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The New York Times recently published an article outlining the role of energy storage in facilitating increased adoption of renewable energy. The article highlights two companies – SolarReserve and BrightSource – that will open and operate solar thermal storage plants over the next several years. These plants will use the daytime sun to heat water and salt. The latent heat will then be used to power traditional electric turbines after the sun has set. The Energy Storage Council lists the following among the uses of energy storage: Enabling “renewables, solar or wind, to store energy generated during off-peak hours for… [more]
View InsightEarlier this month Sean Casten published an op-ed on Grist.com arguing that “further deregulation of electricity markets is a good and necessary thing”, but that “full and total deregulation of electricity markets is probably impossible, and certainly amoral.” Casten argues that “parts of the electric system warrant full deregulation, while other parts would be better suited to fully regulated economic models.” Certain aspects of electricity markets, for example the “last mile” of transmission, impose natural barriers to new market entrants in a truly free market, he says, thereby undermining the market’s efficiency. Further, Casten argues, in truly free electric markets,… [more]
View InsightThe spending bill being negotiated by the House and Senate is expected to fund the federal government for the remainder of the fiscal year. Notable among the bill’s energy-related measures is its defunding of the DOE program responsible for the energy-efficient light bulb standards due to take effect in 2012. The spending bill would not overturn these standards, but would effectively block DOE’s ability to enforce them. The standards are expected to phase out the 100 watt incandescent bulb in 2012, and phase out 40-, 60- and 75-watt incandescents by 2014. [New York Times] The standards were passed on a… [more]
View Insight[Note: The statements below are intended solely to stimulate discussion among the Expert community, and do not represent the position of OurEnergyPolicy.org. Text in italics indicates clarification or expansion.] A significant amount of U.S. electricity is consumed by our water supply. For example: 7-8% of California’s energy use is for large water systems. If California’s consumer end usage is included, it reaches 19% of electricity load and 39% of natural gas! National data on energy consumption for water supply is not readily available! Our water supply systems are very inefficient. Significant percentage of the water is leaking from the… [more]
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