The OurEnergyLibrary aggregates and indexes publicly available fact sheets, journal articles, reports, studies, and other publications on U.S. energy topics. It is updated every week to include the most recent energy resources from academia, government, industry, non-profits, think tanks, and trade associations. Suggest a resource by emailing us at info@ourenergypolicy.org.
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Energy efficiency and conservation are officially China’s top energy priority. These are considered the “low-hanging fruit” in the quest to reduce energy use and cut demand. Energy conservation investment projects have priority over energy development projects under the Energy Conservation Law of 1997, with government-financed projects being selected on “technological, economic and environmental comparisons and validations of the projects.” China is the world’s largest market for new construction, and new building standards have been in development since 2005 with national energy design criteria for residential buildings. In the power generation sector, many smaller, less efficient coal-fired power plants have been …
View Full ResourceSince taking office in January 2009, the Obama Administration has used these authorities to implement a substantial body of actions related to climate change and clean energy. They range from the Environmental Protection Agency’s certification of greenhouse gases as a danger to public health and safety, which triggered regulation under the Clean Air Act, to the toughest requirements yet imposed on vehicle fuel efficiency, to an executive order that will increase the efficiency and reduce the carbon emissions of the federal government.
But substantial potential remains for executive action – and with the failure of the 111th Congress to pass …
View Full ResourceAn analytical job creation model for the US power sector from 2009 to 2030 is presented. The model synthesizes data from 15 job studies covering renewable energy (RE), energy efficiency (EE), carbon capture and storage (CCS) and nuclear power. The paper employs a consistent methodology of normalizing job data to average employment per unit energy produced over plant lifetime. Job losses in the coal and natural gas industry are modeled to project net employment impacts. Benefits and drawbacks of the methodology are assessed and the resulting model is used for job projections under various renewable portfolio standards (RPS), EE, and …
View Full ResourceThe federal “sustainability standard” requires ethanol to emit at least 20 percent less carbon dioxide (CO2) than gasoline. Recent rulings by California and the Environmental Protection Agency, however, have cast doubt on the methodology of the sustainability calculus and whether those standards are being met. We show that the methodological debate is misplaced because sustainability standards for ethanol are, by definition, illogical and ineffective. Moreover, those standards divert attention from the contradictions and inefficiencies of ethanol import tariffs, tax credits, mandates, and subsidies, all of which exist whether ethanol is sustainable or not.
Ethanol is sustainable by definition. The CO2 …
View Full ResourceBiomass is a significant source of energy in China today, particularly in rural areas. However, most current use of firewood and agricultural residues for cooking and heating brings with it detrimental effects of indoor air pollution and associated adverse health impacts. In addition, the time spent collecting biomass fuels creates a burden on women and children, which reduces their time available for more productive activities. The availability of clean, low-cost fuels for heat and power in rural areas based on modern biomass technologies could significantly increase living standards and would be helpful in promoting rural industrialization and the generation of …
View Full ResourceThe Breakthrough Agenda Report 2023 is an annual collaboration between the International Energy Agency (IEA), the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and the United Nations Climate Change High-Level Champions, focused on supporting stronger international collaboration to drive faster reductions in global greenhouse gas emissions. This year’s report shows that current efforts on clean energy and sustainable solutions, while improving, are not yet delivering the levels of investment and deployment required to meet international climate goals. In response, it calls on governments to strengthen collaboration in key areas – such as standards and regulation, financial and technical assistance and market creation …
View Full ResourceWind power additions in the United States totaled 8.5 gigawatts (GW) in 2022.1 Wind power growth has historically been supported by the industry’s primary federal incentive—the production tax credit (PTC)—as well as myriad state-level policies. Long-term improvements in the cost and performance of wind power technologies have also been key drivers for wind additions. Nonetheless, 2022 was a relatively slow year in terms of new wind power deployment—the lowest since 2018—due in part to ongoing supply chain pressures, higher interest rates, and interconnection and siting challenges, but also the reduction in the value of the PTC that was in place …
View Full ResourceWind power additions in the United States totaled 8.5 gigawatts (GW) in 2022. Wind power growth has historically been supported by the industry’s primary federal incentive—the production tax credit (PTC)—as well as myriad state-level policies. Long-term improvements in the cost and performance of wind power technologies have also been key drivers for wind additions. Nonetheless, 2022 was a relatively slow year in terms of new wind power deployment—the lowest since 2018—due in part to ongoing supply chain pressures, higher interest rates, and interconnection and siting challenges, but also the reduction in the value of the PTC that was in place …
View Full ResourceFor more than 20 years, U.S. policymakers have made steady progress toward a future in which renewable energy is supported by a reliable electric grid and widely available to consumers at a low cost. Favorable economics, demand from clean energy buyers, and public policies like state renewable portfolio standards (RPS) have been successful in driving renewable growth that has met and surpassed early expectations. In 2022 the Biden administration passed the seminal Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the most ambitious climate legislation in U.S. history. With renewables now cheaper than fossil fuels and new incentives through the IRA, renewable power is …
View Full ResourceThe United States cannot achieve net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions without carbon-free hydrogen. Today, this molecule serves the chemicals and refining industries, and fossil fuel-derived hydrogen production contributes about 1.5 percent of total U.S. climate pollution. Shifting to cleaner hydrogen production can replace these dirty sources while cutting GHG emissions in industries that are hard or impossible to electrify. Congress included a production tax credit (PTC) for clean hydrogen in Section 45V of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) to help scale the nascent industry. The tax credit’s value is tied to the lifecycle GHG emissions of hydrogen production—including upstream emissions—with …
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