I spend a fair amount of time writing about how the vested interests in energy (e.g., the oil companies), keep bad ideas in place (e.g., extracting and burning petroleum), at the expense of good ideas (e.g., renewables). But there is, …
Tag: renewables
An Enemy of a Working Energy Policy: Bad Ideas
Tagged with: coal-fired power plants, concentration of CO2 in surface waters, concrete manufacturing facilities, Dr. David Doty, energy policy, extracting and burning petroleum, oil companies, point-sources of carbon dioxide, renewables, Sea Fuels, synthesizing fuel from the CO2 in ocean water, synthetic fuels, U.S. Navy, vested interests in energy, working energy policy
Smart Grid Is Revolutionizing Energy Generation, Transmission, Distribution, and Consumption
As I’ve written a few times in the recent past, I believe that we have the proverbial cart before the horse when it comes to smart grid. We tend to think of this concept as “futuristic,” like flying cars, when, in fact, …
Tagged with: bi-directional inverters, Cisco, clean energy, demand-side, dispatch and optimize generation, Energy conservation, energy consumption, energy distribution, energy efficiency, energy generation, energy storage, energy transmission, Google, Pike Research, plug-in electric vehicles, Renewable Energy, renewables, smart grid, virtual power plants
Solar Power Is One Step Closer To Grid Parity
We hear a lot about grid parity, don’t we? That’s the point at which the cost of energy generated by solar, wind, and other renewables is the same as that generated from conventional sources. The author of this article on …
Tagged with: clean energy, concentrator triple-junction compound solar cell, Dr. Peter Lilienthal, grid parity, lens-based system to focus sunlight directly onto the cells, Renewable Energy, renewables, Sharp Electronics’ new 43.5%-efficient solar cell, solar energy, solar power one step closer to grid parity, Wind Energy
Rethinking the Regulation of the Power Utilities Will Require Fairness, Honesty
On my recent piece on the regulation of our power utilities, frequent commenter Glenn Doty writes: Part of the issue here is there are multiple entities that have some regulatory influence over the grid: FERC, NERC, NRC, DOE, State governments, …
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The Way We Regulate Electrical Power Utilities Stifles Innovation
I’m looking forward to today’s meeting with David O’Brien, Bridge Energy Group’s Director of Regulatory Strategy and Compliance. With his permission, I will record the discussion and squeeze it into my current book project, “Renewable Energy – Following the Money.” …
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Tagged with: Bridge Energy Group, clean energy, coal-fired power plants, David O’Brien, efficient energy network, Energy conservation, energy efficiency, innovation, on-peak electricity, regulation of electric power utilities, Renewable Energy, Renewable Energy - Following the Money, renewables, retiring coal-fired power plants, smart grid
Supercapacitors as Energy Storage Devices
A young, bright, and extremely respectful friend sent me this video on supercapacitors a few hours ago. And, since he had been very active in communicating with me lately, he wrote, “Tell me to shut up if I get to be …
How Much Renewable Energy Does the World Really Need?
Here’s an article whose author is attempting to show that the goal of 100% renewables is closer than we think. At the risk of stating the obvious, I jotted down a few notes I wish to share: • We’re a very …
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Solar Thermal Takes Step Back in Spain
I don’t track every political decision around the world with respect to renewables, but here’s an event that I guess I should have seen coming: the reduction in beneficial feed-in tariffs for concentrated solar power (CSP, aka solar thermal) coming …
DONG Energy's Offshore Wind Project Shows Ongoing Commitment to a Low-Carbon Future
We sure hear a lot about DONG Energy, arguably the world’s most progressive large energy company, majority-owned by the Danish government, but sporting numerous large private owners as well. Through its investment in renewables, including this 210 MW offshore wind …
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Tagged with: carbon intensivity, clean energy, DONG Energy, North Sea, offshore wind, Renewable Energy, renewables, Wind Energy
Renewable Energy: In the U.S. a Debate, in France a Commitment
One thing I like about the French is the fiercely independent stances they take on important matters. They tend not to ask permission, but rather to use their own wits and take tough positions on key matters. As one might …
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