U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu on Friday announced his intention to resign to end a four-year tenure with the Obama administration. Chu made the announcement in a letter to department employees, saying he intends to resign once a successor is confirmed. “While I will always remain dedicated to the missions of the department, I informed … Continue reading End of an era: Dr. Steven Chu to step down as US Energy Secretary
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China burns half of coal consumption worldwide
China overtook the US as the world’s biggest carbon emitter in 2007 and became world’s largest energy consumer in 2010. Coal consumption in China grew more than 9% in 2011, continuing its upward trend for the 12th consecutive year, according to newly released international data. China’s coal use grew by 325 million tons in 2011, … Continue reading China burns half of coal consumption worldwide
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Solar energy can be a worthwhile investment
Solar power is an expensive technology, but it pays off immediately and for years, according to local experts who sell and install solar panels and equipment. “If you get the correct system, it could reduce your power bill to zero,” said Tommy Blas, business developer for Pacific Solar & Photovoltaics, in Dededo. The cost of … Continue reading Solar energy can be a worthwhile investment
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Bulgarian referendum reflects uncertainty of nuclear power development
Bulgarians have postponed construction of a new nuclear power plant for an indefinite future, according to unofficial data released on Sunday evening after a low-turnout referendum held on this issue. According to parallel vote tabulation conducted by Alpha Research agency, although 61 percent of the voters said “yes” on whether the country should build a … Continue reading Bulgarian referendum reflects uncertainty of nuclear power development
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Wind energy battery going back online
Xcel Energy Inc. installed the $4.7 million battery in 2008 next to a Luverne, Minn., wind farm and operated it safely for more than two years. The sodium-sulfur battery was shut down in October 2011 on the advice of its Japanese manufacturer after a similar unit caught fire there. The only battery in Minnesota large … Continue reading Wind energy battery going back online
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Belgian and German electricity systems keep lights on despite nuclear turn-off
Freezing temperatures in both Belgium and Germany have put both countries’ power systems to the test this week, but neither country has experienced electricity blackouts despite the lack of nuclear power. Two of Belgium’s seven nuclear reactors – Doel 3 and Tihange 2 – were switched off this summer, following the discovery of cracks, cutting … Continue reading Belgian and German electricity systems keep lights on despite nuclear turn-off
Continue readingRenewable Energy on the way up while Western Europe’s nuclear power share depletes
To meet carbon emissions targets and reduce dependency on depleting fossil fuel reserves, the nations of Western Europe are beefing up their renewable energy generation, but significantly limiting growth within their nuclear power industries in the face of widespread public opposition, says business intelligence providers GBI Research. According to the firm’s latest report*, the top … Continue reading Renewable Energy on the way up while Western Europe’s nuclear power share depletes
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Wind energy industry continues to expand worldwide
The wind energy industry is continuing to expand worldwide with the industry ebbing and flowing as global governments decide policy on supporting renewable power and then reconsider the economics, causing delays in financing major projects. The industry is caught in the financial tide but is growing with offshore and new countries coming into the marketplace. … Continue reading Wind energy industry continues to expand worldwide
Continue readingOntario will close down all coal-fired electricity plants
Ontario, Canada’s most populous province with a population equivalent to Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales combined, has decided to abandon coal-fired electricity a year ahead of schedule. “The early closure is a result of Ontario’s strong conservation efforts, a smarter electricity grid and a diverse supply of cleaner energy,” Dalton McGuinty, Ontario’s Premier said. … Continue reading Ontario will close down all coal-fired electricity plants
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Philadelphia Mayor Nutter and Veolia Energy Mark Completion of Multi-Million Dollar ‘Green Steam’ Project
Veolia Energy North America, a leading operator and developer of efficient energy solutions, today commemorated the completion of the company’s multi-million dollar investment in its Philadelphia district energy network to convert it to 100 percent ‘Green Steam’. The Green Steam project featured the installation of two new rapid-response boilers and an expansion of Veolia Energy’s … Continue reading Philadelphia Mayor Nutter and Veolia Energy Mark Completion of Multi-Million Dollar ‘Green Steam’ Project
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CO2 emissions from Amazonia deforestation drop 16 percent this year
Carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere as a result of Amazon deforestation dropped to 352 million tons this year, or 16 percent less than in 2011, Brazil’s state-run National Space Research Institute, or INPE, said. In a communique Friday, the organization said that the calculation of emissions data was based on an analysis by the … Continue reading CO2 emissions from Amazonia deforestation drop 16 percent this year
Continue readingWorld Nuclear Electricity Generation Down 5 Percent Since 2006
World nuclear electricity-generating capacity has been essentially flat since 2007 and is likely to fall as plants retire faster than new ones are built. In fact, the actual electricity generated at nuclear power plants fell 5 percent between 2006 and 2011. In 2011, following Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, 13 nuclear reactors in Japan, Germany, … Continue reading World Nuclear Electricity Generation Down 5 Percent Since 2006
Continue readingAfter Doha, the world is left waiting for climate change action
Beyond an anaemic international agreement to extend the Kyoto Protocol to 2020, it is hard to see what positive momentum was achieved at the end of the two-week UN conference on climate change which ended on Saturday in Doha. While almost 195 nations did endorse the proposal to extend Kyoto past 2012, no new targets … Continue reading After Doha, the world is left waiting for climate change action
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Energy diversity will power our economy
Benjamin Zycher’s Congress Blog post gets several facts wrong about wind power. Let’s set the record straight. While Zycher, a visiting scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, invokes Ronald Reagan, it’s worth noting that support for extending the federal wind energy Production Tax Credit (PTC) crosses party lines at every level of leadership. A bipartisan … Continue reading Energy diversity will power our economy
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Stop Republicans from blocking wind energy and solar power development
I was struck by the connection between two recent articles in this paper. On Dec. 2, Jeffrey Tomich revealed an effort by conservative legislators to repeal our state’s renewable energy standard, which was passed by Missouri voters in 2008 with 66 percent support (“Conservative groups target green energy mandates”). This policy, advanced by the Sierra … Continue reading Stop Republicans from blocking wind energy and solar power development
Continue readingOnshore wind energy is already cost competitive with coal and gas, and it is much cheaper than nuclear power
The cost of energy is a topic high up on the media agenda but it is a thorny issue complicated by all the different variables and methods used to calculate the cost of energy. One commonly used method is the “levelised cost of energy” (LCOE), which is, in simple terms, the lifetime cost of an … Continue reading Onshore wind energy is already cost competitive with coal and gas, and it is much cheaper than nuclear power
Continue readingWelcome to real world of climate change
There is no rich-poor divide in emissions obligations, according to one wealthy country responsible for huge greenhouse gases emissions that has yet to sign on to make binding cuts. As usual, the United States has challenged the principle of “common but differentiated responsibilities” at climate change talks in Doha, Qatar, saying that the future agreement … Continue reading Welcome to real world of climate change
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Top 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Electric Vehicles
10. Did you know that the average American’s daily round-trip commute is less than 30 miles? With many electric vehicles having a range of more than 70 miles a charge, they are a reliable and comfortable way for Americans to get from point A to point B. For longer trips, a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle … Continue reading Top 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Electric Vehicles
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Qatar hosts climate talks
The 18th United Nations climate change conference has opened in Doha, the Qatari capital. Over the next two weeks, up to 17,000 people will attend the conference. Delegates will be negotiating a new global deal on climate, but there are ongoing tensions between rich and poor countries. The meeting elected the former Qatari energy minister Abdullah bin … Continue reading Qatar hosts climate talks
Continue readingGreenhouse-Gas Concentrations Reach Record High
The amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere reached a new record high in 2011, according to a recent report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere reached a new record high in 2011, according to the World Meteorological Organization. Between 1990 and 2011 there was a 30% … Continue reading Greenhouse-Gas Concentrations Reach Record High
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