Pipeline Bubble: North America Is Betting Over $1 Trillion on a Risky Fossil Infrastructure Boom

From 2011 to 2016, following a period of heady optimism and over-expansion based on expectations of surging Asian demand, coal mining company values plummeted and bankruptcies decimated the sector (see Sidebar: “The Coal Mining Equities Crash”). Today, investors in the booming expansion of oil and gas infrastructure appear headed for a similar shock, as boom-fueled optimism runs into climate realities and fiscal limits.…

The Green New Deal: Economics and Policy Analytics

The Green New Deal (GND) is a set of policy proposals, some more concrete than others, with the central advertised goal of ameliorating a purported climate crisis by implementing policies that would reduce US greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to zero, or to “net zero,” by 2050 in some formulations. In addition, GND incorporates other important social-policy goals as a means of forging a majority political coalition in support.

The GND’s central premise is that such policies — either despite or by reducing sharply the economic value of some substantial part of the US resource base and the energy- producing and …

Reinvigorating Hydropower: A cornerstone of our clean, affordable, reliable electric future

Hydropoweris a premier renewable resource. For over a hundred years, our nation’s hydropower projects have helped optimize river systems to accomplish multiple objectives and provide inexpensive power.
These hydropower projects were the catalyst for businesses to succeed and communities to
grow. They control floods, manage droughts, supply water, irrigate crops, support fish species and natural resources and create recreational opportunities. Today, they play an increasingly critical role in the modern electric system as our nation pursues a low-carbon, affordable, reliable and resilient grid. A new look at hydropower in the public policy arena can unleash the capabilities of this technology …

Optionality, Flexibility & Innovation: Pathways for Deep Decarbonization in California – Summary for Policymakers

The Energy Futures Initiative report “Optionality, Flexibility & Innovation: Pathways for Deep Decarbonization in California,’’ analyzes ways the state can meet its aggressive 2030 low-carbon energy goals and outlines the innovation agenda needed for midcentury deep decarbonization.

The report team, led by EFI founder and CEO Ernest J. Moniz, conducted a modeling-informed analysis that included a top-down assessment of California’s deep decarbonization, as well as multiple bottom-up models that approximated how various technologies can contribute to the reduction of emissions.…

Duke Energy 2018 Sustainability Report

Duke Energy’s annual sustainability report highlights our past progress, presents the challenges and opportunities we face and offers our view of the future.…

A Complete Guide to Driving ELECTRIC & HYBRID CARS IN THE 21ST CENTURY

We’ve been hearing how electric and hybrid technology will transform the car industry for some time. Not so long ago, you had a limited choice of cars if you wanted to buy one. Now the choice has increased with the improvement of modern technology, will car buyers take note?…

Stand-off nuclear reactor monitoring with neutron detectors for safeguards and non-proliferation applications

Safeguards measures are employed at nuclear reactor facilities worldwide, to ensure that nuclear material is not diverted from peaceful uses. Typical safeguards measures involve periodic inspections, off-line verification and video surveillance of fuel cycle activities. Real-time verification of the fissile contents via stand-off monitoring can enhance continuity of knowledge for non-traditional reactor types, including research reactors and small modular reactors. Here we demonstrate the feasibility of using large-area neutron detectors for monitoring nuclear reactors at stand-off distances up to 100 m outside reactor shielding, as a potential reactor safeguards tool. Since the neutron yield per unit reactor power depends upon …

Federal Support for Electricity Grid Restoration in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico

Federal agencies supported efforts to restore electricity in the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) and Puerto Rico through the types of support they traditionally provide following disasters and, in Puerto Rico, in some unprecedented ways.…

In a Warming World, How Should Big Oil Navigate the Future?

It has been three years since the signing of the Paris Agreement, which committed nearly 200 countries to the goal of limiting global warming to “well below 2 degrees Celsius.” Since then, concerns about climate change have grown in both intensity and scope, expanding beyond the ways in which government policies can minimize warming to the role of companies in generating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. With the production and consumption of oil and natural gas products accounting for more than 40% of global GHG emissions, oil and gas companies are confronted with mounting pressure for change.…

2019 New York Getting to Zero Status Report

The 2019 New York Getting to Zero Status Report is a ground breaking review of the state of the net zero energy buildings market in New York State and provides detailed policy and market context about New York’s leading role in advancing deeply energy efficient and low-carbon projects. Against the backdrop of the State’s energy efficiency commitment and recognizing the prominence of Net Zero Energy (NZE) and Net Zero Carbon (NZC) buildings to New York’s climate goals, NYSERDA commissioned this summary. NZE buildings are highly efficient buildings in which energy use is equal to or less than the energy supplied …