Jim Pierobon is Founder and principal writer of The Energy Fix. He is a policy, marketing and social media strategist who has reported on, testified and consulted about smarter grids, cyber-security as it affects the power grid, fossil fuel shortages, price spikes, energy efficiency and the rise and fall -- and the rise again of nuclear and renewable energy sources.FAST FIX: How the Smart Grid can save households almost $600 per year
If you need to quickly grasp the potential and benefits of the emerging smart grid in the U.S., this infographic is the best effort yet. It comes courtesy of the Smart Grid Consumer Collaborative and its 90+ member utilities, technology companies, non-profits, regulators and consumers advocates. Increasing the power grid’s efficiency by 9% equates to [...]
FAST FIX: debunking 6 myths about smart meters
Courtesy of the Smart Grid Consumer Collaborative, here are facts about smart/digital meters and six commonly circulated myths — debunked. 1. Smart meters are less accurate than analog meters. Public service commissions require meter manufacturers to supply independently certified testing results to prove that their smart meters provide accurate measurements. 2. Smart meters are a [...]
FAST FIX: Protests to Arctic Drilling Getting More Creative — and More Viral
Leave it to Greenpeace to find more satirical ways to protest drilling in Arctic regions. In one of its latest ploys, Greenpeace took over a billboard to reach motorists heading into downtown Houston near Shell’s U.S. headquarters, not exactly a fertile environment for anti-drilling activists. But that billboard (left) and others like throughout the U.S. [...]
FAST FIX: Score a win for Supermodel Elle Macpherson over OK Sen. James Inhofe
The Senate has voted 53-46 to defeat Republican Oklahoma Senator James Inhofe’s bid to halt the U.S. EPA restrictions of mercury and air toxic emissions standards (aka MATS) from coal-fired power plants. While not all, or even most of the credit goes to celebrities such as supermodel Elle Macpherson (photo), it certainly didn’t hurt that [...]
FAST FIX: single biggest emitter of CO2 in the U.S.? Scherer coal plant in Georgia
The Scherer complex of four coal-burning power plants near Macon, GA, co-owned and operated by Georgia Power, is the single largest emitter of carbon dioxide in the United States, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. It spewed almost 23 million tons of CO2 in 2010. According to Natural History magazine, it ranked as the 20th in [...]
FAST FIX: Cyber security expert Alan Paller questions security of U.S. power grid
Alan Paller, a prominent cyber security authority at the Maryland-based SANS Institute who leads the widely-used Internet Storm Center, was asked during a recent presentation to a Google-sponsored Maryland Cybersecurity Seminar in College Park, MD how he rates the security of the U.S. power grid. On a scale of “1″ to “10″, with 10 being [...]
FAST FIX: Track current global greenhouse gas emissions here
Deutsche Bank’s DB Climate Change Advisors estimates the metric tons of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. You can find the current tally online here but also in New York City at 33rd Street and 7th Avenue, outside Madison Square Garden and Penn Station (photo from late 2011).
FAST FIX: At least 32 coal-fired power plants in U.S. headed for closure due to new EPA pollution rules
The hotly debated Air Toxics Rule and Cross State Air Pollution Rule now slated for enactment in three years by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are destined to close at least 32 coal-fired power plants throughout the U.S. each with an average age of 51 years. This according to a survey of 55 power plant [...]
FAST FIX: Cialdini’s 6 Rules of Influence — Smart Grid marketers take note
One of the most widely respected researchers of human behavior,Robert Cialdini, asserts there are six rules of influence when reaching out to the public. They may have a lot to contribute to effectively engaging utility ratepayers and consumers about using energy more wisely through smart grid applications. Cialdini serves on the Scientific Advisory Board of [...]