Alternative Energy / Renewable Energy

• Hawaii About to Crack Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion Roadblocks?

  Hawaiian efforts to move towards renewable energy have a powerful ally in the form of Mark Glick, chief administrator of the State Energy Office, part of the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism. By 2030 Glick’s office hope to implement policies allowing Hawaii to achieve 70 percent reliance on clean energy. There are a number of projects already under development that could assist the archipelago to reach its goals. But, Glick is under no illusions about the problems Hawaii faces in accomplishing these goals. During an interview last month with Honolulu Civil Beat, when asked about the biggest challenges facing Hawaii in…

• What Will Renewable Energy Really Cost?

  That is the question customers are asking as their utility rates go up to pay for the cumulative cost of the aspirations of politicians and regulators. But until now the answer to that question was hard to get, at least in California where under state law and utility regulations the costs of utility procurement of renewable energy contracts was kept confidential. Governor Jerry Brown has signed SB 836 sponsored by Los Angeles County Senator Alex Padilla requiring that the California Public Utility Commission produce a report to the Legislature each year starting in February 2012 that tells the politicians and…

• Latin America Strives to Become the Greenest Continent

  Latin America is one of the world’s largest continents, with abundant, untapped energy resources. It also boasts several countries with rapidly growing economies such as Brazil and Mexico. In fact Brazil’s energy demand is predicted to grow to exceed that of Chinas by 2035, where upon they will also be one of the world’s largest oil and hydropower producers. To help provide the required energy levels that these developing countries demand they have decided to follow renewable sources rather than fossil fuel power plants. In fact each year more and more money is invested in wind, solar and biofuel energy…

• Is Rossi's E-Cat Yesterday's News? Australian Company Claims to have a Working Fusion Reactor

  More Fantastic Than Rossi’s E-Cat Out of Cleantech via Al Fin Energy comes a hint of a nuclear fusion company more fantastic than the Rossi E-Cat.  While the E-Cat is already looking at manufacturing facilities, the newest drama comes from Australia.Authors of a fresh Kachan report on new, safer, cleaner nuclear technology interviewed dozens of scientists at nuclear research outfits.  Almost all fusion organizations are either pursuing big, capital-intensive tokamaks or other smaller more innovative reactors. One interviewee in a face-to-face conversation with the Kachan folks in a location abroad, told of a small company he’s involved with that he…

• Why Electric Vehicle's May Not be Such a Good Choice After All?

  The conclusions given at the end of this commentary are somewhat radical and show from a life cycle basis of overall efficiency and carbon dioxide emissions that natural gas fueled vehicles are a better choice than EV (electric vehicles). The Electric Vehicle (EV) Industry has not taken off as anticipated. Range anxiety, high cost, and the lack of a public and private recharging infrastructure have negatively impacted the consumers’ desire to purchase EV. Currently, the only true roadworthy EVs in the U.S. are the Chevrolet’s Volt (plug-in electric hybrid vehicle) and Nissan’s Leaf (battery power electric). Ford and Toyota entries…

• Google Reins in Spending on Renewable Energy Technology

  Back in July Larry Page became Google’s new chief executive and immediately began a campaign to reign in Google’s projects and focus their resources. This was due to the stiff competition they were facing in mobile computing and social networking from Apple and Facebook, and also investor sentiment towards increasing expenditure on none core businesses. One of the latest casualties of this “spring cleaning” was the big green initiative, RE<C (Renewable Energy cheaper than Coal), which was an ambitious idea to make renewable energy cost competitive with coal-fired power plants. The plan was to build cheaper and more efficient heliostats,…

• India and Bangladesh Spar Over Tipaimukh Dam

  While renewable energy advocates see hydroelectric facilities as largely beneficial, things get complex when the rivers to be harnessed cross international borders. Bangladesh and India are now at loggerheads over the latter’s proposed Tipaimukh Dam across the Barak River in Manipur. New Delhi is attempting to assure Dhaka that the Tipaimukh hydroelectric project will not adversely impact Bangladesh, but India’s bland assurances are contradicted by a 2005 study by the Institute of Water Modeling (IWM) Bangladesh, which concluded that during a drier monsoon season, when Bangladesh will need water for fisheries and cultivation, Tipaimukh dam authorities would nevertheless retain 27 percent…

• DOD Recognizes Biofuels Limitations and Steps up Energy Innovation

  It’s worth noting a pair of recent developments on the Defence Department energy front. One is a useful reminder of what DOD can achieve now with the proper support, and a cause for optimism; the other, more pessimistic, illustrates the pressing need for accelerated innovation in the alternative fuels industry more broadly if DOD’s strategic energy needs are to be met. First, the Environmental Security Technology Certification Program (ESTCP), which runs the Installation Energy Test Bed Initiative for the Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of Defence for Installations and Environment, has announced 27 award recipients under its latest funding…

• Canada Increasing Renewable Energy Exports to U.S.

  Most Americans are only dimly aware of Canada’s importance to U.S. energy imports. The typical American audience, if they are aware of Canadian energy exports to the U.S. at all, has been focused on the debacle surrounding the Keystone XL pipeline. In fact, according to the U.S. Energy Administration, the United States total crude oil imports now average 9,033 thousand barrels per day (tbpd), with Canada providing 2,666 tbpd, making it the number one U.S. source of energy imports. This picture is about to change further however, as Canada is diversifying its energy exports, and is implementing an ambitious energy…

• Time to Stop Playing Politics and Focus on Clean Energy Reforms

  Congressional investigators should prioritize clean energy commercialization solutions over political grandstanding and focus on identifying key lessons from the experience of the Loan Programs Office. Congress should put these lessons to immediate use to reform federal involvement in clean energy commercialization and establish a new Clean Energy Deployment Administration. Step right up to see the latest chapter in the ongoing political circus surrounding the bankruptcy of solar manufacturer and federal loan guarantee recipient Solyndra. Today's main attraction: Secretary of Energy Steven Chu's long-awaited appearance before the eager Republican members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Key questions remain about…