Electricity
X-Change: Electricity
Renewable energy – solar and wind – is on an exponential path which will lead to disruption of the global electricity sector this decade.
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General Energy
Geothermal Power’s Competitive Landscape
A transcript of Amory's address for Pivot2020, a geothermal energy event hosted by the Geothermal Entrepreneurship Organization at the University of Texas at Austin and the International Geothermal Association.
Electricity
Fourteen Alleged Magical Properties That Coal and Nuclear Plants Don’t Have and Shouldn’t Be Paid Extra for Providing
As the U.S. electricity sector awaits the release of a Department of Energy study assessing the impact of current market design on baseload generation and grid reliability, Rocky Mountain Institute’s Cofounder and Chief Scientist, Amory…
Electricity
Does “Fuel On Hand” Make Coal and Nuclear Power Plants More Valuable?
On April 14, Energy Secretary Rick Perry sent a memo ordering a 60-day departmental study of whether federal policies favoring an unnamed competitor—evidently renewable electricity like solar and windpower—are constraining supposedly vital “baseload” plants (impliedly coal…
Electricity
The Grid Needs a Symphony, Not a Shouting Match
For more detail on the topics covered in this article, readers should see Amory Lovins’ FERC comments, a recent article on Forbes, and a forthcoming article in The Electricity Journal. In April,…
General Energy
Misrepresenting the German Energy Situation
Mr. Stephens misrepresents the German energy situation in three ways. First, he compares 2016’s record renewable electricity production with the whole economy’s carbon dioxide emissions. In 2015–16, those rose 0.9 percent—one-third due to leap day and…
General Energy
Closing Diablo Canyon Nuclear Plant Will Save Money And Carbon
A widespread claim—that dozens of nuclear plants, too costly to run profitably, now merit new subsidies to protect the earth’s climate—just collided with market reality. The CEO of one of America’s most prominent and technically…
General Energy
As Oil Prices Gyrate, Underlying Trends Are Shifting To Oil’s Disadvantage
Why should equity markets tank when oil prices do? Beats me. Among many sources of jitters, this shouldn’t be a big one (though The Economist demurs). When oil prices fall 70+ percent, oil companies…
Electricity
3 Ways Wind and Solar Can Continue To Grow In a 21st-Century Grid
Earlier this year, MIT researchers were the latest in a series of analysts to raise alarm about the perceived limitations of solar PV’s continued growth. In short, these analysts propose that variable renewables will…
General Energy
Today’s U.S.-China Announcement is the Most Significant Milestone to Date for Battling Global Climate Change
Today’s joint announcement by President Obama and President Xi represents the second time in two years the leaders have met to make significant climate commitments. Last year’s meeting focused on setting aggressive goals that reflect…