The U.S. solar industry is growing at a record-breaking pace, while becoming more affordable and accessible than ever before. The industry’s forward progress comes in part thanks tosupport from the Energy Department’s SunShot Initiative. Set up in 2011 to re-establish U.S. leadership in the solar marketplace, SunShot partners with industry, universities, local communities and the Department’s National Laboratories to… Keep reading →
The 377 MW Ivanpah solar plant started up in California today amid controversy over wildlife apparently killed by the intense heat emitted from the solar receivers located on top of the facility’s “power towers.” 3,500 acres of specially-designed mirrors focus the sun’s radiation on the towers, which convert water to steam used to spins power-generating… Keep reading →
Big news from the Commerce Department this week is that U.S. exports rose to a new high in 2013 and imports dropped to their lowest level since 2009 for the smallest U.S. trade deficit since 2009 – thanks largely to reduced oil imports due to growing domestic production and record exports of products made from petroleum. The Wall Street Journal (subscription… Keep reading →
As interest in and adoption of EDF’s Investor Confidence Project (ICP) protocols has continued to grow in the United States, so too has interest internationally. The Investor Confidence Project was invited to showcase our efforts at ESCO Europe, the continent’s largest conference for energy service providers. This year, the conference was held in Barcelona, Spain and drew an… Keep reading →
Only six years ago humanity crossed a remarkable threshold: more than half of us live in cities for the first time in history. According to United Nations statistic, fifty years ago it was 30% and a century ago it was 10%. Urbanization as the central framework for human experience and work has been driven by… Keep reading →
There is still a very long way to go before a commercial reactor is built, but scientists at the National Ignition Facility succeeded in creating a reaction in which more energy came out than went in. “The real significance of this is, we’re now matching our models, we have our feet back on the ground… Keep reading →
Last week, Secretary Moniz presented Dr. Allen Bard and Dr. Andy Sessler with the 2013 Enrico Fermi Award, one of the government’s oldest and most prestigious awards for scientific achievement, at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. The Fermi Award honors the memory of Nobel Laureate Enrico Fermi, the first scientist to achieve a nuclear chain reaction and… Keep reading →
As the sociopolitical situation in Egypt deteriorates, the country’s energy infrastructure is also suffering. Although winter blackouts currently frustrating the population are being blamed on seasonal maintenance, a tight natural gas supply situation could exacerbate matters this summer when air conditioning-demand peaks. In late January, BG Group was ordered to direct gas away from LNG… Keep reading →
This question has been dissected in many ways by analysts, politicians, business leaders and countless other stakeholders, with numerous conclusions drawn. Clearly the term “energy independence” can be defined many ways. In terms of power generation, the country already is energy independent. But US petroleum import volumes usually lie at the heart of this question… Keep reading →
As the dust settles from the weeklong for the Chinese New Year, complete with fireworks, here are some of the top environmental issues to watch in the Year of the Horse. Provincial leadership Local governments combating rising rates of pollution and a dissatisfied populace are not waiting for Beijing to take action. Provinces are limiting… Keep reading →
