manufacturing

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The debate over a tax to curb greenhouse gas emissions has been raging on for years with no solutions in sight. Economists and scientists alike are conducting studies as to how a tax on carbon will affect the country’s bottom line.[read more]

manufacturing & energy use

Historically, the amount of energy consumed in the United States has been astronomical. However, the total amount of energy consumed within the manufacturing sector dropped by 17 percent between 2002 and 2010.[read more]

US manufacturing

The U.S. Department of Energy announced the launch of a new initiative today meant to strengthen American clean energy manufacturing and enhance U.S. competitiveness.[read more]

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America’s new favorite fuel, liquefied natural gas or LNG, is causing a rift between gas producers and manufacturers. The question is, what to do with the shale gas surplus that US gas producers now have at their disposal?[read more]

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This week, the Brookings Institution released three papers with recommendations to revitalize the domestic manufacturing sector. One proposes the creation of a national network of advanced industries innovation hubs, which would “focus on cross-cutting innovation and technology deployment challenges …by drawing universities, community...[read more]

Much of the equipment and production processes in America’s factories are decades old and not as efficient as modern equipment and processes in use by many of our international competitors. While some factories have been modernized, many have not. Modernizing these factories will allow them to better compete in world markets by improving...[read more]

Once an after-thought in solar development, the latest data shows the Asia-Pacific region is becoming the industry's biggest market for photovoltaic solar power. According the research performed by Solarbuzz, and presented in its Asia Pacific Major PV Markets report, Asia's PV market is forecast to increase 39% in the final quarter of 2011. Looking at the numbers annually, between Q4 2010 and Q4 2011, the region's market will have grown 130%.[read more]

One of our favorite cartoonists is Gary Larson, who for many years drew “The Far Side“. And one of our favorite Far Side cartoons was one in which he depicts a flock of ducks walking on the ground in a”V” formation.  One of the ducks in the back of this walking group looks up and sees a flock of ducks flying in a v-formation....[read more]

After having some of its wind power equipment subsidies disputed by the United States at the World Trade Organization, China has revoked its Special Fund for Wind Power Equipment Manufacturing subsidies. The U.S. challenged that the subsidy was illegal as it provided grants to Chinese wind turbine manufacturers with the stipulation...[read more]

I'm in Anaheim, California this week covering the 11th annual WindPower conference, hosted yearly by the America Wind Energy Association (AWEA). WindPower 2011 lasts from May 22 to May 25, and I am coming off a long and didactic Day One. The expo is dominated by technologists and engineers, but as I have been reminded regularly...[read more]

There are times when the nation’s political leadership in Washington is perfectly in sync with the realities of the day, and there are times when much of that leadership is out to lunch. Exhibit A: the current energy debate. Even as global demand and instability threatens to challenge affordable supply, and as overseas states are...[read more]

photo: Todd Woody I wrote this story for Reuters, where it first appeared: China’s increasing domination of a rapidly expanding solar module industry is revealed in a report that shows that Chinese companies are expected to account for nearly 72 percent of new photovoltaic manufacturing capacity this year. For instance, China’s LDK...[read more]

People say you can tell the latest color trends in fashion by looking at the shade of the rivers in China. Each season’s dyes get dumped into Chinese waterways after they are circulated through poorly operated textile mills, leaving a string of hazardous chemicals in their wake.  There are cleaner, more cost-effective ways to...[read more]

In late 2009, Green Seal[1] announced that they had developed a pilot sustainability standard for product manufacturers called “GS-C1”. This pilot standard recognizes socially and environmentally responsible product manufacturers so consumers can make informed choices while helping companies save money by reducing the resources they...[read more]

China is rising to dominate the clean energy industry primarily due to direct government subsidies, according to a new investigative report by the New York Times. The rise of China’s “green mercantilism” marks a new stage in the global clean energy race — and it raises critical questions for U.S. competitiveness policy. According to the report:[read more]