Electricity
In Case You Missed It
As late summer heat waves in Texas and other states put enormous strain on the grid, there has been a spike in coverage on the smart grid and demand response as key enablers of a more clean, reliable and flexible electric system. Take a look at this week's news roundup to read about different strategies to keep the lights on while transitioning to renewable sources.
Landmark emissions standards highlight efficiency potential in the domestic freight sector
Earlier today, the federal government heeded the call of a diverse group of fleet managers, independent owner operators, and environmentalists, announcing more efficient heavy and medium-duty trucks through a new standard projected to save 530 million barrels of oil and $50 billion in fuel costs over the lives of the vehicles covered.
A Giant Passes: RMI Trustee Ray C. Anderson
Ray C. Anderson was the most visionary, inspiring, and effective green industrialist of the late 20th and early 21st century if not of all time. A brilliant Georgia Tech engineer and entrepreneur with the competitive drive and leadership qualities of an ex-quarterback, he created Atlanta-based Interface, Inc. and led it to unique success in turning green into gold.
From the Library: Amory Lovins’ Nuclear Writings
RMI’s Cofounder and Chief Scientist, Amory Lovins has been questioning the viability of nuclear energy to safely and economically meet our energy needs for the last 35 years in his lectures, writings, research, and consulting work. Always a prolific writer, Lovins has been particularly vociferous with this argument since Japan’s Fukushima disaster, writing four pieces about nuclear energy in the last few months.
Change the Empire State Building…Change the World
We’ve all heard a common myth about the Empire State Building: if someone drops a penny from the roof, and it hits someone on the ground below just right, it will split them in half. When an audience member at the recent Aspen Business Luncheon asked ESB owner Tony Malkin to validate, he responded, “I’m in the real estate business, and we don’t have that kind of money to throw around.”