There are exactly five things Kiev must do to become energy independent and disentangle itself from the Russian-driven geopolitical gas war: 1. Sell its pipeline system (most importantly); 2. Sell the remaining state interest in oil and gas company Ukrnafta; 3. Aggressively farm out as brown-field developments areas licensed by state-owned Ukrgazproduction; 4. Develop additional … Continue reading 5 Things Ukraine Must Do To Become Energy Independent
Category: Policy
Clean Energy Scores a Success with the Master Limited Partnership Parity Act
Critics target not just the cost of clean energy itself but also the federal subsidies designed to support it. Badly needed now are more market-oriented and cost-effective ways to scale up clean energy development by leveraging the power of private finance. Which is why it is good news that a recent “scoring” by the congressional Joint … Continue reading Clean Energy Scores a Success with the Master Limited Partnership Parity Act
Why Treasury Is Investigating SolarCity and Solar Third-Party Funds
The Treasury Department is investigating charges that SolarCity and other third-party solar funds inflated the value of their installations to drive more investment tax credits to their investors. Insinuations of federal tax benefit abuses are common from anti-renewables forces, but the current charges are represented in part in data from Tax Evasion and Subsidy Pass-Through … Continue reading Why Treasury Is Investigating SolarCity and Solar Third-Party Funds
New Study Finds California’s Chances Of Meeting Its 2050 Carbon Reductions Are Slim
California will need to implement ambitious new policies if it wants to meet its 2050 targets for greenhouse gas emissions reductions, according to a new report. The report, published by scientists from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, found California is on track to meet its 2020 emissions reductions goal of reducing emissions to 1990 levels, … Continue reading New Study Finds California’s Chances Of Meeting Its 2050 Carbon Reductions Are Slim
Energy intensity is a misleading metric in the fight against climate change.
It is widely assumed that over the coming decades, increased energy efficiency will help the world meet its energy needs and reduce carbon emissions. That may be true, but recent research suggests that energy intensity—a widely used way of measuring efficiency—isn\'t the right metric. Energy intensity is a simple ratio: energy use per dollar of … Continue reading Energy intensity is a misleading metric in the fight against climate change.
Appliance Standards: Comparing Predicted and Observed Prices
When appliance standards are revised, the Department of Energy (DOE) looks at the estimated benefits of standards relative to the estimated costs and only sets standards that it finds are cost-effective to consumers. This study compares the projected and actual costs of nine appliance and equipment efficiency standards, finding that across the nine rulemakings, DOE … Continue reading Appliance Standards: Comparing Predicted and Observed Prices
A Clean Energy Paradise In The Pacific
When people think Hawaiian paradise, usually beaches, sun and trade winds come to mind. The price of energy? Not so much. The state actually has the highest electric rates in the nation, approximately 2 to 3 times higher than the average price on the mainland. Given these high rates and the relatively mild climate, it … Continue reading A Clean Energy Paradise In The Pacific
An update from the ethanol/RINs battleground: hitting physical markets
A few updates from the intersection of RINs and ethanol. It’s starting to look like there have been physical market reactions to the rising price of RINs. First of all, the price of RINs, after being enormously volatile a few weeks ago, has quieted down. The price of 2013 corn ethanol RINs has stabilized near … Continue reading An update from the ethanol/RINs battleground: hitting physical markets
EU on Track to Meet 2020 Solar, Wind, Renewables Targets, But…
EU on Track to Meet 2020 Solar, Wind, Renewables Targets, But… The newest European Union (EU) statistics from Eurostat show its member nations are on track to meet their renewables targets but will need a new policy boost to keep up the pace. Watching the EU’s cumulative progress toward its “triple twenty by 2020” targets … Continue reading EU on Track to Meet 2020 Solar, Wind, Renewables Targets, But…
Austin Energy’s Value of Solar Tariff: Could It Work Anywhere Else?
Last fall, Austin Energy become the first utility in the U.S. to offer a “Value of Solar Tariff” (VOST) to its residential electricity customers. The VOST rate is presented as an alternative to net metering, the bill credit mechanism that has driven most customer adoption of solar in the U.S. today. Some utilities elsewhere in … Continue reading Austin Energy’s Value of Solar Tariff: Could It Work Anywhere Else?
