Tag Archives: New York Times

Over the last century, humanity has become more urbanized than ever before. According to a 2019 Reuters report, more than half the world’s population now lives in an urban area. And increased urbanization has numerous side effects, including rising energy demand and costs. Large amounts of power are required to keep cities running, meaning that urban life is significantly more …

What Stands in the Way for 2017? December 20, 2016 By Elisa Wood Microgrid opportunity grew in 2016 and next year looks even better. But government policy isn’t keeping up with grassroots demand, said Randy Grass vice president at POWER Engineers. Randy Grass, POWER Engineers Grass, who manages the transmission and distribution (T&D) division for the global consulting engineering firm, …

A massive grid cyberattack may sound like the stuff of an apocalyptic movie. But for insurance giant Lloyd’s the prospect carries enough probability to carefully weigh the financial risk. The cost? As much as $1 trillion if hackers take down just 50 generators out of 700 in 15 states within the Eastern Interconnection, according to a new study by Lloyd’s …

The power flickered off four times in the 2 ½ hours that Darren Hammell waited at Cuba’s Santa Clara airport for his return flight to the United States last month. This departing experience underscored what he had learned on his trip: There is work for U.S. energy companies in the Caribbean’s largest island. But how quickly that work materializes remains …

  Microgrids are among 15 opportunities that can fix some big, world problems. That’s the word from DNV GL in a new report that looks at five global threats and the doors they open for innovators. One of the threats is our reliance on fossil fuels, says Global Opportunity Report 2015. Microgrids or “energy autonomy” offers an alternative path. “This …

When policymakers tally clean energy’s real worth, they consider jobs and environment. But other work achieved by clean energy goes forgotten. Two new papers shed light on some of this work – from saving the lives of US troops to influencing broad economic health. First, the American Council On Renewable Energy (ACORE) argues that the U.S. military needs to assign …

A funny thing happened to Urban Green Energy (UGE) on the way to becoming a small wind turbine manufacturer. The New York company discovered that demand was limited for its product on a stand-alone basis. But combine small wind turbines with solar, storage and some intelligence – into a remote microgrid – and the market is vast. This is especially true …

Solar is experiencing over-the-top popularity among US homeowners; energy efficiency not so much. But what if state programs made solar a subset of energy efficiency? That’s the recommendation of an intriguing paper released August 19 by the Center for Sustainable Energy. The California non-profit tried to tease out what it takes to motivate solar customers to pursue energy efficiency.  Homeowners run the …

The Alcatraz Microgrid: Life on ‘The Rock’ Not Easy, Even for a Microgrid The Alcatraz microgrid stands as a model for installing modern energy technology under difficult terms. Historical structures had to be kept intact, equipment protected from the elements, and no new buildings erected. Here’s how developer Princeton Power  Systems accomplished the task. The 22-acre island in San Francisco Bay is …

Energy efficiency advocates have argued for years that energy efficiency should be a first fuel – considered before others in portfolio planning.  Today, they appear victorious with the release of the US’ first-ever carbon dioxide restrictions for existing power plants. The draft rule places energy efficiency in good position to be a top choice as states set strateagies to meet …

To the consumer, the microgrid market will simply appear one day. Like the IPhone or the Kindle or solar panels, it will be the latest cool wonder of our high tech society. But those behind the scenes know that most products are many years in the making. Electricity innovation is no different, except perhaps that industry gestation requires a lot of government …

It’s never a bad thing to have the leader of the free world in your corner. And President Barrack Obama made clear again last week that he’s with energy efficiency. At a Walmart in Silicon Valley, Obama laid out his next round of green energy expansion plans. Sexy solar got much of the play in the media coverage. But staid …

Infusing more energy efficiency into the US economy could ease pressure on coal states that feel under attack by pending federal greenhouse gas rules, says a new study. The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy outlines four energy efficiency strategies that could reduce carbon dioxide emissions 26 percent below 2012 levels in Change is in the Air: How States Can Harness Energy Efficiency …

Microgrids, Money and the Utility ‘Death Plunge’   This is the second part of our coverage on microgrids from last week’s Northeast Sustainable Energy Association BuildingEnergy 14 conference in Boston. Read Part I here. If distributed generation is accelerating the utility death spiral – as some say – will microgrids cause a total utility plunge? That’s the question Galen Nelson, director …

Why Insiders are Bullish on Microgrid   Microgrids are coming to the US, but they face some significant roadblocks. What’s driving the sudden upswing in their development? And what’s getting in the way? A panel of microgrid experts tackled these questions last week at the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA) BuildingEnergy 14 conference in Boston. Ed Krapels, founder of Anbaric …

It’s always hard to make the argument that things could have been worse. But that’s the reality in Connecticut as it emerges from a brutal winter State regulators are fielding complaints from consumers who have seen their electricity prices skyrocket this winter. The state is investigating what happened. But for anyone who has followed New England’s energy markets, price spikes …

Did I Just See Energy History Made in Atlanta? Every once in awhile, after  a lot of humdrum news, something really cool comes along, the kind of thing that can reshape the energy industry. That’s what might have happened last week in Atlanta at the 27thAnnual Campus Energy Conference of the International District Energy Association (IDEA). IDEA members formed a …

There is nothing like a blast of frigid weather – and an energy shortage – to wake up the US consumer to the economic value of energy efficiency. We were caught almost napping this winter, drowsy in the confidence that we are awash in plenty of oil and natural gas. True, the US is in the middle of an energy …

Commercial building owners have been lamenting the loss of a popular energy efficiency tax break that ended with the New Year. But it turns out they still may be able to use it. Section 179D of the Energy Policy Act, (EPACT) offers up to $1.80 per square foot for energy efficiency improvements to building envelope and lighting, along with heating, ventilation …

If public enthusiasm were money, the energy efficiency industry would be loaded with capital. From world leaders to celebrities to the common folk, everybody champions saving energy these days. Unfortunately, public enthusiasm isn’t what attracts money; investor confidence does. And despite all of the public support for energy efficiency, investors remain wary. It’s easy to understand their skepticism when you …