Originally published at TheBreakthrough.org and syndicated in partnership with TheEnergyCollective.com The case against using trees and crops as fuel for cars and power plants has grown stronger in recent years. The expansion of corn for ethanol in the American Midwest has worsened water pollution and soil erosion, and has had no benefit in terms of reduced emissions. Europe’s… Keep reading →
During his recent State of the Union address, President Obama reiterated the importance of American energy: “One of the biggest factors in bringing more jobs back is our commitment to American energy. The all-of-the-above energy strategy I announced a few years ago is working, and today, America is closer to energy independence than we’ve been in decades.”… Keep reading →
The energy industry – oil & gas sector in particular – is bracing itself for a massive wave of retirements over the short to medium term, which has been dubbed “The Great Shift Change.” As the industry prepares for this turnover, companies are looking to the next generation of candidates with skills ranging from finance,… Keep reading →
Egypt was recently forced to divert natural gas from LNG export projects to domestic power generation and industrial sectors, and there is no relief in sight. One of the major challenges facing leadership are the substantial energy subsidies that keep gasoline prices below market levels, which is a common issue throughout the region. Keeping the… 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 →
People who agree that climate change is a dire problem often disagree about how to solve it. In recent months, once-private disagreements have ballooned into a public spat between pro-nuclear and anti-nuclear climate activists. Depending on whom you ask, nuclear power is either “essential” or “ill-suited” to efforts aimed at staving off climate disaster. Nuclear… Keep reading →
In this August 2013 photo, Pete Johnson of Gemini Rope Access Solutions rappels down a 3 megawatt Alstom wind turbine, just having finished inspecting the blades above him. The turbine was undergoing testing at NREL’s National Wind Technology Center in Boulder, Colorado. Photo courtesy of Dennis Schroeder, NREL.
The Energy Department’s National Labs are leading the way in science and innovation by developing the next generation of clean energy technologies. To help drive this innovation, the scientists at the National Labs use some of the most cutting-edge facilities in the world — some of which are also available for use by other government agencies, private companies and… Keep reading →
Germany’s massive build out of renewable power generation resources and simultaneous nuclear power phase out has resulted in a difficult situation where coal use and customers’ electric bills are rising. The country’s new energy minister, Sigmar Gabriel, discussed these issues in a policy speech on Tuesday. Read Breaking Energy coverage of the German energy situation… Keep reading →
In the last week of December, the New York Public Service Commission issued an Order that signals big changes coming soon to New York’s electric utility landscape. The Commission made it clear that it wants clean energy resources, including on-site, distributed power generation (such as solar PV), energy efficiency and energy load management strategies, to play a… Keep reading →
