Corporate

The Ice That Burns

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Petroleum engineers in the 1930s knew what to think about methane hydrates, the magical “ice that burns”: they were a big nuisance. Chunks of these flammable frozen solids would sometimes clog oil and natural gas pipelines and slow production, so eliminating them became a priority. For decades, methane hydrates remained a worthless, vexing curiosity to industry.

But yesterday’s trash becomes today’s treasure, and methane hydrates now seem to represent a hugely abundant energy source that could help power the global economy as it shifts away from dirtier coal and oil. They could make some countries energy independent, and might even be able to help counter global warming by locking away some of the carbon dioxide (CO2) warming the climate. That is, the hydrates could become all of those things if engineers and scientists can develop a cost-competitive way to use them. Keep reading →

 /  Published June 3, 2011 at 3:10 PM

The Energy Leadership Race

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With leadership in the global economy and in the energy industry increasingly up for grabs among new players and established giants, demonstrating leadership and innovation has become an essential tool for attracting investors and placating regulators.

Oil giant Chevron has staked out its territory in the leadership race today with the announcement of a “groundbreaking” strategic partnership with the Washington, DC-based Center for Strategic and International Studies. Keep reading →

 /  Published June 3, 2011 at 11:15 AM

Solar Surge

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The sun shines strong on hot summer days and soon the US may be capturing much of its power for electricity.

Solar markets have picked up in activity in recent days, both on the production and consumption side, aided by strategic boosts from the US government. Keep reading →

 /  Published June 2, 2011 at 4:50 PM

Integrated Transmission 2.0

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The country’s electrical transmission system is slowly being integrated in an effort to attain maximum efficiency at minimum cost.

Agreements signed this week underline the urgency behind efforts to bolster infrastructure and integrate electrical lines across the country. Keep reading →

 /  Published June 2, 2011 at 11:35 AM

Smart Grid Substations Prime For Automation

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The industry of substation automation, involving a multitude of devices, technologies, and business models requiring skilled product selection, implementation, interoperability, and engineering, is burgeoning. Committed Smart Grid nations are prioritizing their efforts to revitalize their decaying electric infrastructure by investing in critical upgrades to their substations and ensuring these structures can be seamlessly connected to the Smart Grid.

SBI Energy report “Global Smart Substation Products Market” examines the avid worldwide interest in smart substation development, including the market size, scope of the products and the uneven pace at which nations are adopting the different substation automation architectures. Keep reading →

 /  Published June 2, 2011 at 9:02 AM

Electrifying Commerce

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John Bryson, former CEO of Edison International, a major utility owner, and chairman of solar company BrightSolar, is President Obama’s choice for the next Secretary of Commerce.

The President was sure to cite Bryson’s energy past in his speech announcing the nomination, underlining the administration’s recent approach to energy industry innovation and clean energy as job creation engines and economic drivers. Keep reading →

 /  Published June 1, 2011 at 10:30 AM

Flexibility For The Future

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What is the answer for our future energy needs? Do we focus on solar, or wind, or natural gas, or oil, or cleaner coal or nuclear? The reality is that we need to find new ways to make all of these energy sources work together if we are going to achieve the cleaner, more affordable and reliable energy mix of tomorrow.

Renewable energy will be an important component of the future energy grid and governments around the world are putting incentives in place to increase its uptake. Keep reading →

 /  Published June 1, 2011 at 8:00 AM

The More You Spend, The More You Save

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California wants private companies to take the lead on investment in energy efficiency.

California’s critical investments in energy efficiency must come from private debt and equity markets, rather than the government, said the state’s most recently appointed public utilities commissioner. Keep reading →

 /  Published May 31, 2011 at 9:40 AM

Nissan Leaf Tweet

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Imagine that everything – not only your car – ran on gas! @NissanLEAF promotional video gives a sense of it: http://bit.ly/ik0iN7 via @CleanTec #EV‘s @AOLenergy

 /  Published May 27, 2011 at 3:52 PM

Video: Defending The Energy Stimulus

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It has not always been easy to defend the massive energy programs included in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, better known as the stimulus.

Here the Department of Energy provides a detailed example of businesses that benefited from the energy efficiency funds include in the ARRA. The video focuses on St Paul in Minnesota, and has the unusual benefit, for a government video, of being short and to the point. Keep reading →

 /  Published May 27, 2011 at 9:00 AM
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