President Barack Obama signed the long-delayed legislation to implement energy efficiency in buildings. “Obama signed the bill into law Thursday in the Oval Office. He was surrounded by a bipartisan group of lawmakers. The law aims to cut energy use in commercial buildings, manufacturing plants and homes. Obama says he hopes it will lead to… Keep reading →
CENTER AIMS TO PRODUCE LIQUID TRANSPORTATION FUELS FROM SUNLIGHT WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Energy today announced $75 million in funding to renew the Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis (JCAP), a DOE Energy Innovation Hub originally established in 2010 with the goal of harnessing solar energy for the production of fuel. JCAP researchers… Keep reading →
Transportation Department acts on safety issues regarding crude and ethanol shipped by rail. The US Department of Transportation on April 17 issued regulatory changes it believes will address “some of the issues identified in recent train accidents involving crude oil and ethanol shipped by rail”.
Republicans have been pummeling President Barack Obama for waging what they call a “war on coal,” but you’ve got to wonder how politically useful that tactic is when one of the nation’s biggest corporations is suggesting that it wants nothing to do with comparatively dirty fuel. General Motors this week put out a press release boasting… Keep reading →
Private industry, seeing the potential for new revenue streams and aiming to capitalize on consumer’s interest in all things digital, is eyeing opportunities to engage and collaborate with city decision-makers on smart city initiatives. Cities, in turn, recognize the need to improve their health, safety and economic welfare. Increasingly, more examples are arising on partnerships… Keep reading →
As Prince Muhammad bin Salman’s proactive approach to regional affairs becomes clearer, the novice defense minister could lead the kingdom to overreach in Yemen. Earlier today, Saudi Arabia announced that it has ended its airstrikes in Yemen because the heavy weapons and ballistic missiles threatening the kingdom have been destroyed. The fighting had appeared to… Keep reading →
Speculation is in the air, but it’s not on Wall Street or at some commodity trader’s desk at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. It comes from China. Earlier this week, both foreign and domestic media reported that two of China’s national oil companies (NOCs), Sinopec and PetroChina, (the country’s two largest oil exploration companies) could merge.… Keep reading →
While solar and wind energy often dominate the renewable energy headlines, their less well known bed fellow – biomass – recently garnered attention. New figures released by the U.S International Trade Commission have shown a 40 percent upsurge in demand for exports of American wood pellets, fueled by the increase in uptake of biomass technologies, particularly in… Keep reading →
This Thursday, April 30, 2015, the University Senate of New York University (NYU) will discuss, and likely vote on, whether NYU’s endowment should be divested from fossil fuel investments. This is the result of a pressuring campaign from a national organization that aims to “stigmatize” oil, gas and coal companies. Many leading institutions of higher… Keep reading →
The Venezuelan government is planning to cut the working day for public sector workers down to five-and-a-half hours in a drastic attempt to conserve energy. “The initiative is part of a nationwide electricity rationing plan. Vice-President Jorge Arreaza said there had been a surge in energy demand due to extremely hot weather. He said state… Keep reading →
