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renewable energy
The Fossil Fuel-Economic Complex: Something's Going to Give
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?
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
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
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
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%
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]
Was The IPCC Renewables Report Hijacked By Its Press Release?
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
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
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
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.
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
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
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?
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
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]
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Baby You Can Drive My (Electric) Car
Posted May 11, 2012 by Scott Edward Anderson
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Siemens develops ABS plastic alternative
Posted May 9, 2012 by Doris de Guzman
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Reduce CO2 and Slow Global Warming?
Posted April 30, 2012 by Willem Post
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Hidroenergia 2012
May 25, 2012, Wroclaw, Poland
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WGC 2012 - 25th World Gas Conference
June 4, 2012, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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Ecwatech 2012
June 4, 2012, Moscow, Russia
The moderated community for energy, policy, and environment professionals
What's New on
Scott Edward Anderson is a consultant, blogger, and media commentator who blogs at The Green Skeptic. More »
Marc Gunther is a writer, speaker and consultant, who focuses on business and the environment. More »
Christine Hertzog is a consultant, author, and a professional explainer focused on Smart Grid. More »
Jesse Jenkins is the director of energy and climate policy at the Breakthrough Institute. More »
Robert Rapier works in the energy industry and writes and speaks about energy and the environment. More »
Geoffrey Styles is Managing Director of GSW Strategy Group, LLC and an award-winning blogger. More »
Dan Yurman is a nuclear energy blogger and writes regularly for Fuel Cycle Week. More »
The Energy Collective
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Hidroenergia 2012
When: Fri, 2012-05-25 09:00
Global JOJOBAWORLD 2012
When: Fri, 2012-05-25 09:00
NESCO Town Hall: Security Risk Management Practices for Electric Utilities
When: Wed, 2012-05-30 13:00
Ecwatech 2012
When: Mon, 2012-06-04 09:00
WGC 2012 - 25th World Gas Conference
When: Mon, 2012-06-04 09:00
2nd CSP Optimisation Summit
When: Tue, 2012-06-05 08:00
“Cities will need to be retrofitted, as a whole. There's much work to be done. Vertical farming and other forms of energy/space/agriculture integration will be necessary to further sustain how humans live on this planet.”
“David,Reserves, potential resources and production are not interchangeable, and apocalyptic statements that depend on conflating them are thus fundamentally flawed. Your cogent analysis makes this crucial distinction well. It just needs a bigger audience.”