Energy Literacy Advocates Newsroom
Energy Literacy Advocates (ELA) is a non-partisan, non-profit, public education and advocacy group dedicated to improving the energy literacy of all sectors of our democracy in order to empower a comprehensive national energy policy that is responsible and sustainable. Stay tuned for updated energy news!
Friday, February 27, 2009
A Look Into Energy Measures in Proposed Federal Budget
Funding increases include more money to NASA for space-based monitoring of greenhouse gases, expanded support at the Energy Department for finding ways to economically capture carbon emissions from coal-burning power plants, and more money for the Interior Department to mitigate the impact of climate change on public lands and wildlife
To help with funding, the budge proposes imposing a new excise tax and fees on companies that take oil and natural gas from federal waters and reimposes a tax — again largely targeting the oil industry — to pay for cleaning up Superfund sites.
To be noted, however, $15 billion of the funding stream necessary for Obama's initiatives relies on carbon pollution permits, which have yet to be proposed by Congress.
To read the full article, click here.
Labels: climate change, gas tax, global warming, u.s. energy policy
posted by Amanda Voss at 9:14 AM
0 comments
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Senate Majority Leader Outlines Plan to Meet Obama's Energy Goals
First on the slate is an energy bill that could contain a renewable portfolio standard, energy conservation measures and a number of other efficiency regulations. Reid felt the bill would come up for a vote before April.
To read the rest of the article, click here.
Labels: energy policy, u.s. energy policy
posted by Amanda Voss at 12:05 PM
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Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Energy Crops Up in Obama's Speech
Obama touted "renewable energy investment as part of the 'foundation of lasting prosperity' and blasted past energy policy as an underlying factor behind the nation's economic woes."
"We have known for decades that our survival depends on finding new sources of energy," Obama said. "Yet we import more oil today than ever before."
The emphasis placed on developing alternative and renewable energy signals that, despite economic woes, Obama's team plans to move on the energy policy front.
To read the full article in The New York Times, click here.
Labels: energy policy, renewables, u.s. energy policy
posted by Amanda Voss at 10:57 AM
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Tuesday, February 24, 2009
T Boone Pickens in the Chicago Tribune
Pickens issued three imperatives:
•Build a more reliable and efficient electrical transmission grid to meet the demand for clean, renewable electricity.
•Develop "smart-grid" technologies that will save consumers money.
•Reduce our foreign-oil dependency and develop a clean, alternative transportation fuel infrastructure.
To read the full article in the Tribune, click here.
Labels: energy, renewables, u.s. energy policy
posted by Amanda Voss at 10:40 AM
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Monday, February 23, 2009
Partnerships in Renewable Energy: Israel & U.S.
Unique projects in the Israel agreement include cooperation with the first company in the world utilizing flue gas from coal burning power stations for algae cultivation, to produce biofuels. Israel is a leader on several renewable fronts, with the country projecting 20% of its energy will be solar generated by 2010.
To read the full article, click here.
Labels: renewables
posted by Amanda Voss at 8:06 AM
0 comments
Friday, February 20, 2009
Framing the Peak Energy Debate
"Will we continue to use fossil fuels to the detriment of our planet and the human population? Or can we clean up our act in time to avoid calamitous change? That's the dilemma the world currently faces, yet in spite of efforts to transition to alterative energy sources, projections show that annual fossil fuel demand is likely to increase 45 per cent by 2030."
While focusing on the relationship between fossil fuel consumption and the climate, Kleiner also highlights the lack of information in the public domain, leading - in some experts' opionions - to the deepening of the energy crisis.
To read the full article, click here.
Labels: climate change, energy, global warming, renewables
posted by Amanda Voss at 12:54 PM
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Wednesday, February 18, 2009
What Can We Learn From Alaska?
Among developments chronicled are wind turbines and harnessing river power.
To access the full article, click here.
posted by Amanda Voss at 11:59 AM
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Tuesday, February 17, 2009
U.S. Automakers Need to Prove Viability, Progress
To qualify for funding, the automakers must demonstrate long-term viability during restructuring.
Hit by the one-two punch of escalating gas prices followed by the recession, America's "Big Three" auto producers have suffered massive losses.
Also announced today, President Obama is coalescing an oversight board for the auto restructing process. The task force will include members from the departments of Treasury, Labor, Transportation, Commerce and Energy; the National Economic Council; the White House Office of Energy and Environment; the Council of Economic Advisers; and the Environmental Protection Agency, the official said.
To read the CNN news release on this story, click here.
Labels: automakers, economy, energy
posted by Amanda Voss at 9:18 AM
0 comments
Monday, February 16, 2009
Renewable Energy Developments to Expand in UK
Britain generates about three gigawatts of energy from wind farms, enough to power more than 1.5 million homes. The government estimates the UK will need to generate about 28 gigawatts in this way to hit the 2020 target.
To read the full article, click here.
Labels: energy, renewables
posted by Amanda Voss at 10:35 AM
0 comments
Friday, February 13, 2009
Stimulus Compromise Bill Contains Renewable Measures
Additionally, the bill slates $6 billion in loan guarantees for renewable energy projects such as wind or solar energy development.
This compromise version is under final debate in both the House and Senate.
To read a more in-depth report about renewable provisions within the bill, and some projected outcomes of the bill's impact, click here.
Labels: economy, election 2008, renewables, u.s. energy policy
posted by Amanda Voss at 10:06 AM
0 comments
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Advancements in Our Energy Future: California Nears Deal on Solar Thermal Power
The deal represents a bright spot for the renewable energy industry, which has been pinched due to the economic downturn and the drop in the cost of oil.
Solar-thermal power uses heat from the sun to create steam to spin electric turbines, thus generating electricity for consumers.
To read the full article, click here.
Labels: energy, renewables
posted by Amanda Voss at 1:17 PM
0 comments
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Offshore Drilling Plan Shelved
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar ordered an extended six-month hearing for the plan, which would have immediately opened 5-year leases.
Instead, Salazar wants"to build a framework for offshore renewable energy development so that we can incorporate the great potential for wind, wave and ocean current energy into our offshore energy strategy," Salazar said.
To read the full press release, click here.
Labels: oil companies, oil supply, u.s. energy policy
posted by Amanda Voss at 8:29 AM
0 comments
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
L A Times: "Promise and Peril" of Energy Transition
"The stakes are high. If Obama succeeds, he could spark a domestic jobs boom and lead an international fight against climate change. If he fails, he could cripple existing industries and squeeze cash-strapped Americans with higher energy prices."
Comparing the efforts to transition America away from imported oil to the Manhattan Project and moon shot combined, the article offers an interesting comparison of the policy efforts to fast-track alternative energy in the U.S.
To read the article, click here.
Labels: election 2008, energy policy, energy sources, renewables, u.s. energy policy
posted by Amanda Voss at 12:14 PM
0 comments
Monday, February 9, 2009
New Chair of House Energy Subcommittee Reveals Policy Goals
Citing staunch agreement with T. Boone Pickens, Markey is well-known as a champion for tougher vehicle fuel efficiency standards, a foe of nuclear power plants and has called for less generous royalty terms for oil production on federal lands. He has also supported a windfall tax for oil companies since the 1980s.
While Markey focused on energy-related parts of Congress’ economic stimulus package at CERA, he also indicated that massive climate change law is expected out of his committee this spring.
To read the full article and hear more about Markey and proposed energy policy, click here.
Labels: election 2008, energy, energy policy, environment, u.s. energy policy
posted by Amanda Voss at 11:29 AM
0 comments
Friday, February 6, 2009
Obama Calls for New Energy Efficiency Standards
Obama's memorandum comes in the face of an executive history of tardiness in applying Congressionally set standards. According to the Times, Mr. Obama said he intended to comply with the laws, starting this year with nine categories of products, including ovens, vending machines, microwave ovens, dishwashers and light bulbs.
Obama touted the energy and cost savings of these measures in remarks before the Energy Department.
To read the full article, click here.
Labels: efficiency, energy, energy policy, u.s. energy policy
posted by Amanda Voss at 1:13 PM
0 comments
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Wind Power Gained in 2008; US Surpasses Germany
New wind farms have generated over 27,000 MW of electricity. Global wind energy capacity grew by 28.8% last year, even higher than the average over the past decade, to reach total global installations of more than 120.8 GW at the end of 2008. Over 27 GW of new wind power generation capacity came online in 2008, 36% more than in 2007.
The United States overtook Germany as the world's green superpower by installing 8,358 MW in 2008, a 50% increase over the previous year. 8,000 MW is enough wind energy to power two million homes in the US.
Additionally, renewables experts continue to watch China, as the nation doubled its green power output in 2008.
To read the full article on MSNBC, click here.
Labels: economy, efficiency, energy, renewables
posted by Amanda Voss at 8:06 AM
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A Non-Profit Analysis of Energy Provisions in the Stimulus Bill
To access their assesment, click here.
Labels: energy policy, u.s. energy policy
posted by Amanda Voss at 7:58 AM
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Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Markets Eye Weight of OPEC Cuts
Trading today hovers at $40 per barrel. According to the Associated Press, a report Tuesday by the American Petroleum Institute, the industry's trade association, is expected to show that oil stocks rose to 2.9 million barrels last week, according to the average of estimates in a survey of analysts by Platts, the energy information arm of McGraw-Hill Cos. The U.S. Energy Department's Energy Information Administration reports its inventory data on Wednesday. The data is expected to show that US crude inventories rose by 2.5 million barrels in the week ending January 30, according to a Thomson Reuters poll of analysts.
Oil stocks have grown more than 20 million barrels in the last four weeks, evidence the nation's worst recession in more than 25 years may be deepening. Refiners are buying much less crude with demand for their products like gasoline falling. That has led to rising gas prices even with the price of oil near five-year lows.
To read the full Associated Press article, click here.
Labels: economy, oil companies, oil price, oil supply/demand
posted by Amanda Voss at 10:16 AM
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