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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This report illustrates the importance of electric power generation, transmission and distribution systems to the national economy. The analysis performed focuses on a trend scenario that presumes the mix of electricity generation technologies (e.g. electricity generation from oil, natural gas, coal, nuclear, hydro, wind, solar) continues to evolve as reflected in recent trends, including a long-term evolution towards smart grid technologies… View Full Resource
The purpose of this study is to estimate the economic impact of the $200 billion (2011 dollars) in midstream investments that will be required to accommodate the development of natural gas, oil and natural gas liquid (NGL)1 resources from 2012 through 2035. Near-term estimates through 2013 and through 2016 also are developed. The estimated economic impact of these investments is measured in terms of employment creation, income generation, output, taxes generated and value added to the US economy and study regions.…
View Full ResourceThere appears to be universal global consensus among many policymakers that trillions of dollars of new investment must be raised to finance the massive deployment of clean energy technologies to address climate change risks. While undoubtedly some results can be gained from energy conservation and efficiency, there remains an unavoidable need for new energy generation. The absolute amounts of funding for financing large‐scale deployments of renewable energy projects remain significantly larger than the levels invested to date.
Despite the dire need for high levels of finance for future large‐scale deployments of renewable energy, neither the funds nor any convincing mechanisms …
View Full ResourcePublic safety requires prompt action to repair, remediate, and replace high-risk gas pipeline infrastructure, including cast iron mains, certain vintages of plastic pipe and mechanical coupling installations, bare steel pipe without adequate corrosion control, and copper piping. Several recent gas pipeline accidents show the terrible consequences that can occur if such action is not taken.
Pipeline infrastructure replacement programs for gas distribution systems exist in nearly 30 States. Some State Public utility commissions have used their traditional ratemaking authority to approve these programs, the terms and conditions of which are established under a generally applicable statutory provision. Other State public …
View Full ResourceSufficient midstream natural gas infrastructure, such as gathering systems, processing plants, transmission pipelines, storage fields, and liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals, is crucial for efficient delivery and well‐functioning markets. Insufficient infrastructure, on the other hand, can contribute to price volatility, a shrinking market, and even stranded gas supplies and reduced economic activity. Since the last INGAA Foundation natural gas infrastructure study completed in 2009, rapid development of unconventional natural gas supplies, particularly shale gas supplies, has expanded and is offsetting declining production of conventional and offshore natural gas. While gas demand in the residential, commercial and industrial sectors largely has …
View Full ResourcePHMSA is responsible for establishing and enforcing safety standards for the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of the nation’s pipeline transportation system. PHMSA’s authority to regulate pipelines includes oversight of the Trans Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS), North Slope pipelines, certain pipelines in the Cook Inlet area, Liquefied Natural Gas (or LNG) facilities, and the distribution systems that deliver natural gas to homes, businesses, and power plants. Alaska oil and gas resources are critical to the nation’s energy needs, and PHMSA recognizes its role in ensuring that this energy is transported safely and efficiently. For this reason, PHMSA has invested significant… View Full Resource
This paper raises key issues associated with using an oil tax to fund U.S. transportation infrastructure, identifies the decisions Congress would need to make in designing such a tax, and outlines some of the likely implications of adopting an oil tax. In 2009, federal spending on surface-transportation infrastructure outpaced federal tax revenues on gasoline and diesel fuel. Increasing fuel efficiency results in less money spent buying fuel, so real revenue generated from these taxes has declined. This paper investigates using a percentage tax on crude oil and imported refined petroleum products consumed in the United States to fund U.S. transportation …
View Full ResourceRapid growth in demand for lingocellulosic bioenergy will require major changes in supply chain infrastructure. Even with densification and preprocessing, transport volumes by mid-century are likely to exceed the combined capacity of current agricultural and energy supply chains, including grain, petroleum, and coal. Efficient supply chains can be achieved through decentralized conversion processes that facilitate local sourcing, satellite preprocessing and densification for long-distance transport, and business models that reward biomass growers both nearby and afar. Integrated systems that are cost-effective and energy-efficient will require new ways of thinking about agriculture, energy infrastructure, and rural economic development. Implementing these integrated systems …
View Full ResourceUnder the federal Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) adopted in 2005 and amended in 2007, the United States is committed to a substantial (five-fold) increase in its use of biofuels by 2022. The National Commission on Energy Policy (NCEP) convened a Biofuels Infrastructure Task Force in 2008 to examine the infrastructure implications of this relatively swift and unprecedented shift in the composition of the nation’s transportation fuel supply. Specifically, the Task Force explored issues and developed recommendations for advancing the infrastructure investments needed to support timely and cost-effective implementation of the current biofuels mandate.…
View Full ResourceThe U.S. economy during the Bush administration years was driven by frenzied spending and borrowing in the housing sector. This masked major structural problems from the huge transfer of wealth to Asia accruing from large trade surpluses and to the oil exporting countries from consumption of high-priced oil imports. Inevitably, massive numbers of homeowners defaulted on inappropriately-originated mortgages, the artificially-created housing bubble burst, and the U.S. and world economy fell into a deep, potentially long-term, recession.
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