From caver456 at gmail.com Mon Sep 24 11:06:41 2007 From: caver456 at gmail.com (caver456 at gmail.com) Date: Mon, 24 Sep 2007 18:06:41 UT Subject: [Energy] A story from Grist.org Message-ID: <200709241806.l8OI6fuR037166@grist2.electricembers.net> An embedded and charset-unspecified text was scrubbed... Name: not available Url: http://lists.apple-nc.org/pipermail/energy/attachments/20070924/4e7209ed/attachment.pl -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.apple-nc.org/pipermail/energy/attachments/20070924/4e7209ed/attachment.html From caver456 at gmail.com Tue Sep 25 08:26:03 2007 From: caver456 at gmail.com (Tom Grundy) Date: Tue, 25 Sep 2007 08:26:03 -0700 Subject: [Energy] Fwd: ACEEE's Laitner Testifies on Economic Modeling at House Science Subcommittee Hearing 9/25 In-Reply-To: <46F8E83D0200006D0001229F@smtp.aceee.org> References: <46F7F606020000ED00007E76@smtp.aceee.org> <46F7F6CB0200006D00012270@smtp.aceee.org> <46F7FCD40200006D00012275@smtp.aceee.org> <46F7FE400200006D0001227A@smtp.aceee.org> <46F802A20200006D0001227F@smtp.aceee.org> <46F8E0E70200006D00012290@smtp.aceee.org> <46F8E4AC0200006D00012295@smtp.aceee.org> <46F8E6B70200006D0001229A@smtp.aceee.org> <46F8E83D0200006D0001229F@smtp.aceee.org> <46F8E83D0200006D0001229F@smtp.aceee.org> Message-ID: ACEEE (American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy, I think) is that very interesting group that focuses on energy efficiency as a resource that we need to mine and extract and use to power the grid. Not unlike the Negawatt plant concept: News Release Contact: John A. Skip Laitner, 202-478-6365 Media Contact: Glee Murray, 202-429-0063 ACEEE's Laitner Testifies at House Science Subcommittee Hearing: Too Many Economic Models Get Energy/Climate Policy Wrong Washington, D.C. (September 25, 2007): Testifying today at the U.S. House Science Subcommittee on Research and Science Education today, ACEEE Senior Economist for Technology Policy John A. "Skip" Laitner said that "most current economic policy models substantially overestimate the costs of energy and climate policies, because they consistently overlook the economic benefits of energy savings from accelerated adoption of energy-efficient technologies, changing social preferences, and more energy-aware behaviors." Laitner's testimony indicated two principal problems with the current generation of economic models. The first is that most economic policy models have underestimated the potential for energy productivity gains from policy initiatives, which save consumers and businesses money; thus creating an economic stimulus. The second is that they overestimate the costs of achieving increased levels of energy efficiency, which creates an exaggerated portrayal of economic impacts of many policies. The result, he stated, is "an inaccurately diminished picture of the energy efficiency resource. These fundamental modeling problems have large and important implications for both energy policy and climate change mitigation policy." Laitner acknowledged that "the good news is that while there is clear room for improvement in modeling methodology, we already know how to make these corrections." Still, he cautioned, "Congress needs better energy policy evaluations, and soon; this means there is serious work ahead in improving policy modeling methods." Laitner urged the subcommittee to take three important steps to correct the misimpressions provided by many of the current economic policy models: 1. He recommended that the subcommittee issue findings on this issue that send a positive signal to the economics and social science communities, acknowledging the need for improvement. 2. He called for the development and funding of a National Energy Efficiency Data Center (NEEDC), a national nonprofit organization whose purpose will be to collect, organize, disseminate, and archive energy efficiency cost and performance data and social science statistics, particularly those related to public policies and programs. This effort would go well beyond the data now collected by the U.S. Department of Energy's Energy Information Administration. 3. Laitner concluded by calling for greater research funding in the economic and social sciences, in ways that specifically "expand our knowledge and understanding of how human behavior and choice can increase energy efficiency, reduce our energy dependency, and reduce our impact on the global climate while still maintaining a robust economy." The testimony is available at http://www.aceee.org/tstimony/0709HouseScience_Laitner.pdf . If you no longer wish to receive electronic communications from ACEEE, please send an email to ace3info at aceee.org . The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy is an independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing energy efficiency as a means of promoting both economic prosperity and environmental protection. For information about ACEEE and its programs, publications, and conferences, contact ACEEE, 1001 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 801, Washington, D.C.20036-5525or visit http://aceee.org. ### From pcurrents at mountainastrologer.com Wed Sep 26 09:27:14 2007 From: pcurrents at mountainastrologer.com (Tem Tarriktar) Date: Wed, 26 Sep 2007 09:27:14 -0700 Subject: [Energy] sustainability and New Zealand Message-ID: <35F9B8CD-E2DE-41AB-9165-A771E46C0777@mountainastrologer.com> New Zealand Commits to 90% Renewable Electricity by 2025 ? http://www.renewableaccess.com/rea/news/story?id=50075 In a speech this week, New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clarke announced New Zealand's intention to commit to 90% renewable electricity by 2025, according to a press release issued by the New Zealand government. The country already uses 70% renewable electricity, primarily hydro- and geothermal power and will continue to increase its use of renewables over the next 20 years. Eventually, the Prime Minister would like to see the country carbon- neutral. ?I have set out the challenge to our nation to become the first truly sustainable nation on earth?to dare to aspire to be carbon neutral," Prime Minister Clarke said. The Prime Minister also gave a brief outline of further goals, which included a 2040 target of reducing by half per capita emissions from transport and widely introducing electric vehicles. She also stated the goal of achieving a net increase in forest area of 250,000 hectares (617,000 acres) by 2020. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.apple-nc.org/pipermail/energy/attachments/20070926/39a1529d/attachment.html -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: transparent.gif Type: image/gif Size: 43 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://lists.apple-nc.org/pipermail/energy/attachments/20070926/39a1529d/attachment.gif From thomas at thosmos.com Sat Sep 29 15:36:54 2007 From: thomas at thosmos.com (Thomas Spellman) Date: Sat, 29 Sep 2007 15:36:54 -0700 Subject: [Energy] Mutant Algae to Fuel Cars of Tomorrow? Message-ID: <06ba01c802e9$54ae3e40$fe0abac0$@com> Slashdot Mutant Algae to Fuel Cars of Tomorrow? Hugh Pickens writes "Algae has long been known as a promising source of biodiesel. It's worth noting, though, that algae also produces a small amount of hydrogen during photosynthesis. The MIT Technology Review reports that researchers have created a mutant algae that makes better use of sunlight to increase the amount of hydrogen that the algae produce. Anastasios Melis and his team at the University of California have manipulated the genes that control the amount of chlorophyll in the algae's chloroplasts. Although the process is still at least five years from being used for hydrogen generation, Melis estimates that if 50% of the algae's photosynthesis could be directed toward hydrogen production, an acre could produce 40 kilograms of hydrogen per day. At the price of $2.80 a kilogram, hydrogen could compete with gasoline, since a kilogram of hydrogen is equivalent in energy to a gallon of gasoline." Read more of this story at Slashdot. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.apple-nc.org/pipermail/energy/attachments/20070929/337671c6/attachment.html -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/gif Size: 2052 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://lists.apple-nc.org/pipermail/energy/attachments/20070929/337671c6/attachment.gif