Public opinion is not the only factor policy makers must weigh when charting a course for the US energy sector, but it does play a role. And this can prove difficult when there is a mismatch between what the public favors and how well people understand the costs and challenges of implementing their preferred energy… Keep reading →
Five people will make a decision soon that will have an outsized impact on the future of renewable energy in America. I’m not talking about big shots like Obama, Koch, Boehner, Bloomberg, or Steyer. I’m talking about names many have never heard of: Moeller, Norris, LaFleur, Clark, and Binz (if he is confirmed). These are the chief… Keep reading →
The steady upward march of oil prices over time is putting increasing pressure on remote communities in Alaska that rely on diesel-fueled generators for much of their power supply, but displacing diesel with other electricity sources, such as renewables, is often an even higher-cost option. Alaska’s rural communities pay some of the highest prices for… Keep reading →
Add Spain to the list of countries that have offshore wind power before the United States. And on this one the U.S. really missed an opportunity. (That’s right, cool though it is, I have decided not to count that scaled-down 20-kilowatt floating turbine demo off Maine as establishment of U.S. offshore wind power.) This is the real thing… Keep reading →
Arguments about expensive, exotic renewables are dated If you are among those who still believes that renewables are exotic, expensive, unreliable, intermittent or whatever, you may be fighting a losing battle. With each passing day, renewables are gaining ground, and their shortcomings, most notably intermittency, diffused energy source and low capacity factor, are getting compensated in ingenious ways.… Keep reading →
DOE released a report examining the impacts of climate change on the nation’s energy and electricity infrastructure, including an assessment of ongoing efforts and potential opportunities to improve the energy sector’s climate resilience. On July 11, 2013, the Department of Energy (DOE) released a report examining current and future impacts of climate change on… Keep reading →
Global energy demands are at an unprecedented high and still growing. Global demand for electricity is projected to grow over 70 percent by 2035. And here in the US, the demand for electricity is projected to grow 22 percent by 2035. Finding energy sources to power our growing population and economy and meet that demand cleanly and responsibly… Keep reading →
Hope everyone had a nice 4th of July! Here’s what’s happening in energy news. West Texas Intermediate crude is trading near a 14-month high, spurred by unrest in Egypt and a sunny outlook for US economic growth. [Bloomberg] And Brent hit a three-month high today after Egypt’s army declared a state of emergency in areas… Keep reading →
The race to develop fuel cell vehicles for what automakers hope will be an interested consumer audience has mildly been heating up of late. Hyundai, for example, has been for the most part at the forefront as some of its production ready vehicles are now in the city of Copenhagen, Denmark to be used there in a municipal fleet. Now… Keep reading →
Arbitrage opportunities created by wide disparities between peak and off-peak power prices can offer strong returns, but data transparency is the key to capitalizing on those opportunities, said speakers at New York Energy Week’s Energy Data Jam, hosted by Google. Genscape has made a business of amassing and analyzing energy data, and “where that data… Keep reading →
