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.Renewables lead new generation this year, but prepare for big decline in new wind in 2013
By Bill Opalka, Guest Contributor Renewable energy generation grabbed a 46% share of new capacity in the first 10 months of the year, easily outpacing natural gas, coal, nuclear and oil. That’s according to the latest Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Energy Infrastructure update, which covers the January-October time frame. The 46% renewable share includes new [...]
U.S. carbon tax talk on the rebound: enough for both parties to dislike . . . and pass?
It might only apply to industry emissions and nary a Republican would dare admit to seriously considering it, but talk of a possible carbon tax is making the rounds in political Washington and elsewhere. Think about it. A carbon tax does not lack for support among mainstream energy and fiscal policy experts; it has drawn [...]
Benefits of an independent safety center for oil and gas hydraulic fracturing
If safety truly is a priority for companies producing oil and gas using hydraulic fracturing, they should match their words with genuine safeguards that the public and regulators could see and understand. The nuclear industry has long been working to improve safety of utility-owned nuclear power plants under the auspices of the Institute of Nuclear [...]
Commodity risks – how energy suppliers manage them can make a big difference to markets and customers
More than a decade after the Enron debacle, one would think managing an energy company’s risks is a widely-agreed upon practice with similar types of standards. Yet with the ongoing volatility in oil and natural gas prices, accidents and ‘Acts of God’ that just keep happening and the growing interdependence in commercial markets on other [...]
Renewable energy: advocates need to raise their ‘game’ to match fossil energy interests
With the absence of an energy discussion in this year’s presidential race, one might think the U.S. faces few, if any, substantive energy problems, or opportunities for that matter. Most energy experts agree that is not the case. Yet what constitutes a problem or an opportunity, is subject to interpretation. Rising gasoline prices, heightening unrest [...]
New nuclear era begins in U.S. after approval of Vogtle plant in Georgia – but questions remain
How much “new” nuclear and how soon? Those are the front-of-mind questions for nuclear and many cleaner energy advocates with today’s U.S. government approval of the construction and operation of two new nuclear power reactors by Southern Company in Georgia using the “AP1000″ design by Westinghouse. The quick answer appears to be: a total of [...]
Google isn’t the energy magician some hoped it would be; RE > C how much longer?
RE < C ? Not without a carbon tax or cap and trade system. Google’s decision to stop trying to make clean electricity less expensive than power from traditional “dirty” coal-fired power plants was destined to come up short. Congress’ unwillingness in 2009 to create a carbon cap and trade system made sure of that. [...]
Japan joins Germany, Italy, China, Ontario with new feed-in tariffs for 30 gigawatts of renewables; 50¢ per kWh for solar
Pinning its hopes on a sustainable recovery from the Fukushima nuclear disaster, Japan’s Upper House of the Diet has enacted feed-in tariffs that take effect July 1, 2012 requiring utilities to purchase electricity generated by commercially available sources of renewable energy for a set price and period. Reuters reports a ruling party lawmakers “expects” the [...]
‘Fuel Cycle to Nowhere’ crystallizes the few, expensive options facing U.S. Blue Ribbon Commission searching for nuclear waste solutions
NEW BOOK REVIEW The timing might not have been worse: President Obama deletes funding for the Yucca Mountain high-level nuclear waste repository in Nevada and two years later the Fukushima nuclear meltdown caused by the Japan earthquake and resulting tsunami triggers new alarms over whether nuclear power can be counted on to generate electricity safely. [...]
Exelon’s bid for Constellation Energy: how real is the pledge to efficiency, EV’s and renewable energy in Maryland?
In the press release announcing its planned $7.9 billion acquisition of Baltimore, Maryland-based Constellation Energy, Chicago-based Exelon promised to spend $64 million over several years to spur energy efficiency, electric vehicle and renewable energy initiatives in Maryland. When pressed for details this week about one of the largest U.S. utility mergers ever, however, company spokesman [...]