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Author |
Published |
Section |
Efficiency, anyone?
Power plants' costs doubled since 2000 |
Joseph Romm |
02 Mar 2008 |
Gristmill |
| According to a new index by Cambridge Energy Research Associates: The cost of building a U.S. power plant has risen 130 percent since 2000, and 27 percent in the 12 months to October 2007 alone. CERA's Candida Scott explains most of the implications:These costs are beginning to act as a drag on the power industry's ability to expand to meet growing North American demand, and leading to delays and postponements in the building of new power plants. As the cost ... |
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| Topics: energy, energy efficiency (all these topics) |
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Daylight wastings
Daylight saving time wastes energy, study says |
Joseph Romm |
29 Feb 2008 |
Gristmill |
| I have been asked this question about daylight saving time many times. I have long believed it was not an energy saver -- even though that is how it is typically justified. Turns out there is quantitative proof. For those who are interested in this relatively obscure issue -- I doubt Congress would change DST on the basis of this or any other study -- you can read a very good article in the Wall Street Journal. 'Springing forward,' as we will do March 9, 'may actua ... |
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| Topics: energy, energy at home, energy efficiency (all these topics) |
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It's the economics, stupid
How to make the case against coal |
Sean Casten |
22 Feb 2008 |
Gristmill |
| Synapse Energy Economics has recently put together a report for NRDC that ought to be required reading for anyone who objects to dirty or expensive power (e.g., coal-fired, central station power). The report, entitled 'The Risks of Participating in the AMPGS Coal Plant' (PDF), is ostensibly only about a specific 960MW plant that AMP wants to build in Ohio. But their report speaks volumes about the larger economic and environmental challenges to coal-fired central station ... |
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| Topics: climate, coal, energy, energy efficiency, renewable energy (all these topics) |
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Let buildings heat and cool themselves
How to kill coal in 10 years |
Jon Rynn |
20 Feb 2008 |
Gristmill |
| We know that coal is the enemy of the human race, what with carbon emissions, deadly air pollution, and unsafe and destructive mining practices. The supply of coal is becoming more problematic as well: recently, a Wall Street Journal article described a 'coal-price surge,' and Richard Heinberg has warned that coal may peak much sooner than most people expect. So what's to like? Not much. But since coal-fired plants provide almost half of our electricity, we can't ge ... |
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| Topics: coal, energy, energy at home, energy efficiency, green building, placemaking, renewable energy, urban planning (all these topics) |
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Houston, we have a problem
Opinion writer suggests efficiency stimulus would be more effective |
Sarah K. Burkhalter |
13 Feb 2008 |
Gristmill |
| An opinion writer at the Houston Chronicle says: Congress missed a major opportunity with the stimulus package. They could have invested in something that would have been good for the consumer (encouraging energy savings), the environment (reducing emissions) and the economy (stimulating development of products that represent our future).The magic elixir?Energy efficiency is the best thing we can do for our economy and environment right now. Instead of $600 o ... |
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| Topics: economy, energy, energy at home, energy efficiency, legislation, politics (all these topics) |
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Welcoming our new efficiency overlords
Have you been naughty with your light bulbs? You need some good old command and control. |
Adam Stein |
11 Feb 2008 |
Gristmill |
| The so-called incandescent light bulb ban (not actually a ban) included as part of the recent energy bill has prompted a low-level but consistent set of complaints that deserve further consideration, because they betray a fair amount of confusion about which policy tools to break out for which issues. On the right, the reaction to the new lighting efficiency standard has ranged from hysterical whining to hysterical snark. But even on the left, it's fairly common to run ... |
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| Topics: carbon tax, climate, energy, energy efficiency, legislation, politics (all these topics) |
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Boogie Woogie Google Boy
An interview with Google's green energy czar, Bill Weihl |
Amanda Griscom Little |
07 Feb 2008 |
Grist Feature |
| The phrase "to Google" has become synonymous with "to search." But soon it may connote something altogether different: "to green." That is, if the internet titan can successfully pull off its latest world-changing endeavor. Bill Weihl. In late 2007, the dot-com giant announced its intention to make renewable energy cheaper than coal. The RE<C pro ... |
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| Topics: business, carbon neutral, carbon offsets, coal, energy, energy efficiency, greening biz operations, greenish companies, interview, renewable energy, solar thermal power (all these topics) |
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Realism, not rhetoric
Details on Bush's anti-efficiency budget |
Joseph Romm |
06 Feb 2008 |
Gristmill |
| Bush's phony rhetoric from the State of the Union: The United States is committed to strengthening our energy security and confronting global climate change, and the best way to meet these goals is for America to continue leading the way toward the development of cleaner and more energy-efficient technology. His actual energy-efficiency budget, summarized by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute executive director, Carol Werner (my previous post on the bu ... |
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| Topics: energy, energy efficiency, politics (all these topics) |
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Making the grade
The candidates on clean energy |
Guest author |
28 Jan 2008 |
Gristmill |
| The following is a guest essay by Tom Konrad, a financial analyst specializing in renewable energy and energy efficiency companies, a freelance writer, and a contributor to AltEnergyStocks.com. ----- Politicians will always have an influence on the stock market, through regulation, tax policy, incentives, and more. This truism is only more certain in energy policy, where electricity markets and transport are highly regulated and the next administration is widel ... |
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| Topics: elections, energy, energy efficiency, politics, presidential race 08, renewable energy (all these topics) |
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Public vs. private commitment
Research on changing behavior |
JMG |
23 Jan 2008 |
Gristmill |
| Frank Zaski is a retired auto executive who has made something of a name for himself by pursuing a campaign to get shopping mall owners to turn down the heat. He put together some interesting thoughts on how to get people to use energy more wisely: I was thinking about The 5% solution and commitment and wanted to forward a piece I wrote and circulated to environmental groups. Best of luck! frankI was looking at some psychological research and found a few ideas to consider whe ... |
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| Topics: energy, energy efficiency, green living (all these topics) |
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The elusive green-collar job
With all the upbeat talk about an environmental labor boom, is rhetoric running away from reality? |
Adam Stein |
11 Jan 2008 |
Gristmill |
| Someone help me puzzle this out: Proposition 1: A shift to renewable energy and energy efficiency will result in a boom in green-collar jobs -- good service-industry work that can't be outsourced. This proposition is attractive because it holds forth the promise of a grand alliance between greens and the labor movement. See, e.g., Tom Friedman and everyone who posts on Grist. Proposition 2: The optimism over green-collar jobs is a classic example of the make-work bi ... |
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| Topics: climate, economy, energy, energy efficiency, green jobs (all these topics) |
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Investors see opportunity in efficiency and wind
Energy stocks are looking attractive |
Joseph Romm |
10 Jan 2008 |
Gristmill |
| The following essay is a guest post by Kari Manlove, fellows assistant at the Center for American Progress. ----- CNNmoney.com just released a summary outlook on the solar, wind, biofuel (mainly ethanol), and efficiency industry financial sectors. The two looking most optimistic are wind and efficiency, and thus both sectors are overflowing with opportunity. According to one investment portfolio manager, efficiency investments are reliable and essentially fu ... |
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| Topics: business, economy, energy, energy efficiency, renewable energy, wind power (all these topics) |
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Peter Barnes' cap-and-dividend plan is fatally incomplete
An effective climate plans needs to incorporate intelligently regulated energy efficiency standards |
Joseph Romm |
05 Jan 2008 |
Gristmill |
| Andy Revkin at the NY Times has given a lot of ink to the cap-and-dividend plan (see here and here) by Peter Barnes, a founder of Working Assets. Revkin says Barnes 'has long studied various bills and proposals for cutting emissions of carbon dioxide to limit global warming. He sees fatal flaws in every one.' I don't see any fatal flaws in either Obama's plan or Mrs. Clinton's -- they are both terrific and comprehensive, unlike Barnes'. His goal is the same as their ... |
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| Topics: cap-and-dividend, carbon trading, climate, energy, energy efficiency, politics (all these topics) |
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Don't Go Toward the Light
Compact fluorescents can cause health problems, say groups |
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04 Jan 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 10:22 AM on 04 Jan 2008 As Australia, Britain, and the good ol' U.S. of A make plans to phase out traditional energy-sucking light bulbs, health concerns are being raised about compact fluorescents, the most popular alternative. The British Association of Dermatologists says CFLs can cause rashes on folks with photosensitive skin, the U.K. Migraine Action Association suggests that the bulbs can trigger ... |
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| Topics: energy, energy at home, energy efficiency, green living, health, news (all these topics) |
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Survey says ...
Two thirds of likely caucus voters in Iowa think conservation more important than coal |
Sean Casten |
02 Jan 2008 |
Gristmill |
| Iowa Interfaith Power & Light, the Iowa Farmers Union, and Plains Justice have just completed a survey (PDF) in advance of tomorrow's caucuses. Short version: Iowans think that we've squandered chances to do something meaningful about energy, and that it's time we started to do so before building new coal plants. The executive summary is below the fold, but it's worth having a look at the whole presentation.A scientific, phone-based survey conducted by Opi ... |
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| Topics: coal, elections, energy, energy efficiency, Iowa, politics, presidential race 08, renewable energy (all these topics) |
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Sari, No Can Do
Energy efficiency a tough sell to small businesses in India |
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27 Dec 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 4:07 PM on 27 Dec 2007 India's 4.5 million small or medium businesses produce 70 percent of the country's industrial pollution, according to a World Bank study. But most of those small-scale entrepreneurs can't afford the upfront cost of energy-efficient equipment -- or aren't persuaded of its usefulness -- creating a barrier to India's attempts to curb emissions from its fast-growing economy. Many areas of th ... |
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| Topics: business, climate, energy, energy efficiency, India, news (all these topics) |
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LED Christmas lighting is cool -- literally
Safe, energy-efficient holiday lights |
Joseph Romm |
21 Dec 2007 |
Gristmill |
| I hope you've all bought LED lighting for your trees -- they are much more efficient and safer, too, because they generate less heat! We have, and so has the White House and Rockefeller Center (see below). Here is an Electric Power Research Institute fact sheet (PDF) to answer all your questions on LED vs. conventional Christmas lights (PDF). Happy Holidays! This post was created for ClimateProgress.org, a project of the Center for American Progress ... |
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| Topics: energy, energy at home, energy efficiency, holiday (all these topics) |
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How can California become more energy efficient?
California looks for yet more clean energy |
Joseph Romm |
17 Dec 2007 |
Gristmill |
| The following essay is by Earl Killian, guest blogger at Climate Progress. ----- The California Energy Commission (CEC) has released its biennial integrated energy policy report (PDF). The 301-page report looks at various issues confronting California and makes recommendations on how to address them. The issues include: Rising population leading to greater demand for energy (natural gas, petroleum, and electric power). Rising natural gas demand while pr ... |
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| Topics: California, energy, energy efficiency, renewable energy (all these topics) |
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CNBC energy bill debate with Dan Weiss
The economic benefits of going green |
Joseph Romm |
12 Dec 2007 |
Gristmill |
| Earlier this week, senior fellow and director of climate strategy at the Center for American Progress, Dan Weiss, went on CNBC to discuss 'the economic benefits of going green' as it relates to the energy bill currently in Congress. Weiss, a strong advocate of the clean energy provisions, went head to head with Max Schultz of the Manhattan Institute, whose sole platform was costs. The unjustifiably controversial renewable portfolio standard was the heart of the ... |
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| Topics: climate, economy, energy, energy efficiency, legislation, politics, renewable energy (all these topics) |
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The Pluck of the Irish
Ireland will phase out incandescent light bulbs |
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07 Dec 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 1:22 PM on 07 Dec 2007 So Australia wants to phase out incandescent light bulbs by 2010? Ireland plans to do it by as early as January 2009. Anybody wanna try to top that? source: Reuters see also, in Grist: Environmentalists upset over Dublin's planned U2 Tower From the Archives On Track. California declares emissions-reduction target, requires industry to track emissions. Stall That an ... |
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| Topics: energy, energy efficiency, Ireland, news (all these topics) |
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How many Texas mayors does it take ... ?
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Joseph Romm |
05 Dec 2007 |
Gristmill |
| ... to change the lightbulbs Texans use? The answer turns out to be ... five: To kick off a statewide campaign to get residents to replace old light bulbs with energy-saving compact fluorescent bulbs, Texas mayors vowed to launch an effort to make the bulbs available, to encourage their use and to suggest that people give them as gifts for Christmas or other occasions ... Joining San Antonio Mayor Phil Hardberger at the Energy Conservation Summit were Aus ... |
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| Topics: energy, energy at home, energy efficiency, Texas (all these topics) |
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In Efficiency
U.S. could slash emissions at little cost through boosted efficiency, says report |
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30 Nov 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 10:16 AM on 30 Nov 2007 The U.S. could significantly slash its greenhouse-gas emissions "at manageable costs to the economy," says a new study from consulting firm McKinsey & Company. Assuming no significant change in consumer lifestyle, researchers did an in-depth cost-benefit analysis of various options for reducing GHG emissions. Their conclusions: "clean coal" is ... |
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| Topics: energy, energy efficiency, greenhouse-gas emissions, news, scientific research, United States (all these topics) |
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The Way We Live Now
Energy efficiency just leaves more money to squander, says study |
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29 Nov 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 2:19 PM on 29 Nov 2007 As more and more vehicles and appliances become energy efficient, Americans save money -- then spend that money on more and bigger vehicles and appliances, a new study finds. Sigh. From the Archives A Plan With Garrett. Midnight Oil frontman is Australia's new environment minister. Another Headache. FEMA sets deadline for Katrina trailer park closures. ... |
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| Topics: consumerism, energy, energy efficiency, news (all these topics) |
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So That's Why It's Called an Evergreen
Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree will be efficiently lit |
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21 Nov 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 2:40 PM on 21 Nov 2007 The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree is up; once it's lit on Nov. 28, we can no longer deny that The Holiday Season is in full swing. We can, however, ogle the tree guilt-free, as the towering evergreen will be lit by energy-efficient LED bulbs and powered in part by solar energy. sources: Associated Press, amNewYork see also, in Grist: Times Square New Year's Eve ... |
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| Topics: energy, energy efficiency, green living, holiday, news (all these topics) |
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Shameless self-promotion
RED positioned to fund $1.5 billion of recycled energy projects |
Sean Casten |
16 Nov 2007 |
Gristmill |
| While humility makes it awkward for me to be posting this, David said it would be OK. (I swear!) More seriously, this is a day of great pride at RED and I wanted to share a bit with you -- and perhaps explain the lack of time I've had for more insightful posts lately. We've just completed a pretty substantial equity raise, with funds available to invest in recycled energy projects that convert waste heat to power. The target for our investments are places where ... |
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| Topics: business, energy, energy efficiency, recycling, shameless self-promotion (all these topics) |
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