The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) has gone live with its updated International Energy Portal to improve access for people seeking information on international energy data and trends. “With most of the future growth in energy consumption expected to occur outside of the United States and with increasingly interconnected world energy markets, a clear perspective on the international energy landscape …
Book Review: The Power Surge
As I write about energy each day, I often wonder what the trade-offs or consequences will be if a technology takes off, or even if it fails. How will it, if at all, alter America’s energy landscape? From my point of view, we are a country in fear of change and in fear of taking action. We are a country …
Solar Plant Opens in Northern Cape Province
Abengoa and state-owned financier, the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), together with KaXu Community Trust have launched a 100 MW solar plant – KaXu Solar One – near the town of Pofadder (Northern Cape Province). The new solar facility will power 80,000 homes in South Africa. The Department of Energy of South Africa awarded Abengoa the project. The power will be …
Study- Clean Power Plan Won’t Affect Reliability
The second study in a few days has been released that finds that implementing the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean Power Plan will not negatively affect grid reliability. Analysis Group’s report, “Electric System Reliability and EPA’s Clean Power Plan: Tools and Practices,” addresses the impact of ongoing changes in the energy industry for stakeholders and offers recommendations to ensure reliability. …
2015 Energy Industry Update Released
The 2015 edition of The Energy Industry Update has been released by ScottMadden, an energy consulting firm. The report points out as market changes, regulatory processes, and technology evolution unfold, energy and utility companies will face them and adapt. Themed “Changes: Turn and Face the Strange,” this issue surveys a broad array of strategic issues, including: Insights drawn from a …
Tanzania Action Roadmap for Energy Access
A recent two-day workshop held in Tanzania and hosted by the United Nations Foundation’s Energy Access Practitioner Network and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) gathered support of the UN’s Sustainable Energy for All initiative’s (SE4ALL) 2030 objectives delivering access to modern energy services for all. If the goal is met, it will double the rate of energy efficiency …
USDA Announces REAP Funding
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced new funding under the Rural Energy for America (REAP) program under the 2014 Farm Bill. The more than $280 million in funds are open to rural agricultural producers and small business owners to install renewable energy systems or make energy efficiency improvements. “Developing renewable energy presents an enormous economic opportunity …
REAP Funds Still Available
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is soliciting funds for the Rural Energy for American Program (REAP). The funding notice releases mandatory funding for both FY2014 and FY2015, as well as discretionary funding recently made available in the “Cromnibus.” The program provides grants and loan guarantees to rural small businesses, farmers and others in the ag community. However, some new …
Geothermal Data System Steams Into New Entity
The National Geothermal Data System (NDGS) has been spun off into a new non-profit company: USGIN Foundation, Inc. The company will commercialize the technology and infrastructure at the national and international level. The project was launched through funding from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) with the grant period ending December 31, 2014. The project was developed by Arizona State …
Report: Renewable Energy Can Increase 27%
According to a report from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the U.S. can increase its use of renewable energy from 7.5 percent to 27 percent in 2030. “Renewable Energy Prospects: United States of America,” (ReMap 2030) also concludes the U.S. can increase its use of renewable energy in power generation from 14 per cent to almost 50 percent by …