Researchers at a Swiss science and technology university testing out which is the most cost-effective renewable energy source in developing countries have made a surprising discovery.
The team calculated the cost of generating a tenth of the electricity demand for each of six countries using either wind turbines or photovoltaic cells. The countries were: Brazil, Egypt, India, Kenya, Nicaragua and Thailand. Keep reading →
The chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission said Thursday that lawmakers should not rush to enact laws to weaken federal pollution regulations because of fears about electricity shortages.
FERC Chairman Jon Wellinghoff contended that “relief valve” bills being contemplated by Republicans may not be necessary because of flexibility already available under the Environmental Protection Agency regulations and FERC processes. Keep reading →
For Pennsylvanians with natural gas wells on their land, chances are they won’t know if a safety violation occurs on their property. That’s because the state agency charged with regulating the wells — the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) — does not have to notify landowners if a violation is discovered. Even if landowners inquire about safety violations, DEP records are often too technical for the average person and incomplete. While some landowners would like more transparency around safety issues, as a group they are not pushing for stronger regulations. Landowners, who are paid royalties by the companies that drill on their property, generally want the drilling to proceed.
In the race to commercialize the next generation of advanced biofuels created from inedible plant material, 50/50 BP – Dupont joint venture Butamax is pushing to make biobutanol the next big thing. The company is moving toward the commercial phase of its program to make biobutanol the US fuel blend of choice.
“We are very excited about this product – biobutanol is the highest value biofuel that can be made,” Butamax CEO Paul Beckwith recently told Breaking Energy. Keep reading →
Halliburton revealed a 23% rise in first-quarter earnings and topped Wall Street expectations, as demand for oil-rich shale formations kicked higher in the US, lifting its rig count in the region. The Houston-based oilfield services company reported net income of $627 million, or 68 cents a share, compared with a year earlier $511 million, or 56 cents. Excluding one-time items, the company earned 89 cents, ahead of average analyst estimates of 85 cents in a Thomson Reuters poll. Revenue for the three months ended March 31 was up 30% to $6.8 billion, up from $5.3 billion a year ago, matching the Street’s view. However, the company’s operating margin fell to 14.9% from 15.4%.
In the brave new world of the smart grid, it won’t be enough for utilities to just provide their customers with the technology and hope they take advantage of it.
To reap the full benefits of a system that matches supply and demand, utilities will have to work a lot harder to deliver real-time information about pricing, energy use, and the status of smart appliances to desktop computers or mobile devices. Keep reading →
Two people walk through a forest in Easton, Connecticut identified as at risk for development.
Connecticut has made a controversial choice in selecting a unique reverse auction system to foster renewable generation. Keep reading →
If it’s true that it takes a crisis to force change then the US car manufacturing sector understands this better than anyone. Detroit has undergone a renaissance in the wake of the global economic and financial meltdown, broadening their offerings to include more fuel efficient passenger vehicles, hybrid models and electric cars.
“We are experiencing technological changes in automobiles that I have not seen in my lifetime,” said Ford Motor Company Chairman Bill Ford at a recent reception to promote Ford’s partnership with sustainability innovator SHFT.com. AOL Huffington Post is also a founding partner of the site. Keep reading →
Traditional Korean lamps in the city of Daegu, Korea’s third largest.
In a business world obsessed with quarterly returns, the energy sector continues to think about the long term in years and decades, not weeks and months. Keep reading →
The natural gas industry in Pennsylvania is trying to disprove criticism of its fracking practices by preemptively issuing new voluntary guidelines even as the sector comes under greater scrutiny.
A group representing the natural gas industry in the Marcellus Shale issued its first recommendations on industry best practices in an effort improve its conservation ethic and deflect criticism that operators are damaging natural landscapes with wells, roads and compressor stations. Keep reading →
