Cities across the U.S. are taking the reins on climate leadership, and Los Angeles has emerged as a hotbed for new solutions that will improve air quality and move the needle toward reaching local and state climate goals. … [Read more...]
The Earth Continues Warming: The Fourth National Climate Assessment Draft Report
A draft of the Fourth National Climate Assessment reports that the global average temperature for the 30-year period from 1986 to 2016 rose by 1.2°F (0.7°C). It is extremely likely that activities by humans have been the principal cause of this warming. Extreme temperature and rainfall events have increased over this time, as have forest wildfires. … [Read more...]
Climate Change Compounds Louisiana Flooding Threat a Year After Historic Floods
“It was eerie to watch images of New Orleans’ flooding almost a year after the Baton Rouge flood,” Tam Williams, a videographer who lives in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, told me. Every time it rains, she is a bit on edge, wondering if her city is going to flood again. … [Read more...]
Climate Policy Caution: Past is No Guide to the Future
In the real world, we are in the midst of accelerating rates of change. Therefore, past linear rates of change will no longer apply to the future. These accelerating rates mean that it is quite erroneous for the policy world to assume that the linear changes of the past will hold for the future. … [Read more...]
Here’s How Southeastern States Can Reduce the Energy Burden of Low-Income Households
Southeastern residents currently face historically high poverty rates, and low-income households spend an average of three times as much on energy bills, as a portion of their monthly income, than other families. Energy efficiency investments could help lower energy bills, but low-income residents in the region often lack access to energy-saving upgrades. … [Read more...]
Methane Standards are the Law of the Land; It’s Time to Stop Litigation and Start Complying
Let me first make this important point: I’ve met and worked with a lot of folks in the oil and gas industry who are truly dedicated to making their operations as safe and clean as possible – people who care about the communities they live and work in and who take pride in the reputation of the companies they work for. … [Read more...]
An Unlikely 1970s-Era Environmentalist
A 1974 American Electric Power advertisement claim rings hollow today. There was a lot of breaking news during the summer of 1974. Watergate was in full swing, culminating in President Nixon’s resignation on August 8, oil prices were skyrocketing, and Patty Hearst was still held by kidnappers. … [Read more...]
Energy News: In a Bout Between Advanced Energy Technologies, Who Wins? Everyone
Think of it as a championship prizefight between contenders for meeting peak power needs: In the red corner, at a size somewhere between a shipping container and an office building, but with a brain that’s hard to beat, it’s the GE Digital Gas Peaker Plant! In the blue corner, it’s battery storage, which bulks up by saving excess generation until it’s needed, then delivering power to the grid at breakneck speeds! … [Read more...]
Virginia Utilities and Advocates Square Off Over Net Metered Solar
Advocates of distributed solar energy in Virginia are watching nervously this summer as electric utilities and the solar industry negotiate the future of net metering, the policy that makes rooftop solar economically viable in a state with no other incentives. Virginia utilities finally see the value of solar to themselves, which is good news for the solar businesses that build large projects. … [Read more...]
EXPO 2017: Future Energy in Astana
EXPO 2017, an International Specialized Exhibition on “Future Energy”, opened its doors in the capital of Kazakhstan on June 10. It is inviting industry professionals and tourists from around the world to discover the most advanced technologies and the latest innovations in green energy. … [Read more...]
Does the 2040 Ban on New Petrol and Diesel Cars Mean the Death of Biofuels?
One question that arises from the announcement by the UK government that new diesel and petrol cars will be banned by 2040 is what it means for biofuels. According to Raffaella Ocone of Heriot-Watt University, co-author of a recent UK-government-funded report into the biofuels industry by the Royal Academy of Engineering, the 2040 ban could be viewed as an opportunity for the biofuels sector. … [Read more...]
The Self-Sustaining Climate Remedy
An ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) resource map like the one above, where the palate ranges from red to yellow to indicate ocean surface temperatures ranging from 28oC or above down to 22oC is essentially a map of the impact of global warming. Recognition of the problem is the first step towards its solution and from there you can ascertain where to allocate the resources necessary to realise your solution. … [Read more...]
Finding Efficiency: Between Electric Customers and Utilities
I have posted several blogs in the past few weeks, focused on the potential to improve the operation of the electric power grid, reducing losses, and driving the overall efficiency up. Some of the thoughtful comments that have been posted by readers have provided food for thought. … [Read more...]
- 1
- 2
- 3
- …
- 508
- Next Page »
Recent Comments