King Coal Still Rules In Trump Team’s Alternate Reality

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“You’re going back to work.” With that rhetorical flourish, President Trump signed his much-ballyhooed and loftily-titled executive order “to create energy independence.” The president’s words—directed to a group of coal miners at the signing ceremony—may have made for great TV (and the president certainly has a knack for that), but that’s about it. The coal […] The post King Coal Still Rules In Trump Team’s Alternate Reality appeared first on The Energy Collective.

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April 03, 2017 at 09:12PM

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from Dennis Wamsted

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Will Clean Coal Be Allowed to Develop in Europe?

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EU and national energy policies are strongly focused on promoting the use of renewable energy. However, EU policymakers should not overlook progress being made in traditional energy sources, especially in coal power plants, writes Pieter Cleppe, head of the Brussels office of think tank Open Europe. According to Cleppe, a significant expansion of ‘clean coal’ […] The post Will Clean Coal Be Allowed to Develop in Europe? appeared first on The Energy Collective.

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April 03, 2017 at 09:12PM

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from Pieter Cleppe

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The Externality of Avoiding Fossil Fuels

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Highlights: Capital-intensive clean energy technology is not well suited to developing world growth. Reduced growth rates in poor countries have indirect costs in terms of slower gains in life expectancy and well-being. Large costs were calculated in a hypothetical scenario where coal power plant growth is replaced by nuclear or solar PV; Nuclear replaces coal: $312/ton […] The post The Externality of Avoiding Fossil Fuels appeared first on The Energy Collective.

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April 03, 2017 at 08:35PM

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from Schalk Cloete

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The Lowdown on Hydrogen, Part 1: Transportation

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After more than two decades of hype about the imminent arrival of a transformative “hydrogen economy”, many veteran technology watchers — myself included — had concluded that hype was pretty much all it was. Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, in particular, looked like a failed dream. Bright innovators like Canada’s Geoff Ballard had attacked the problem […] The post The Lowdown on Hydrogen, Part 1: Transportation appeared first on The Energy Collective.

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April 03, 2017 at 07:51PM

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from Roger Arnold

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Vogtle and VC Summer at Risk as Westinghouse Files for Bankruptcy

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The firm filed for Chapter 11 protection and secured an $800 million bridge loan to fund operations. Southern’s CEO is furious saying firm’s parent, Toshiba, is not talking to its most important customers. Scana’s CEO will decide whether to abandon V C Summer in whole or part. UK Approves AP1000 reactor design for Moorside project. […] The post Vogtle and VC Summer at Risk as Westinghouse Files for Bankruptcy appeared first on The Energy Collective.

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April 03, 2017 at 07:51PM

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from Dan Yurman

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Can Solar Benefit Rural America’s Economy?

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In its heyday, the coal industry was the driving force behind rural communities across the nation. But as the fossil fuel’s popularity dwindles, so do the livelihoods of the towns dependent on it. Look no further than the mining towns in Wyoming’s Powder River Basin. In areas like these, the coal industry touches nearly every […] The post Can Solar Benefit Rural America’s Economy? appeared first on The Energy Collective.

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April 03, 2017 at 07:37PM

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from Bobbi Peterson

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6 Charts That Show Trump Isn’t Stopping the Renewable Energy Revolution Any Time Soon

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The solar industry was responsible for creating one out of every 50 new jobs in the U.S. last year and the country’s fastest-growing occupation is wind turbine technician — so no matter one’s feelings on climate change, the renewable energy train has left the station, according to a new report.  “It’s at the point of great […] The post 6 Charts That Show Trump Isn’t Stopping the Renewable Energy Revolution Any Time Soon appeared first on The Energy Collective.

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April 03, 2017 at 07:28PM

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from DeSmog

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10 Things You Should Know About the Clean Power Plan

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Just hours after President Trump signed an executive order to weaken a wide range of America’s important climate and heath protections, the Administration filed a motion to delay the D.C Circuit court’s review of the Clean Power Plan case. That’s only the first of what we expect will be many attacks on the Clean Power […] The post 10 Things You Should Know About the Clean Power Plan appeared first on The Energy Collective.

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April 03, 2017 at 07:21PM

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from EDF Climate 411

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Unique Project in Scotland: New Floating NearShore Wind Farm Needs No Permit

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Mike Parr, Director of independent energy consultancy PWR, has developed a unique near-shore floating offshore wind farm project in the Firth of Clyde off the western coast of Scotland. Thanks to its design as a vessel at mooring, writes Parr, the farm does not require any planning permits and thanks to its low cost, it does […] The post Unique Project in Scotland: New Floating NearShore Wind Farm Needs No Permit appeared first on The Energy Collective.

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April 01, 2017 at 12:05PM

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from Mike Parr

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Why the International Energy Agency Still Gets it Wrong on Fossil Fuels

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The IEA (International Energy Agency) has produced a remarkable and alarming report, together with IRENA (International Renewable Energy Agency), warning that “unprecedented” and “unparalleled” efforts are necessary “immediately” and “across all countries” to stave off climate disaster. Yet it still sees a significant role for fossil fuels in 2050. How is this possible? Greg Muttitt, […] The post Why the International Energy Agency Still Gets it Wrong on Fossil Fuels appeared first on The Energy Collective.

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March 31, 2017 at 08:40PM

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from Greg Muttitt

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Why Energy-Economy Models Produce Overly Optimistic Indications

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I was asked to give a talk to a committee of actuaries who are concerned about modeling the financial future of programs, such as pension plans, given the energy problems that are often discussed. They (and the consultants that they hire) have been using an approach that puts problems far off into the future. I […] The post Why Energy-Economy Models Produce Overly Optimistic Indications appeared first on The Energy Collective.

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March 31, 2017 at 08:02PM

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from Gail Tverberg

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Donald Trump Jeopardizes America’s Global Position By Reversing U.S. Climate Policy

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During the 2016 Republican presidential primaries, a common theme among the candidates was that the U.S. needed to scale back efforts to combat climate change because one country can’t go it alone. The candidates’ thoughts were that other countries were still polluting, so why should the U.S. “destroy our economy” to address climate change? The only problem with […] The post Donald Trump Jeopardizes America’s Global Position By Reversing U.S. Climate Policy appeared first on The Energy Collective.

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March 31, 2017 at 08:02PM

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from DeSmog

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Energy Efficiency and Demand Response Can Nearly Level Southeast Electricity Demand for More than a Decade

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Electricity markets in the Southeast are facing many changes on the customer side of the meter. In a new report released today, we look at how energy efficiency, photovoltaics (solar electricity), electric vehicles, heat pumps, and demand response (shifting loads from periods of high demand) might affect electricity needs in the Southeast. We find that […] The post Energy Efficiency and Demand Response Can Nearly Level Southeast Electricity Demand for More than a Decade appeared first on The Energy Collective.

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March 31, 2017 at 07:38PM

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from American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE)

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With New Distributed Energy Rebate, Illinois Could Challenge New York in Utility Innovation

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How does the electric utility fit in to a rapidly-evolving energy system? That’s what the Illinois Commerce Commission is trying to determine with its new effort, “NextGrid.” Together, we’re rethinking the roles of the utility, the customer, and energy solution providers in a 21st-century electric grid. In some ways, NextGrid will follow in the footsteps […] The post With New Distributed Energy Rebate, Illinois Could Challenge New York in Utility Innovation appeared first on The Energy Collective.

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March 31, 2017 at 07:22PM

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from EDF Energy Exchange

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3 Questions: Lourdes Melgar on Mexico’s Energy Reform

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Lourdes Melgar SM ’88 PhD ’92, the Robert Wilhelm Fellow at the Center of International Studies at MIT and Mexico’s former deputy secretary of energy for hydrocarbons, recently delivered a talk at the MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI) outlining Mexico’s historic energy reform. An architect of the design and implementation of the reform, Melgar discussed the […] The post 3 Questions: Lourdes Melgar on Mexico’s Energy Reform appeared first on The Energy Collective.

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March 31, 2017 at 07:15PM

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from Energy @ MIT

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Six Years Later: Learning the Right Lessons from Fukushima

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It’s hard to believe that six years have passed since the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan that resulted in the accident at the Fukushima nuclear power plant. Over the past six years there have been many arguments about the merits of actions taken both during and following the accident and on the lessons learned […] The post Six Years Later: Learning the Right Lessons from Fukushima appeared first on The Energy Collective.

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March 30, 2017 at 08:25PM

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from Milton Caplan

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Climate Change Policies Working: CO2 Emissions Flat For 2 Years In A Row

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The International Energy Agency gave environmentalists cause for celebration earlier this month when it reported that carbon dioxide emissions in 2016 remained unchanged from the levels reached in 2014 and 2015. Analysts are hopeful that this could represent the end of the upward trend that CO2 emissions have seen since 1980. The post, Climate Change […] The post Climate Change Policies Working: CO2 Emissions Flat For 2 Years In A Row appeared first on The Energy Collective.

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March 30, 2017 at 07:55PM

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from Oilprice.com

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Analysis: Electric Vehicles Pay Their Fair Share in State Taxes

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Recent tax policy analysis by the Great Plains Institute (GPI) for Drive Electric Minnesota found that electric vehicle drivers in the state pay just as much or more in taxes as those who drive comparable gasoline vehicles. Like most other states, Minnesota uses a tax on the sale of gasoline and other motor fuel to pay […] The post Analysis: Electric Vehicles Pay Their Fair Share in State Taxes appeared first on The Energy Collective.

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March 30, 2017 at 07:53PM

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from Great Plains Institute

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Trump Slams Brakes on Obama’s Climate Plan, But There’s Still a Long Road Ahead

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Badly looking for a political win that would both fulfill some campaign promises to his political base and satisfy the demands of rank-and-file Republicans in Congress, President Trump on March 28 signed an Energy Independence and Economic Growth Executive Order. According to Henrik Selin, Associate Professor in the Frederick S Pardee School of Global Studies at […] The post Trump Slams Brakes on Obama’s Climate Plan, But There’s Still a Long Road Ahead appeared first on The Energy Collective.

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March 30, 2017 at 07:53PM

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from Henrik Selin

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States to Trump: We’re Not Backing Down on Climate, Clean Air

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Last week the California Air Resources Board unanimously voted to finalize new regulations to reduce oil and gas methane emissions. This is the first major environmental regulation that has been issued since the new Administration took office, and sends a clear message that states aren’t going to take the new administrations attacks on the environment […] The post States to Trump: We’re Not Backing Down on Climate, Clean Air appeared first on The Energy Collective.

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March 30, 2017 at 07:31PM

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from EDF Energy Exchange

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