from a predicted $23.30… Keep reading →
One thing about the smart grid sector: you can always count on seeing how technologies, services and products are progressing – and how and where they are being implemented. This week’s smart grid wins highlights some notable examples. PROJECT WINS Ambient Corporation announced that Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc. has contracted the communications… Keep reading →
Smart meters and advanced analytics could come to the rescue. It’s no secret that it takes a lot of energy to grow blueberry kush, purple sour diesel, voodoo or any of the dozens of other potent strains of marijuana available in North America. In the U.S. alone, indoor cannabis growing uses about $5 billion in… Keep reading →
