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renewable energy

The Fossil Fuel-Economic Complex: Something's Going to Give

May 6, 2012 by Nathanael Baker
with 665 views
3

Photo by joiseyshowaa via Flickr

Despite all the political rhetoric, the bottom line hasn't changed: Carbon emissions are increasing in every corner of the planet. This is largely due to the fact that the global economy is so unequivocally tied to fossil fuel consumption.In 2009, a drop in emissions left casual observers optimistic that the transition from a carbon-... [read more]

Americans Want Renewable Energy. What's Stopping Them?

December 21, 2011 by Nathanael Greene
with 416 views
0

Everyone loves renewable energy – even Grover Norquist, who writes in an otherwise completely inaccurate opinion piece that:  Opposition to renewable energy mandates should not be misinterpreted as an aversion to renewable energy. In fact, renewable sources could play a significant role in the future. I totally agree Grover!  ... [read more]

New Policy Approaches Are Key To Scale Up Renewable Energy

December 7, 2011 by Lewis Milford
with 208 views
0

Governments should consider scaling up renewable energy as part of their robust economic development strategy, rather than just as an environmental strategy with the secondary benefits of job creation. Such an approach is fundamental for attracting new private-sector investment to finance renewable projects at a scale that is needed to... [read more]

Canada Doubles Its Wind Capacity in 2011

December 6, 2011 by Nathanael Baker
with 275 views
0

Canada's wind industry has had a record year. According to the latest data from the Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA), 1,400 megawatts of wind capacity was installed in 2011, more than doubling 2010's output. With over 5,400 megawatts of wind energy at its disposal, enough to power 1.5 million homes, the country now holds the ninth largest wind generating capacity in the world. This year's record number of installations cumulatively represent almost $3.5 billion in investment as well as 13,500 jobs. [read more]

German Nuclear Decommissioning and Renewables Build-Out

October 27, 2011 by Willem Post
with 2,102 views
13

Germany will be redirecting its economy towards renewable energy, because of the political decision to phase out its nuclear plants, triggered by the Fukushima event in Japan which increased public opposition to nuclear energy. Germany has 23 nuclear reactors (21.4 GW), 8 are permanently shut down (8.2 GW) and 15 (13.2 GW) will be... [read more]

Germany’s Renewable Energy Sources Rise to 20%

September 8, 2011 by Robert Rapier
with 626 views
7

The worldwide implications for nuclear power advocates in light of the 11 March disaster at Japan’s Daichi Fukushima nuclear complex, battered first by an earthquake and a subsequent tsunami, are slowly unfolding. Nations committed to nuclear power are being subjected to a relentless PR barrage by nuclear construction firms, who stand to lose billions if current contracts are suspended or, even worse, canceled. [read more]

exclusive

Was The IPCC Renewables Report Hijacked By Its Press Release?

August 30, 2011 by David Lewis
with 473 views
2

Remember when the news was that the IPCC had announced that renewables could power the world by 2050?  There has been a bizzaro controversy over this.  Prominent voices from across the spectrum of opinion on climate science weighed in on the same side.   A world class odd couple, Steve McIntyre and Mark Lynas, agreed... [read more]

Collaborative Financing for Renewable Energy

July 26, 2011 by Don Madden
with 270 views
0

It is no secret that obtaining funding for renewable energy projects is difficult. This is especially true for the many new players into the field. Lenders by nature are risk adverse and we have no shortage of risks.  Contractors with limited experience are a risk. Projects with ROI’s that depend on of REC values to steadily climb... [read more]

Renewables 2011 Global Status Report Released

July 14, 2011 by Robert Rapier
with 248 views
1

 The Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century has just released their annual Renewables 2011 Global Status Report. I was one of the reviewers of the draft report, and therefore got to read and comment on it prior to publication. The report provides a comprehensive overview of global renewable energy sectors, breaking... [read more]

The Facts… Green Energy Does Create Jobs

July 5, 2011 by Don Madden
with 740 views
1

Without facts the arguments supporting the growth of green energy become well intentioned rhetoric. The social benifits of green energy often fall into this “fact free zone”. In some quarters it is taken as gospel that going green will create a multitude of jobs in a new vibrant industry sector. Sounds good, but is it true? A recent... [read more]

Google: Energy Innovation Can Have A “Transformative Impact” On U.S.

June 29, 2011 by Teryn Norris
with 562 views
0

A few years ago, the high-tech giant Google helped reframe the national energy and climate policy debate when it launched its “RE<C” program, or “renewable energy cheaper than coal.” The idea was clear: instead of primarily focusing on making fossil fuels expensive through climate policy, Google believed the U.S. should focus on... [read more]

An Argument For Renewable Energy, And Response To Robert Bryce

June 16, 2011 by Steve Sacks
with 1,333 views
7

On June 8, 2011, Mr. Robert Bryce, author of the recently published Power Hungry, The Myth Of Clean Energy And The Real Fuels Of The Future, wrote an Op-Ed piece to the New York Times. In the piece, Mr. Bryce argues that the recently signed mandate requiring a 30% renewable portfolio standard places too high a burden on society.... [read more]

Oversimplifying A Complex Topic - Measuring The "Sustainability" Of Renewable Energy

June 14, 2011 by Cai Steger
with 589 views
7

The environmental impact of electricity generation is an incredibly complicated issue.  Each electricity generation option, be it fossil fuel, nuclear or renewable, brings with it environmental costs and challenges.  Some of these same energy technologies (such as renewables) also have environmental benefits when compared to... [read more]

Why Is Renewable Energy So Expensive, While Molten Salt Reactors will be So Cheap?

June 9, 2011 by Charles Barton
with 2,477 views
25

Sometimes dull stories have interesting endings. An examination of materials inputs for wind generation systems and Solar PV generation is offered and then compaired to with material inputs for the Advanced High Temperature Reactor. This study reveals that the AHTR, a near relative of the Molten Salt Reactor, offers material input advantages. MSRs can potentially offer the same material input advantages over renewables, and thus may generate electricity at very competitive costs. [read more]

IEA: Intermittency Of Wind And Solar Not A Problem

June 1, 2011 by David Thorpe
with 764 views
15

Intermittency of supply is a common criticism of some renewable sources of energy, specifically wind and solar.But a new book from the International Energy Agency (IEA), Harnessing Variable Renewables: a Guide to the Balancing Challenge shows that there is a greater technical potential for balancing variable renewable energy output... [read more]