How do you detect a colorless, odorless gas? It’s an important question especially when that invisible gas is as damaging as what comprises oil and gas pollution. We are talking about hazardous air pollutants (benzene), ozone precursors (volatile organic compounds), and greenhouse gases like methane– a gas that is more than 80 times more damaging than… Keep reading →
Power prices for electricity generated from wind and solar technology have dramatically decreased over the past 5 years to the point where wind and solar are cheaper than gas or coal in parts of the US. In some places it also appears renewable energy sources can beat fossil fuels on price without subsidies, although renewable… Keep reading →
Department of Energy Cites Stanford University for Worker Safety and Health Violations WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Energy has issued a Preliminary Notice of Violation (PNOV) to Stanford University (Stanford) for four violations of the Department’s worker safety and health regulations. Worker safety is a priority for the Department, and its enforcement program supports this priority… Keep reading →
Federal elections held nationwide on November 4 ushered in Republican control of the U.S. Senate and expanded the Republican majority in the U.S. House of Representatives. The Republicans now hold majorities in both houses of Congress, but because their majorities will not overcome a veto by President Barack Obama, a Democrat, Republicans will not wield unlimited legislative power. Although Congress is likely to remain deadlocked on major issues, the election may signal significant shifts in priorities for liquefied natural gas (LNG) export policies in the 114th Congress.
US Vice President Joe Biden recently addressed the Atlantic Council Energy and Economic Summit in Istanbul, Turkey where he discussed numerous topics related to European energy security. Biden began his talk with the situation in Ukraine and Russia’s use of energy as a political tool. He recognized the fact that Russia will remain a major… Keep reading →
Pelamis, long a leading player in the wave energy industry, has gone “into administration,” akin to Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The fall of the Scottish company, announced on Friday, was a blow to Scotland and a sign of the tremendous challenges wave developers face – but it might also signal a necessary winnowing of the incipient… Keep reading →
SunEdison, already a very big solar developer, will become even bigger when it purchases First Wind, one of the major wind energy developers in the country. The acquisition of First Wind transforms SunEdison and TerraForma Power, an indirect subsidiary, into diversified renewable energy and will make SunEdison the leading renewable power plant developer in the… Keep reading →
The PA Awards ceremony held last week at the New York Academy of Sciences brought together industry leaders and consultants to discuss and review emerging trends and challenges of the utility industry. The evening involved an Executive Forum, “How technology and regulatory change is driving a customer-centric transformation of the utility.” Panelists included Robert Schimmenti, Senior… Keep reading →
Supercritical CO2 power cycles are gaining increasing attention in the engineering world. sCO2 is an ideal working fluid for use in power generating turbines because it offers high efficiency in a compact footprint and can be matched to many different heat sources. sCO2 power turbines could potentially replace steam cycles in a wide variety of… Keep reading →
The U.S. has announced a $3B commitment to the Green Climate Fund – the largest single pledge to date. On November 15, 2014 – eve of the 2014 G-20 Summit in Australia – U.S. President Barack Obama announced that the U.S. will contribute $3B to the Green Climate Fund (GCF), the financial support mechanism aimed… Keep reading →
