October 12, 2009

Call it the one-two punch that proponents say will advance the climate change agenda. The U.S. Senate is now debating a measure similar to that of the House while the U.S. EPA has proposed that utilities install modern pollution control equipment on all facilities they modify or build.

Their mutual goal is to give the issue momentum before the global climate change talks in December. While they will underscore the sense of urgency, lawmakers will probably not be able to resolve their complex differences by then. Opponents of the Obama's EPA proposal, furthermore, will challenge that plan in court.

October 09, 2009

Offshore wind production could surge forward. Both European and U.S. advocates say that the construction of such energy projects could take off assuming that both continents stick with their carbon-free energy themes.

Offshore wind development, in theory, would avoid the typical in-fighting that occurs with respect to all other of power projects that are built on land. In practice, however, it is just as onerous largely because the wind mills in some places could be seen by local residents and because of the extensive underwater transmission systems that are thought to harm sea life.

October 07, 2009

Industry observers have noted the growing number of utility chief information officers who have either resigned or retired in recent months. This has many questioning whether there is something about the smart grid transformation that has those utility CIOs, as they are called, making haste to leave, or if it is just a strange series of coincidences.

Regardless of the reasons, one thing is clear: The departure of so many CIOs, each with a great deal of experience and tenure, will have a profound impact on the evolution and implementation of smart grid technologies.

Sustainable San Mateo County, RecycleWorks, and the San Mateo County Chapter of the American Institute of Architects sponsor the Green Building Award to support sustainable design in architecture and to recognize the designers, builders, and owners of green buildings in San Mateo County. We are happy to announce the winners of the 2009 Green Building Awards.

October 02, 2009

Not long ago there were two widely held views when it came to the fossil fuels that powered nearly three-quarters of the electric generation industry: the United States was the "Saudi Arabia of coal," with a huge supply that would last well over two centuries, and the increasing reliance on natural gas to produce electricity would stress this country's ability to meet the demand from domestic, or even North American, sources.

Now those assumptions are being turned on their heads as a combination of reports examining recoverable resources are gaining currency. Simply put, separate analyses by government agencies and private organizations indicate recoverable coal resources are not nearly as plentiful as once thought, while a combination of new discoveries and technological advances have made supplies of natural gas much more bountiful, perhaps enough to last another century at current rates of consumption.