Energy Literacy Advocates (ELA) is a non-partisan, non-profit, public education organization working to improve the energy literacy of all sectors of our democracy.

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!


Monday, September 21, 2009

White House Appoints Head of New DOE Agency


The White House appointed Arun Majumdar, of the College of Engineering at the University of California Berkeley, to head its new Department of Energy (DOE) agency. The new agency, Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) will support high risk alternative energy technologies.


ARPA-E projects consider technologies which can lower foreign oil dependency, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve energy efficiency. 3,500 companies applied for funds from ARPA-E this year.


ARPA-E is funded by federal stimulus dollars.


For more, click here.


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posted by Amanda Voss at 1:01 PM 0 comments


Friday, August 28, 2009

Obama Administration Finds Support on Energy Issues

A Washington Post - ABC News poll, published today, reveals that those Americans surveyed support the Obama administration's plans for energy policy. Overall, 55 percent approved of the way the administration is handling energy issues.

52 percent of those polled support Obama's controversial cap and trade system to limit greenhouse gas emissions. 42 percent opposed the idea.

Overall, the results indicate fairly broad and steady public support for the Obama administration's agenda toward revamping US energy policy.

For the full article in the Washington Post, click here.

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posted by Amanda Voss at 11:35 AM 0 comments


Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Cash for Clunkers at Home? Govt Considers Vouchers for New Appliances


As Cash for Clunkers concluded this week, another voucher program is on the horizon, this time rewarding customers who purchase Energy Star appliances.


The program, which was appropriated $300 million in funds by the stimulus bill, could award vouchers of up to $200 to customers buying energy-efficient refrigerators, washers, dryers and other large home appliances.


The rebate program could begin at the end of this year. States had to apply to the Department of Energy by August 15, indicating interest in participating.


To read more, click here.

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posted by Amanda Voss at 9:56 AM 0 comments


Monday, July 27, 2009

Developments in Alternative Energy: Harnessing the Power of the Sea


With demand quickly outpacing capacity in Florida, researchers are turning to the ocean for potential energy generation.


Scientists are evaluating sea turbines and their ability to harness the Gulf current. Some predictions for the efficacy of turbines foresee the ocean supplying one-third of Florida's power needs.


The concept is similar to electricity generation via wind turbines on land.


To read more, click here.

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posted by Amanda Voss at 10:40 AM 0 comments


Thursday, July 23, 2009

Audit Finds Energy Department is Wasting Energy


As the President and Congress continue to push energy efficiency forward as policy, a government audit found that the Energy Department itself is wasting energy.


The Department's four main campuses are not realizing potential energy gains, like consuming less energy during non-business hours, and are wasting roughly $11.5 million in costs.


The report cited the Department for failing to lead the country in energy saving measures and efficiency standards. The report overall reported similar results from the previous two audits done on DOE buildings.


To read more, click here.

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posted by Amanda Voss at 1:47 PM 0 comments


Thursday, July 16, 2009

Investment Announcement Signals Shift for "Big Oil"


Over the past month, Exxon Mobil Corporation has made massive investments in electric cars, algae-based biofuels and unconventional natural gas. This abrupt shift in strategy signals to some a pervasive shift in viewpoint among oil companies.


Exxon has put an initial $5oo,ooo into electric car development, as well as $600 million into generating biofuels from algae.


While Exxon's recent investments were classified as studied moves by the company, industry experts view this as giving alternative energy a much-needed boost.


For the full article, click here.

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posted by Amanda Voss at 10:55 AM 0 comments


Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Energy Secretary Urges China to Cooperate in Climate Efforts


U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu warned China that it's cooperation in slowing emissions is vital to stemming climate change and global warming.


China surpassed the US two years ago in greenhouse gas emissions.


US officials urged further cooperation between China and the US in consuming energy with efficiency and developing new technologies.


To read the full article, click here.

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posted by Amanda Voss at 8:15 AM 0 comments


Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Clean Energy Debate Exposes Regional Divides


As the Obama administration and Congress continue to sponsor clean energy initiatives, regional divides are surfacing in Congress.


Most of the promising sites for wind generated electricity are located in the Midwest, away from populous East Coast cities. This necessitates building new transmission lines to the East, as supported by Midwest representatives, or locating more and smaller wind farms in the East, negating the need for cross-country transmission.


While windfarms located in the rural midwest are able to produce more electricity, a decision to locate farms in the "wind corridor" also means new green jobs will be taken away from the East Coast, according to eastern regional representatives.


This debate highlights the current divisions in renewable energy policy, which is balancing economics, environmental and regional demands.


For more, click here.

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posted by Amanda Voss at 10:08 AM 0 comments


Thursday, July 9, 2009

Nuclear Included in New Energy Profile


Obama administration officials endorsed the revival of America's nuclear industry during hearings on the American Clean Energy and Security Act. The acceptance of expanded nuclear use was seen as key to gaining Republican and "Rust Belt" Democratic support for the energy bill.


Proposals include opening up to 100 new nuclear plants by 2030.


Energy Secretary Steven Chu openly supported nuclear technology, citing it as key to reaching a low carbon future.


To read more, click here.

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posted by Amanda Voss at 9:12 AM 0 comments


Monday, June 8, 2009

Offshore Drilling May Return to Senate Energy Debate

The New York Times - Debate over a proposed oil and gas title aimed at expanding domestic energy production opens the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee session today.

Notably, the proposal would allow for expanding leasing for oil and gas exploration in the US, and streamline permitting procedures for offshore drilling.

The debates are part of the Committee's continued mark-ups on a broad energy bill.

Today marks the first day lawmakers will be able to view the full proposed list of amendments to the bill.

To access the article, click here.

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posted by Amanda Voss at 11:08 AM 0 comments


Monday, June 1, 2009

Debate Resumes Over Waxman-Markey Climate Bill

As Congress returns to session, an intensified debate will center on the proposals of landmark climate and energy legislation in the House. Central to this proposed policy are Obama administration and Democratic proposals to introduce a major cap-and-trade system aimed at reducing carbon dioxide emissions.

To offer a counterpoint to the debate, we are posting a link to a Washington Post article, which discusses some of the possible negative points of the Waxman-Markey bill.

To access the article, click here.

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posted by Amanda Voss at 9:09 AM 0 comments


Wednesday, May 27, 2009

EIA Releases Extended Energy, Pollution Outlook

The Energy Information Administration released a new report today, stating that world energy consumption is expected to grow by 44 percent over the next two decades as the global economy recovers and expands. This assumes no changes to legislation or international treaties governing emissions.

While substantial growth is expected in the use of renewable energy sources such as hydropower, wind and solar, the EIA maintains that overall growth in demand will require continued reliance on fossil fuels, especially oil and coal.

The biggest increases in energy use will come from economically developing countries such as China and India.

To read more, click here.

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posted by Amanda Voss at 12:37 PM 0 comments


Tuesday, May 26, 2009

G8 Calls for Continued Investment in Alternative Energy

The G8 summit in Rome, which included 23 energy ministries, 18 executives of energy companies and OPEC members Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Libya and Nigeria, ended with a call for continued investment in energy projects. Members at the summit warned that a delay in energy investment will mean higher prices and a less sustainable economy.

With the global economic downturn and credit crunch, projects in both conventional and alternative energy sources have been halted.

“The current financial and economic crisis must not delay investments and programmed energy projects which are essential to economic recovery and sustainable prosperity,” ministers from the G8 and 15 other countries including Saudi Arabia, China and India said in their concluding statement yesterday after a three-day meeting.

To read the full article in Bloomberg, click here.

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posted by Amanda Voss at 10:13 AM 0 comments


Thursday, May 21, 2009

2008 Data Reveals Record Drop in U.S. Carbon Emissions

The U.S. had a record decline in the amount of climate-changing carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere during 2008. According to data released by the Energy Information Administration (EIA), the sharpest drop in emissions came in the transportation sector where carbon dioxide pollution fell by 5.2 percent in 2008, by far the largest decline recorded.

Much of this decrease may be attributed to the drop in travel caused by soaring gasoline and diesel costs last summer and the general economic decline later in the year, which added up to a 2.2 percent drop in energy consumption. The largest previous drop in travel related emissions was 1.3 percent in 1991.

Overall, the government reported Wednesday that energy-related carbon dioxide emissions declined by 2.8 percent last year compared to 2007, the largest annual drop since the government began regular reporting of greenhouse gas pollution.

To read more, click here.

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posted by Amanda Voss at 8:26 AM 0 comments


Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Google Partnership Offers New Tool for Energy Efficiency

The 'Google PowerMeter', a new application created in partnership with Reliance Energy, allows consumers to check electricity consumption with information from utility meters and energy management devices. Consumers can track their consumption habits online.

Utilizing "smart" meters installed by the utility partner, PowerMeter enables customers to monitor their consumption on their personal iGoogle homepage.

So far, Google has partnered with utilities in California, Texas, Florida, India, Wisconsin, Missouri, Canada and Kentucky.

To read more about this new energy development, click here.

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posted by Amanda Voss at 9:55 AM 0 comments


Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Amidst Rocky Market, EIA Releases Oil Forecast

Demand for oil has fallen to 2004 levels, according to Energy Information Administration (EIA)numbers. The EIA has revised down in its demand predictions for the U.S. in 2009, as well as its output numbers from OPEC.

While numbers might be falling, China appears on the EIA's radar with growing demand forecasted, even for the economic downturn of 2009. Based upon China's recent purchases, oil rose above $60 a barrel - a six month high - in the markets on Tuesday.

To read a full analysis in The Wall Street Journal, click here.

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posted by Amanda Voss at 10:46 AM 0 comments


Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Democrats Seek Consensus on Energy Legislation

The Associated Press - President Barack Obama and House Democrats held a meeting at the White House yesterday, seeking consensus and support for several pieces of pending energy legislation.

While policy provisions instituting a strategy for replacing gas-guzzling cars with more fuel-efficient models met with general support, much tougher negotiations lie ahead on a bill that would, for the first time, limit emissions linked to global warming.

The Obama administration has endorsed pending energy legislation broadly, saying it would advance key parts of the president's domestic agenda, namely slowing global warming and transitioning to a clean energy economy. The House Energy committee, which is still working on the final language for the possible combined energy bill, has postponed a vote due to cost concerns raised by the panel's moderate Democrats.

To read the full article, click here.

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posted by Amanda Voss at 8:42 AM 0 comments


Friday, May 1, 2009

Drilling Rig Count Suffers Rapid Decline



Steve Andrews, an advisory board member, was kind enough to share the above slide with us this week. In layman's terms this means there is a serious lack of investment in the rigs we use to drill for oil and natural gas in this country. That means when (and I say when, not if - recessions don't last forever) demand increases again we face the usual 2-5 year start up time from when the call is made to drill until the first product goes to market. As Steve put it, regarding the decrease in rig count "While we had a longer decline and larger percentage crash between 1981 and 1985, nothing has approached this crash in terms of speed and depth combined." Scary!

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posted by Jamie Lang at 2:55 PM 0 comments


Thursday, April 30, 2009

Expansion of Government Funding for Renewables Research

The Associated Press - In an address from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced $193 million in funding for energy research. NREL, the primary U.S. lab for renewable energy will receive $110 million in federal stimulus funds and another $83 million will go toward wind energy and other alternative power and efficiency projects.

Obama's goal with these funds, Chu said, is to prepare the country to compete economically decades down the road, as well as meet the immediate challenges of climate change and energy demand.

In total, the stimulus package gave $39 billion to the Energy Department. The money is split between in grants, tax breaks and loan guarantees, with much of it going to renewable energy and conservation programs.

To read the full article, click here.

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posted by Amanda Voss at 9:00 AM 0 comments


Wednesday, April 29, 2009

The Next Big Energy Exporter: Kansas?

The Associated Press - Lt. Gov. Mark Parkinson and members of the American Council on Renewable Energy presented a national study slating Kansas with the potential to become a major exporter of renewable energy.

The study, run by Joint Coordinated Systems, calculated the state's maximum wind potential at 19 gigawatts by 2030 and projected 1 megawatt of power annually each from solar and bio-energy.

The study found tremendous potential to market Kansas energy to places such as Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana and Georgia. This alternative energy exportation could create $23 billion in cumulative economic impact and 12,000 jobs from now through 2030.

To read the full article, click here.

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posted by Amanda Voss at 9:13 AM 0 comments


Friday, April 24, 2009

Weighing the Cost of Proposed Energy Legislation

The Associated Press - Electricity providers warned Thursday that consumers will face higher electricity prices if Congress passes a global warming bill without giving utilities some allowances to emit greenhouse gases.

These higher prices would come as the result of proposed cap and trade legislation, currently under consideration in Congress. The proposed plan puts a price on the gases linked to global warming, and establishes a paid permit system for emissions.

While energy providers proposed that initial permits be offered free of charge, the president's budget assumes that allowances will be sold and uses the projected $650 billion in revenue to help people pay for higher energy costs and to develop new, more climate friendly energy sources.

"It should not be legislation that is designed to raise revenue. ... It should be something that is trying to achieve its objective of reducing carbon emissions in the country and that alone," said Glenn English, CEO of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, which represents 42 million consumers in 47 states.

To read the full article, click here.

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posted by Amanda Voss at 8:48 AM 0 comments


Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Iconic Empire State Building to "Go Green"

Immortalized in "King Kong" and listed among the wonders of the modern world, the Empire State Building is now going "green."

The building is beginning a $500 million renovation, with $100 million specifically aimed at making it more energy efficient. In all, the project is expected to save about $4.4 million a year on energy.

Project coordinators aim to make the famous skyscraper, once the tallest in the world, a model of energy efficiency and conservation.

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posted by Amanda Voss at 8:55 AM 0 comments


Friday, April 3, 2009

Largest Public Utility Group Buys Into Renewables

Facing looming legislative pressures for cleaner energy, the nation's largest public utility agreed Thursday to buy a substantial portion of electricity from renewable energy sources.

The Tennessee Valley Authority board gave President and CEO Tom Kilgore authority to sign contracts totaling up to 2,000 megawatts of renewable and clean energy by 2011, with some of the power entering TVA's seven-state system as early as 2010.

To read the full article released in the Associated Press, click here.

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posted by Amanda Voss at 8:30 AM 0 comments


Friday, March 27, 2009

Tesla Motors Unveils Plans for All-Electric Passenger Car

Tesla Motors unveiled a prototype of its new Model S passenger sedan. What makes this car so unique? The Model S, slated to begin production in 2011, will be the first mass-produced all-electric car. Prices for the Model S will start at $50,000.

Tesla also plans to open a dealership in Chicago soon, the first of a seven this year. The Windy City showroom will be Tesla’s third and the first outside of the company’s home state of California.

Tesla burst onto the alternative vehicle scene and became famous for its high-performance, all-electric sports car, the Roadster.

To read the full article in Scientific American, click here.

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posted by Amanda Voss at 8:26 AM 0 comments


Monday, March 23, 2009

Obama Links Clean Energy Progress with Budget Proposals

The Associated Press - President Barack Obama will begin campaigning today on clean energy and environmental investments, a primary budget initiative.

According to the Associated Press release, Obama planned to make the case Monday for a budget proposal that invests billions in research designed to reduce climate change and guarantees loans for companies that develop clean energy technologies. Obama has tied his first budget proposal as president to a renewable energy program to help the United States move toward energy independence.

Details of the budget specific to energy include $39 billion at the Department of Energy and $20 billion in tax incentives for clean energy. Obama's 10-year budget proposal contains spending of nearly $75 billion to make permanent existing tax cuts for energy research and experimentation.

To read the full article, click here.

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posted by Amanda Voss at 8:28 AM 0 comments


Monday, March 16, 2009

Saudi Oil Minister Advocates the Critical State of Fossil Fuels

Monday, March 16 - Saudi Arabian Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi emphasized today, that "Given their massive scale, non-renewables will remain the world's energy workhorse for many decades to come."

These comments came after the latest OPEC meeting, where members agreed to hold production steady, given the tenuous state of the world economy.

In extolling the continued need for, and reliance upon, fossil fuels, Naimi additionally accentuated the issue of lagging technology in alternative fuels. "... there is no excuse to pin our hopes only on alternatives which today are just supplemental energies," he said. "Our immediate focus, then, must be to make fossil fuels cleaner and more efficient."

To read the full article in Reuters, click here.

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posted by Amanda Voss at 8:31 AM 0 comments


Friday, March 13, 2009

IEA Lowers Forecast Again

From the Associated Press -

"The International Energy Agency on Friday lowered its estimate for global oil demand in 2009 as the crisis curbs demand in the United States, Russia and China.

The agency said demand would drop for a second consecutive year for the first time since 1982-1983.

In its closely watched monthly survey, the IEA cut its forecast for demand this year by 270,000 barrels a day to 84.4 million barrels a day — 1.5 percent lower than a year earlier.
The Paris-based agency said demand for oil last year was estimated to have slid 0.4 percent to 85.7 million barrels a day.

The IEA said that "the eventual resumption of global demand growth will largely depend upon much stronger economic performance than is currently the case" among the world's biggest energy consumers, and that the latest indicators are "not encouraging."

Members of OPEC have responded to lower demand by cutting output.
The IEA estimates that global oil supply fell in February to 83.9 million barrels a day, down 1 million barrels a day from January and down 3.4 million barrels a day from a year earlier."

To access the link to this article, click here.

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posted by Amanda Voss at 10:53 AM 0 comments


Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Interior Secretary Salazar Reveals Department's Energy Agenda

In an interview with The Associated Press, Interior Department Secretary Ken Salazar called for the creation of "renewable energy zones" to smooth development of offshore wind projects and to spur solar energy development in the Southwest, as well as onshore wind energy in the Great Plains.

Salazar cited offshore wind projects on the Atlantic coast as a key to meeting renewable energy goals in America.

Additionally, Salazar promised to review oil and gas exploration leases on public lands. So far this year, proposed tests to explore oil shale in Colorado, Utah and Wyoming have been sidelined by Interior Department rulings.

To read the full Associate Press release, click here.

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posted by Amanda Voss at 10:34 AM 0 comments


Friday, March 6, 2009

Reid Indicates Support for New Multi-Issue Energy Bill Strategy

According to the New York Times, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid Reid confirmed yesterday that he now supports packaging a cap-and-trade bill together with a nationwide renewable electricity standard (RES) and other energy provisions.

Reid had previously outlined a three bill strategy for enacting President Obama's energy policies, but his combination of energy standards with the controversial cap-and-trade program into one bill has now drawn both criticism and praise. While some organizations lauded his efforts at attempting to quickly enact energy policy change, others are concerned that the cap-and-trade program's inclusion in the bill will endanger the passage of other, less controversial, energy measures.

The bill now faces an uncertain future in the Senate, where it will need 60 votes.

To read the full article in the New York Times, click here.

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posted by Amanda Voss at 9:39 AM 0 comments


Tuesday, February 24, 2009

T Boone Pickens in the Chicago Tribune

Texan T. Boone Pickens, who has dominated many discussions of American alternative energy, offered his opinions in today's Chicago Tribune on President Obama's renewable energy policies, and on where the U.S. needs to allocate attention to reap success.

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.

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posted by Amanda Voss at 10:40 AM 0 comments


Friday, February 20, 2009

Framing the Peak Energy Debate

Nature Reports Climate Change - Kurt Kleiner of Nature Reports examines the climate and energy impacts of peak oil.

"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.

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posted by Amanda Voss at 12:54 PM 0 comments


Tuesday, February 17, 2009

U.S. Automakers Need to Prove Viability, Progress

In order to gain access to additional bailout funds, automakers GM and Chrysler face today's deadline to submit detailed restructuring plans.

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.

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posted by Amanda Voss at 9:18 AM 0 comments


Monday, February 16, 2009

Renewable Energy Developments to Expand in UK

Reuters - Taking another step to reach its 2020 goal of meeting 15% of energy needs through renewables, Britain approved several bids to expand the number of offshore wind farms.

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.

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posted by Amanda Voss at 10:35 AM 0 comments


Thursday, February 12, 2009

Advancements in Our Energy Future: California Nears Deal on Solar Thermal Power

The Los Angeles Times reports that Southern California Edison will sign the largest-ever U.S. solar energy deal with BrightSource Energy Inc. of Oakland. The 20-year contract will supply enough solar energy from remote desert generating plants to power 845,000 homes.

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.

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posted by Amanda Voss at 1:17 PM 0 comments


Monday, February 9, 2009

New Chair of House Energy Subcommittee Reveals Policy Goals

Houston Chronicle - Opening CERAWeek, the Cambridge Energy Research Associates' energy industry conference, luncheon keynote speaker U.S. Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass) and new chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and the Environment revealed his energy policy outlooks.

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.

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posted by Amanda Voss at 11:29 AM 0 comments


Friday, February 6, 2009

Obama Calls for New Energy Efficiency Standards

The New York Times - Yesterday, President Barack Obama issued orders to the Energy draft new and more stringent energy efficiency standards for appliances and light bulbs.

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.

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posted by Amanda Voss at 1:13 PM 0 comments


Thursday, February 5, 2009

Wind Power Gained in 2008; US Surpasses Germany

According to an MSNBC news release, the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), cited that 2008 has been a record year for the worldwide wind energy industry.

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.

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posted by Amanda Voss at 8:06 AM 0 comments


Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Stimulus Plan Predicted to Bolster Green Energy

In details revealed by President Barack Obama, the approaching economic stimulus bill will also contain provisions to bolster energy efficiency and the green energy industry in America. The NPR reports that tens of billions of dollars out of the current $825 billion price tag are slated for electricity reforms and efficiency projects

Short term projects include funds to "weatherize" 2 million homes by improving things such as insulation and leaky windows, while also improving the efficiency of 75 percent of federal buildings. Another provision would pay for 3,000 miles of transmission lines to move electricity from wind farms and solar installations, many in the West and Southwest, to consumers in the rest of the country.

Finally, additional funds channeled to green energy industry are expected to put 460,000 Americans to work on energy projects and double the amount of alternative energy produced over the next three years.

To read the full NPR article, click here.

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posted by Amanda Voss at 9:27 AM 0 comments


Friday, January 16, 2009

Plans for 'Green' Infrastructure Could Take a Backseat

The Los Angeles Times reports that an inclusion of investment in "green infrastructure", in the proposed economic stimulus package, could get derailed.

To reduce America's dependence on foreign oil, Obama has pledged to invest in green infrastructure, including a national electric grid and high-speed rail lines. According to the LA Times, at a Senate confirmation hearing Tuesday, Obama's Energy secretary nominee, Nobel Prize-winning physicist Steven Chu, said a nationwide grid would be "in the national interest" and said the country needed a "new way of doing business" to get it built quickly.

Besides economic road blocks, the infrastructure package also faces a lack of pre-planning and conflict over land rights. Still, proponents are hopeful that the plans will reappear in a bill later this year.

To read more about Obama's green infrastructure proposal, click here.

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posted by Amanda Voss at 8:20 AM 0 comments


Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Florida To Add Nuclear Power to Energy Mix

St. Petersburg-based Progress Energy Florida announced plans Monday, January 5, to purchase and build two nuclear reactors. According to Jeff Lyash, president and chief executive of the utility, this represents a major step in Florida's effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

When completed, the reactors are projected to generate enough electricity to power more than 1.3 million Florida homes.

While proponents tout nuclear power as a reliable and clean energy source which lessens American dependence on foreign oil, the project has fallen under criticism due to security concerns, both from terrorism and from the hazardous nature of nuclear materials.

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posted by Amanda Voss at 9:02 AM 0 comments


Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Year in Review: Bumpy Road to Market for Renewables

As 2008 closes, renewable energy companies are faced with a complex economic and political environment. While many federal and international incentives and credits have been extended for their products, the economic downturn and low price of oil have forced several large renewable companies into Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

Fairing best in 2008, wind and solar companies will enjoy extended benefits in 2009, thanks to an extension package tied to the $700 billion Congressional financial bailout. The real economic squeeze has caught biofuel companies, particularly those with publicly traded stocks, which lost up to 95% of their value in 2008.

Despite a sober market forecast, renewable companies continue to enjoy set market shares for 2009, due to government mandates on renewable energy usage. Joseph Muscat, Ernst & Young's Americas director of cleantech and venture capital, predicts that clean energy and renewables will be the first economic segment to experience significant rebound.

To read the full Associated Press synopsis, click here.

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posted by Amanda Voss at 8:12 AM 0 comments


Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Developments in the Markets: Economy & Oil

December 2, 2008 - On the heels of the U.S. recession announcement, oil fell to $48.31 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Oil prices have dropped by 68 percent since reaching a record $147.27 on July 11.

Despite the precipitous decline in prices, OPEC leaders tabled an additional production cut at the November 29 summit, delaying the decision until the next meeting. Not all OPEC members have complied with recent cuts, as indicated by the United Arab Emirates’ state-owned producer statement that it would provide full contractual volumes to Asian refiners.

Additionally, the drop in crude oil prices has forced demand and prices for biofuel components, such as palm oil, down.

To read more from Bloomberg's summary of oil market activity, click here.

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posted by Amanda Voss at 1:33 PM 0 comments


Monday, May 19, 2008

Michael Klare's New Energy Order

"Oil at $110 a barrel. Gasoline at $3.35 (or more) per gallon. Diesel fuel at $4 per gallon. Independent truckers forced off the road. Home heating oil rising to unconscionable price levels. Jet fuel so expensive that three low-cost airlines stopped flying in the past few weeks. This is just a taste of the latest energy news, signaling a profound change in how all of us, in this country and around the world, are going to live - trends that, so far as anyone can predict, will only become more pronounced as energy supplies dwindle and the global struggle over their allocation intensifies."

So begins Michael Klare's article chronicling the end of the energy world as we know it. Klare identifies intense competition over energy sources among economic powers, insufficiency of existing energy supplies, the delay in developing alternative energy sources, migration of wealth and power to energy-rich nations and a growing risk of conflict as factors shaping our new energy reality.

For the full text of this article, click here.

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posted by Amanda Voss at 4:10 PM 0 comments


Monday, December 3, 2007

Peak Possibilities

Time magazine recently ran an article on the "peak oil" concept - another case of the mainstream media slowly becoming more aware of the energy issues we are now and will continue to face. An excerpt:

"This isn't quite the same as saying that oil production has peaked and is about to start declining sharply--the view of the true peakists. In "peak lite," as some call it, the big issues are not so much geological as political, technical, financial and even human-resource-related (the world apparently suffers from a dearth of qualified petroleum engineers). These factors all delay the arrival of oil on the market, meaning that production would not so much peak as plateau. But with demand rising sharply, especially from China and India, even a plateau could be precarious."

Very true, and great to see in a major publication. View the whole article here.

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posted by Jamie Lang at 3:57 PM 0 comments


Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Americans More Concerned About Global Warming

Find this article at:
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/10/20/warming.poll/index.html

Poll shows Americans getting more concerned about global warming

Survey finds more Americans believe phenomenon proven. Majority say U.S. should take action even if other nations don't. Most Americans believe emissions from cars, industries the primary cause.

(CNN) -- Most Americans blame emissions from cars and industrial plants as the primary cause of global warming and believe the United States should reduce levels even if other countries don't, a survey shows.

Fifty-six percent of poll respondents said the phenomenon of global warming has been proven, and can be largely blamed on human endeavors, such as power plants and factories, according to the CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll.

In comparison, 21 percent of those surveyed claimed global warming problems are caused either by natural changes or are unproven.

Sixty-six percent of Americans believe the United States should do what it can to reduce global warming, even if other nations ignore it. This compares with 52 percent of respondents who believed that way in 2001.

In that year, 34 percent thought the United States needed to reduce harmful gases only if other nations did. A much smaller proportion, 16 percent, responded that way in 2007.

The survey of 1,212 adults was conducted October 12-14 and has a sampling error of plus or minus 4.5 percentage points.

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posted by Jamie Lang at 6:10 AM 0 comments


Tuesday, June 5, 2007

Must-read - Our energy/global warming talk vs. our walk!

This article by Thomas Friedman is one of the best I've read recently on the subject of the great divide between the present level of energy/global warming rhetoric we're hearing these days vs. actual policy options being developed and implemented. There is way too much at stake for this generation and the next one for us to waste the narrow window of oportunity we have on fiddling around while Rome burns. We simply cannot allow energy and global warming to become co-opted by those who benefit from a lot of talk and gesture about energy and global warming when swift and decisive action is needed!

June 3, 2007Op-Ed Columnist, nytimes.comOur Green Bubble By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN

Surely the most glaring contrast in American political life today is the amount of words, speeches and magazine covers devoted to the necessity of “going green,” “combating climate change” and gaining “energy security,” and the actual solutions being offered by our leaders to do any of these things. You could very comfortably drive a Hummer through the gap between our words and deeds.

We are playing pretend — which, when you think about it, is really troubling. Here are the facts: Our worst enemies, like Iran, have been emboldened by all their petrodollars. The vast majority of scientists tell us that global warming caused by our burning of fossil fuels is a real danger. And with three billion new consumers from India, Russia and China joining the world economy, it is inevitable that manufacturing clean, green power systems, appliances, homes and cars will be the next great global industry. It has to be, or we will not survive as a species.

And yet ... and yet our president and our Congress still won’t give us an energy bill that would create the legal and economic framework to address these issues at the speed and scale required.

If you were President Bush, wouldn’t you want to leave behind something big, bold and important on energy, just in case — you know, just in case — Iraq doesn’t turn out so well? I sure would. But the president still has not challenged Congress or the country to undertake a radical departure on energy. So we still have only “energy politics,” not “energy policy.” Like previous energy bills, the packages working through the House and Senate today represent more “the sum of all lobbies,” as the energy expert Gal Luft, co-chairman of the Set America Free Coalition, puts it, not the sum of our best ideas.

Some lawmakers are pushing corn ethanol from Iowa, either because they hail from that area and are looking to give more welfare to farmers by wasting money on an alternative fuel that will never reach the scale of what is needed, or because they plan to run in the Iowa caucuses. Others are pushing huge subsidies to turn coal into gasoline, because they come from coal states. Those who don’t come from Michigan want higher mileage standards imposed on Detroit, while those who come from Michigan prefer to continue their assisted suicide of the U.S. auto industry by blocking tougher mileage requirements.

“The only green that they are serious about in Congress right now is the one with Ben Franklin’s picture on it,” Mr. Luft said.

Yes, it is helpful that Mr. Bush expressed a desire last week to work with other nations to limit greenhouse gases. His bully pulpit matters. But no one will — or should — take him seriously unless his government first leads by example. What would that look like? It has to start with a clear, long-term price signal. That is, a carbon tax or gasoline tax — or a cap and trade system with a binding national ceiling on carbon dioxide emissions — which would set a price for dumping carbon into the atmosphere or driving a gas-guzzling car.

Get Washington to signal that gasoline is never going to retreat from a level of $3.50 or $4 a gallon — and that wind and solar subsidies will be there for a decade, not stop and start as they always have before; get Washington to commit to buying a fixed volume of solar and wind power for government buildings and Army bases for 10 years, with only U.S.-based manufacturers able to compete for contracts; get Washington to set a new fleet average of 35 miles per gallon for Detroit within 10 years — with no loopholes; establish government loan guarantees for any company that wants to build a nuclear power plant; and, finally, build a national transmission grid — a green power superhighway — so that solar energy from Arizona or wind from Wyoming can power homes in Chicago. Do all that and our private sector will take America from green laggard to green leader.

Unfortunately, Congress is brewing instead a hodgepodge of incrementalism. This is particularly disappointing when America’s corporate icons — G.M., G.E., A.I.G., DuPont, PepsiCo — “have all come out in favor of a national mandatory limit on carbon emissions,” notes Fred Krupp, president of Environmental Defense. “But Democrats and Republicans in the Senate have not risen to their challenge.” We have a multigenerational problem that requires a systemic, multigenerational response, and that can happen only if we get our energy prices right.

Only that will guarantee green innovation and commercialization at scale. Anything less is wasted breath and wasted money — and any candidate who says otherwise is only contributing to global warming by adding hot air.

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posted by Chris Atwood at 10:39 AM 1 comments

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