PUBLIC AFFAIRS - American Embassy
Sylvie VACHERET
Tel: 01 43 12 29 28
E Mail: vacheretsr@state.gov
GENERAL INTEREST
Annual Energy Outlook 2010 with Projections to 2035
Energy Information Administration – May 11, 2010 – 231 pages
http://www.eia.gov/oiaf/aeo/pdf/0383(2010).pdf
This report “presents long-term projections of energy supply, demand, and prices through 2035, based on results from EIA’s National Energy Modeling System (NEMS).” “In addition to considering alternative scenarios for oil prices, economic growth, and the uptake of more energy-efficient technologies, the AEO2010 includes cases that examine the impact of changes in selected policies, such as the extension of existing policies that are currently scheduled to sunset as well as the sensitivity of natural gas shale production to variations in drilling activity and the size of the resource base.”
U.S. Carbon Dioxide Emissions in 2009: A Retrospective Review
Environmental Protection Agency – May 5, 2010 – 15 pages
http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/environment/emissions/carbon/pdf/2009_co2_analysis.pdf
“While emissions have declined in three out of the last four years, 2009 was exceptional. As discussed below, emissions developments in 2009 reflect a combination of factors, including some particular to the economic downturn, other special circumstances during the year, and other factors that may reflect persistent trends in our economy and our energy use.”
A Pivotal Industry: Energy’s Ups and Downs Drive Economies
Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City – TEN magazine – Spring 2010 – 6 pages
http://www.kansascityfed.org/PUBLICAT/TEN/PDF/Spring2010/Pivotal_Industry.pdf
This article discusses the central role of the energy industry in some U.S. states and the effect of the recession on these industries.
Growing Challenges of Energy and Environment – Part I and II
Susan Froetschel - BP unleashed the oil spill disaster, but all Americans are complicit
Olivier Cattaneo -Taxing carbon at the border could be protectionism in disguise
YaleGlobal – June 22 and 24, 2010
http://yaleglobal.yale.edu/content/growing-challenges-energy-and-environment-part-i
http://yaleglobal.yale.edu/content/growing-challenges-energy-and-environment-part-ii
“Emerging economies have joined developed nations in the wild scramble for energy, all taking greater risks in drilling for oil and gas supplies while largely shrugging about effects on climate, the environment or public health. Nations and corporations go to great lengths to explore and drill, but repairs are not so easy, as seen with a broken well gushing oil into the Gulf of Mexico since April 20. This two-part series examines governments’ failure to end dangerous dependence on fossil fuels. The first article analyzes what the Gulf oil spill reveals about the intricate global connections and entrenched interests of the energy industry and the second article describes US and European proposals to impose tariffs on nations that lag in limiting carbon emissions.”
ENERGY POLICY
Toward a New National Energy Policy: Assessing the Options (1)
Resources for the Future – Study – July 2010
http://www.rff.org/toward-a-new-energy-policy
“This two-year study analyzes and appraises U.S. energy policy choices and provides policymakers with a wealth of valuable information for developing a coordinated national energy policy. Carried out by RFF and the National Energy Policy Institute with support from the George Kaiser Family Foundation, it assesses 35 different policies and policy combinations based on their societal costs and their ability to reduce oil consumption and CO2 emissions. Each is evaluated and ranked using a consistent and rigorous methodology, underpinned by an RFF version of the Energy Information Administration’s National Energy Modeling System.”
Toward a New National Energy Policy: Assessing the Options (2)
Resources for the Future – Event – June 23, 2010
http://www.rff.org/Events/Pages/Toward-a-New-National-Energy-Policy-Assessing-the-Options.aspx
“Among the many pressing issues facing Congress is the drive to create a new and comprehensive national energy policy, one that will make significant progress on addressing the twin challenges of energy security and climate change…. As the dialogue continues to unfold on Capitol Hill, how should policymakers choose among these different options and potential combinations of options?”
Promoting a Clean Energy Economy
U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee – Hearing - July 27, 2010
http://jec.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=Hearings&ContentRecord_id=b41ac54d-53f8-42ae-94c3-eeb99a151905
The hearing focused on ways to promote innovation in clean energy technologies. In particular, this JEC hearing explored the critical role of federal investments in spurring energy innovation. Innovation in both the production and consumption of energy can achieve the dual goal of helping the US economy recover while preserving and promoting a cleaner environment. Witnesses include Dr. Michael Greenstone, an MIT professor specializing in estimating the costs and benefits of environmental quality and the consequences of government regulation; Mr. Anthony Malkin, a leader in existing building energy efficiency retrofits who is coordinating the Empire State Building project; and, Dr. E.G. (Skip) Ward, a specialist in ultra-deep water gas and petroleum exploration and development.
Policy Leadership Forum: The Road to a Low-Carbon Energy Future
Resources for the Future – Event – May 12, 2010
http://www.rff.org/Events/Pages/The-Road-to-a-Low-Carbon-Energy-Future.aspx
John W. Rowe, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Exelon Corporation “discussed U.S. legislative and regulatory actions to address climate change, and why we must focus on economic approaches that will provide the country with cleaner, more secure energy while minimizing the costs to consumers and putting more people to work.”
Assessing the American Power Act: The Economic, Employment, Energy Security, and Environmental Impact of Senator Kerry and Senator Lieberman’s Discussion Draft
Peterson Institute for International Economics – May 2010 – 18 pages
http://www.piie.com/publications/pb/pb10-12.pdf
“The senators promised that if passed the bill will: (1) reduce US oil consumption and dependence on oil imports; (2) cut US carbon pollution 17 percent below 2005 levels by 2020 and over 80 percent by 2050; and (3) create jobs and restore US global economic leadership. In this policy brief we evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed American Power Act in achieving those goals.”
Daniel J. Weiss
The “Energy-Only Bill” Mirage: Why an Energy Bill Could Fail Without Pollution Reduction Measures or Revenue
Center for American Progress – June 25, 2010
http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2010/06/energy_mirage.html
“The time for Senate action on clean energy legislation is rapidly leaking away, yet some senators continue to advocate passage of an ‘energy-only’ bill that ignores comprehensive reductions in global warming pollution…. CAP analysis determined that the clean energy incentives and loan guarantees in these bills would cost $70 billion.”
Daniel J. Weiss and Susan Lyon
Senate Oil Savings' Greatest Hits: The Best Provisions to Cut Our Consumption
Center for American Progress – June 29, 2010
http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2010/06/oilsavings_greatest_hits.html
“There are three primary ways to reduce oil use: make cars much more fuel efficient, launch cleaner alternative fuels such as electricity for cars and natural gas for trucks, and invest in public transportation. CAP evaluated the major oil savings proposals in senators’ bills that address all three of these needs and chose the provisions with the most oil savings in each category.”
Implementation of the 2008 Farm Bill Energy Title
House Subcommittee on Conservation, Credit, Energy, and Research – Hearing - June 9, 2010
http://agriculture.house.gov/testimony/111/h060910/CookCoppessBailey.pdf
Cheryl Cook, Deputy Under Secretary, Rural Development discuss successes and challenges of implementing Title IX, the Energy Title, of the 2008 Farm Bill.
Van Jones
Speaking of “Small People”: Will the Energy Bill Hurt or Help All Americans?
Center for American Progress – June 18, 2010
http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2010/06/jones_small_people.html
“Overall, the present version of the American Power Act is quite promising. It does include some strong provisions to lower consumer costs and provide access to new clean energy jobs. But it lacks some fundamental provisions to truly scale up the clean energy economy, ensure that green jobs are good jobs, and put some green rungs on the ladder out of poverty.”
Power to the People: Renewable Energy for Underserved Communities
Santa Clara University – Event – April 22, 2010
http://www.scu.edu/sts/PublicEngagement/conferences/archives/20092010/powertothepeople.cfm#delio
Power to the People brought together social benefit entrepreneurs, investors, policy innovators, energy technologists, and community organizations to examine innovations in technology, business models, and public policy required to deliver cost-effective renewable energy solutions to the underserved both domestically and in the developing world.
STATE POLICIES
Energy Regulation in the States: A Wake-up Call
Institute for Energy Research – 191 pages
http://www.instituteforenergyresearch.org/pdf/statereport.pdf
Interactive map: http://www.instituteforenergyresearch.org/states/
“Some of the most contentious of these ongoing [energy regulation] battles are happening right now in state capitals across the country. This report analyzes many such policies and explains how state governments are increasing the price of energy and the price of using energy through additional regulations.”
Advancing Clean Energy: A Report on the Clean Energy States Grant Program
National Governor’s Association – April 2010 – 36 pages
http://www.nga.org/Files/pdf/1004ADVANCINGCLEANENERGY.pdf
“Throughout the decade, states have launched initiatives to improve energy efficiency, promote alternative energy sources and lower greenhouse gas emissions. The report profiles the work of 12 states, which were selected for participation in the Clean Energy States Grant Program, as part of the Securing a Clean Energy Future Initiative. The program provided states an opportunity to explore and expand new techniques for promoting clean energy, as well as develop and implement their own state programs.”
Araceli Ruano and Sean Pool
A California Campaign with Global Consequences: Proposition 23 Puts Clean Energy in Danger
Center for American Progress – July 15, 2010
http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2010/07/prop23.html
“Texas oil companies have taken advantage of California’s quirky initiative system to place Proposition 23 on the ballot. This proposition has one purpose: to undo California’s Global Warming Solutions Act (also known as Assembly Bill 32, or ‘A.B. 32’), which stands as a landmark piece of bipartisan clean energy legislation and is a model for federal action.”
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
Green Housing for the 21st Century: Retrofitting the Past and Building an Energy-Efficient Future
Senate Committee on Banking – June 30, 2010
http://banking.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Hearings.Hearing&Hearing_ID=523fdfb6-9876-44a2-b69d-2f99e0e0ef9e
“I hope that this hearing will make clear that energy-efficient housing connects tackling climate change and reducing our dependence on foreign fossil fuels to cutting government outlays and trimming household budgets, to renovation, design, and construction jobs that can’t be exported. Despite this promise, energy efficient options in housing are not well understood by consumers, and homebuyers today often pass up green opportunities that are in their economic interest. Our challenge as legislators is to devise programs to inform consumers and jumpstart the green housing economy.”
RESEARCH
Sean Pool
How to Power the Energy Innovation Lifecycle: Better Policies Can Carry New Energy Sources to Market
Center for American Progress – June 2010 – 21 pages
http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2010/06/pdf/energy_innovation.pdf
“We’ll first define the different stages of the innovation lifecycle, then describe the network of players engaged at each stage of the process. This ‘network lifecycle’ approach can help us better understand who does innovation, the processes that drive it, and the opportunities for public policy to aid it at various points in the process. As you’ll see, our innovation economy in the energy arena needs some key reforms to perform at its peak again.”
White House Innovation Conference: Summary Report
Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation – May 7, 2010 – 21 pages
http://www.energyinnovationnetwork.org/en/Backpages/~/media/Files/WH_summary_report.ashx
“The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and White House Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation co-convened a conference on Energy Innovation…. The conference was designed to bring together diverse stakeholders in a forum for discussion on how to leverage private- and public-sector investments and direct philanthropic support to accelerate innovation and job creation in the energy sector.”
James Duderstadt, Mark Muro, and Sarah Rahman
Hubs of Transformation: Leveraging the Great Lakes Research Complex for Energy Innovation
Brookings Institution – June 2010 – 8 pages
http://www.brookings.edu/papers/2010/0602_innovation_muro.aspx
“America needs to transform its energy system, and the Great Lakes region… possesses many of the needed innovation assets. For that reason, the federal government should leverage this troubled region’s research and engineering strengths by launching a region-wide network of collaborative, high-intensity energy research and innovation centers.”
TRANSPORTATION
The Recovery Act: Transforming America’s Transportation Sector – Batteries and Electric Vehicles
U.S. Department of Energy – July 14, 2010 – 8 pages
http://www.whitehouse.gov/files/documents/Battery-and-Electric-Vehicle-Report-FINAL.pdf
“The Obama Administration is investing in a broad portfolio of advanced vehicle technologies…. Investments in batteries alone, for example, should help lower the cost of some electric car batteries by nearly 70 percent before the end of 2015. What’s more, thanks in part to these investments, U.S. factories will be able to produce batteries and components to support up to 500,000 electric-drive vehicles annually by 2015. Overall, these investments will create tens of thousands of American jobs.”
Policies to Reduce Oil Consumption Through the Promotion of Accelerated Deployment of Electric-Drive Vehicles, as Proposed in S. 3495, the Promoting Electric Vehicles Act of 2010
Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources – Hearing – June 22, 2010
http://energy.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Hearings.Hearing&Hearing_ID=40d7de7c-0bca-170d-d5e8-8e3b4ce8ba0b
Witnesses:
David Sandalow - Assistant Secretary for Policy and International Affairs, U.S. Department of Energy
Frederick Smith - Chairman, President, and CEO, FedEx Corporation
Kathryn Clay - Director of Research, Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers
Brian Wynne - President, Electric Drive Transportation Association
David Friedman - Research Director, Union of Concerned Scientists
Alan Crane - Senior Program Officer, National Research Council
ELECTRICITY
Smart Grid
Pew Center on Global Climate Change – Fact Sheet
http://www.pewclimate.org/technology/factsheet/SmartGrid
“The smart grid is a concept referring to the application of digital technology to the electric power sector to improve reliability, reduce cost, increase efficiency, and enable new components and applications.”
Smart Power: Climate Change, Smart Grid and the Future of Electric Utilities
Brookings Institution – Event – April 9, 2010 – 60 pages
http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/Files/events/2010/0409_electric_utilities/20100409_electric_utilities.pdf
On April 9, the Brookings Institution hosted Dr. Fox-Penner for a discussion of Smart Power. Following his presentation, a panel of experts shared their perspectives on the future of U.S. energy and climate policy and the importance of the development of the smart grid for meeting our energy goals. Senior Fellow Charles Ebinger, director of the Energy Security Initiative at Brookings, provided introductory remarks and moderated this discussion.
Smart Grid’s Future: Evaluating Policy Opportunities and Challenges After the Recovery Act
Brookings Institution – Event – July 14, 2010
http://www.brookings.edu/events/2010/0714_smart_grid.aspx
“The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 earmarked $11 billion for smart grid technologies to modernize and enhance the nation’s electric transmission infrastructure. A year later, what are the most promising benefits for everyday citizens who gain access to the grid? What is the right policy path moving forward to realize the promise of the smart grid?”
Smart Grid Architecture and Standards: Assessing Coordination and Progress
House Committee on Science and Technology – Hearing – July 1, 2010
http://science.house.gov/publications/hearings_markups_details.aspx?NewsID=2866
“Today we will delve into the standards process in a little more detail, discuss the work that has been done, and see where things are headed. I am particularly interested in the witnesses’ views on the strength of this process thus far and when the witnesses think certification systems will be in place to bring more assurances that the technologies will work together as intended. I will also be interested in the progress of addressing privacy and security challenges posed by the smart grid and the level of international engagement that is necessary for the U.S. to continue its leadership in smart grid technologies.”
Real-Time Forecasting for Renewable Energy Development
House Committee on Science and Technology – Hearing – June 16, 2010
http://science.house.gov/publications/hearings_markups_details.aspx?NewsID=2857
“Right now, electric grid managers throughout the country are doing their best to integrate and balance several gigawatts of wind with baseload power options on an hour-by-hour and even minute-by-minute basis. To ensure a steady flow of electricity to their consumers, these managers rely on forecasts of power production…
Recent studies led by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory have shown that improving the accuracy and frequency of these forecasts can have a major impact on the economic viability of renewable energy resources.”
The Galvin Electricity Initiative
http://galvinpower.org/about-us/galvin-electricity-initiative
“The Galvin Electricity Initiative is leading a campaign to transform our nation's power system into one that truly meets our needs for reliable, efficient, clean electricity service. The imperfect quality of power service today robs thousands of dollars a year from each American household, and the transformation of service quality to twenty-first century digital standards is critical to resolving the serious economic and environmental threats facing our nation. The Initiative believes that these threats can only be resolved if we shift to a new industry paradigm that is consumer-centric and driven by entrepreneurial innovation and smart technology.”
NUCLEAR
Nuclear Energy Research and Development Roadmap
Department of Energy – Report to Congress – 60 pages
http://nuclear.gov/pdfFiles/NuclearEnergy_Roadmap_Final.pdf
“To achieve energy security and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction objectives, the United States must develop and deploy clean, affordable, domestic energy sources as quickly as possible. Nuclear power will continue to be a key component of a portfolio of technologies that meets our energy goals. This document provides a roadmap for the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Nuclear Energy (NE) research, development, and demonstration activities that will ensure nuclear energy remains viable energy option for the United States.”
Charting the Course for American Nuclear Technology: Evaluating the Department of Energy’s Nuclear Energy Research and Development Roadmap
House Committee on Science and Technology – Hearing – May 19, 2010
http://science.house.gov/publications/hearings_markups_details.aspx?NewsID=2818
“I would like to welcome our expert panelists who will discuss and evaluate the four main objectives highlighted in the Roadmap and help us understand how innovation in nuclear energy can affect our national energy portfolio, our economic competitiveness, and our national security.”
OIL
OPEC Revenues Fact Sheet
Energy Information Administration – May 2010 – 3 pages
http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/OPEC_Revenues/pdf.pdf
“Members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) could earn $783 billion of net oil export revenues in 2010 and $846 billion in 2011. Last year, OPEC earned $573 billion in net oil export revenues, a 41 percent decrease from 2008. Saudi Arabia earned the largest share of these earnings, $154 billion, representing 27 percent of total OPEC revenues. On a per-capita basis, OPEC net oil export earnings reached $1,553 in 2009, a 42 percent decrease from 2008.”
Kristie M. Engemann and Michael T. Owyang
Unconventional Oil Production: Stuck in a Rock and a Hard Place
FRB St Louis – The Regional Economist – July 2010 – 2 pages
http://stlouisfed.org/publications/pub_assets/pdf/re/2010/c/oil.pdf
“Highly variable oil prices and increasing world demand for oil have led producers to look for alternative sources of transportation fuel. Two popular alternatives are oil sands (aka tar sands) and oil shale. However, obtaining usable oil from oil sands or oil shale is more capital-intensive and more expensive than obtaining oil from conventional reserves. At what price of oil do these alternatives become cost-effective?”
Nicolas D. Loris, Claude G. Berube, James Jay Carafano, Ben Lieberman, Jack Spencer, and Matt Mayer
Stopping the Slick, Saving the Environment: A Framework for Response, Recovery, and Resiliency
Heritage Foundation – June 15, 2010 – 17 pages
http://thf_media.s3.amazonaws.com/2010/pdf/SR0080.pdf
“While the federal government may lack the resources and expertise to stop the flowing oil at the site of the disaster, it has the authority and responsibility to play a more proactive and responsive role in mitigating and recovering from the effects of the disaster. After months of observing the federal response, however, it is clear that the response is inadequate.”
Curry L. Hagerty and Jonathan L. Ramseur
Deep Horizon Oil Spill: Selected Issues for Congress
Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress – Report - June 18, 2010 – 44 pages
http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/143929.pdf
“On April 20, 2010, an explosion and fire occurred on the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico. This resulted in 11 worker fatalities, a massive oil release, and a national response effort in the Gulf of Mexico region by the federal and state governments as well as BP. Based on estimates from the Flow Rate Technical Group, which is led by the U.S. Geological Survey, the 2010 Gulf spill has become the largest oil spill in U.S. waters, eclipsing the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill several times over. The oil spill has damaged natural resources and has had regional economic impacts. In addition, questions have been raised as to whether the regulations and regulators of offshore oil exploration have kept pace with the increasingly complex technologies needed to explore and develop deeper waters.”
Legislation to Respond to the BP Oil Spill and to Prevent Future Oil Well Blowouts
House -Subcommittee on Energy and Environment – Hearing - June 30,2010
http://energycommerce.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2055:hearing-on-legislation-to-respond-to-the-bp-oil-spill-and-to-prevent-future-oil-well-blowouts&catid=130:subcommittee-on-energy-and-the-environment&Itemid=71
The hearing focused on the discussion draft entitled the “Blowout Preventer Act of 2010” which was released on Friday, June 26, 2010.
Drilling Down on America’s Energy Future: Safety, Security, and Clean Energy
House Subcommittee on Energy and Environment – Hearing - June 15, 2010
http://energycommerce.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2034:hearing-on-drilling-down-on-americas-energy-future-safety-security-and-clean-energy&catid=130:subcommittee-on-energy-and-the-environment&Itemid=71
“The top executives of the five largest oil companies will testify regarding the impacts of the nation’s dependence on oil, the safety of drilling operations and the ongoing oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, and actions to develop and promote the use of renewable and alternative energy sources that can reduce our overall dependence on oil.”
Deepwater Drilling Technology, Research, and Development
House Committee on Science and Technology – Hearing – June 23, 2010
http://science.house.gov/publications/hearings_markups_details.aspx?NewsID=2862
“Whether the moratorium on drilling activities in the Gulf is lifted in 30 days or 30 years, we must accept that the hydrocarbon reserves in these fields will be produced someday. And if not there, it will certainly be done somewhere else in the world. Our charge is to understand the technological advances and best practices to further ensure that drilling in the deepwater can be done with minimal risk to workers and the environment.”
Daniel J. Weiss
The High Costs of Offshore Drilling: Deepwater Horizon Underscores Need to Find Sustainable Energy Solutions
Center for American Progress – May 3, 2010
http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2010/05/oil_costs.html
“The BP oil disaster will put additional upward pressure on oil prices that were already climbing as global demand for oil increases dramatically over the next two decades. The United States cannot produce its way out of the supply-demand gap. The most cost-effective, speedy way to reduce our oil dependence is not offshore drilling—it is reducing U.S. oil demand.”
Toni Johnson
U.S. Deepwater Drilling's Future
Council on Foreign Relations – May 25, 2010
http://www.cfr.org/publication/22204/us_deepwater_drillings_future.html#
“The Gulf of Mexico oil spill spotlights the growth of deepwater drilling and the challenges of balancing environmental regulation with efforts to expand U.S. domestic oil production.”
Stephen P. A. Brown
Some Implications of Tightening Regulation of U.S. Deepwater Drilling
Resources for the Future – June 2010 – 14 pages
http://www.rff.org/rff/documents/RFF-BCK-Brown-Regulations.pdf
“Can markets, the legal system, and current regulatory policy provide the proper incentives for producers (and consumers) to consider fully the possibility of oil spills and the risks that could ensue while drilling in deepwater offshore areas?”
Jonathon L. Ramseur
Oil Spills in U.S. Coastal Waters: Background, Governance, and Issues for Congress
Congressional Research Service – April 30, 2010 – 38 pages
http://assets.opencrs.com/rpts/RL33705_20100430.pdf
“This report reviews the history and trends of oil spills in the United States; identifies the legal authorities governing oil spill prevention, response, and cleanup; and examines the threats of future oil spills in U.S. coastal waters.”
Michael Greenstone
Liability and Financial Responsibility for Oil Spills Under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 and Related Statutes
House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure – Testimony – June 9, 2010
http://www.brookings.edu/testimony/2010/0609_oil_spill_greenstone.aspx
“My primary argument here today is that the removal, or substantial increase, of the liability cap on economic damages from oil spills is the most effective way to align oil companies’ incentives with the American people’s interests…. [I]f the removal of a cap were to compromise energy security goals, it could be paired with economically sound polices that promote domestic production or reduce oil consumption without putting our environmental goals at risk. Such a pairing would allow us to achieve our energy security and environmental goals.”
GAS
Christopher Flavin and Saya Kitasei
The Role of Natural Gas in a Low-Carbon Energy Economy
Worldwatch Institute – April 2010 – 23 pages
http://www.worldwatch.org/files/pdf/Worldwatch%20Gas%20Paper%20April%202010.pdf
“The report provides an initiative designed to explore and communicate the potential of natural gas, renewable energy, and energy efficiency to work together to build a low-carbon economy. The project provides a forum to examine potential environmental, social, and political obstacles that must be addressed if natural gas is to accelerate, rather than delay, a low-carbon energy transformation.”
NUCLEAR
Nuclear Regulation in an Era of Growth and Change
Stanford University Energy Seminar – Event – May 18, 2010
http://energyseminar.stanford.edu/node/241
“Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chairman Gregory B. Jaczko will discuss the simultaneous challenges of overseeing the existing fleet of reactors, managing in parallel multiple reactor design certification requests and multiple plant construction license requests, and overseeing the safety of and licensing an expansion of the nuclear fuel industry to support new plants, not to mention the storage of spent fuel.”
BIOFUELS – BIOGAS - BIOMASS
William T. Coyle
Next-Generation Biofuels: Near-Term Challenges and Implications for Agriculture
U.S. Department of Agriculture – May 2010 – 26 pages
http://www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/BIO0101/BIO0101.pdf
“In early 2010, the Environmental Protection Agency lowered the cellulosic biofuel mandate to 6.5 million gallons, more in line with production prospects. Even so, expansion of next-generation fuels will have to be rapid to meet subsequent annual mandates and the longer term goal of 16 billion gallons for cellulosic biofuel use by 2022. Near-term sector challenges include reducing high capital and production costs, acquiring financial resources for precommercial development, and developing new biomass supply arrangements, many of which will be with U.S. farmers.”
Using Biofuel Tax Credits to Achieve Energy and Environmental Policy Goals
Congressional Budget Office – July 2010
http://www.cbo.gov/doc.cfm?index=11477
“The federal government supports the use of biofuels--transportation fuels produced mainly from renewable plant matter, such as corn--in the pursuit of national energy, environmental, and agricultural policy goals. Tax credits encourage the production and sale of biofuels in the United States, effectively lowering the private costs of producing biofuels, such as ethanol or biodiesel, relative to the costs of producing their substitutes--gasoline and diesel fuel. In addition, federal mandates require the use of specified minimum amounts and types of biofuel each year through 2022. Together, the credits and mandates increase domestic supplies of energy and reduce U.S. emissions of greenhouse gases, albeit at a cost to taxpayers.”
A USDA Regional Roadmap to Meeting the Biofuels Goals of the Renewable Fuels Standard by 2022
USDA – Report – June 23, 2010 – 21 pages
http://www.usda.gov/documents/USDA_Biofuels_Report_6232010.pdf
“The U.S. Department of Agriculture is developing a comprehensive regional strategy to help recharge the rural American economy. The strategy targets barriers to the development of a successful biofuels market that will achieve, or surpass, the current U.S. Renewable Fuels Standards (RFS2)… USDA’s objectives for this report include: providing the practical knowledge from the field that can enhance various models for biofuel production, identify challenges and opportunities, and help develop solutions to this massive undertaking.”
AgSTAR Program
USDA – Website
http://www.epa.gov/agstar/
“The AgSTAR Program is a voluntary effort jointly sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the U.S. Department of Energy. The program encourages the use of methane recovery (biogas) technologies at the confined animal feeding operations that manage manure as liquids or slurries. These technologies reduce methane emissions while achieving other environmental benefits.”
Biomass 2010 Conference
U.S. Department of Energy – March 30-31, 2010
http://www1.eere.energy.gov/biomass/biomass2010/
“More than 600 attendees were able to discuss some of the most pressing issues in the biomass community as well as recent accomplishments and the challenges that lie ahead. We were able to focus on the role of biomass in our nation's energy portfolio and address important issues like technology innovation, biopower, rural development, and commercialization and feature a technical program that took a closer look at foundational science and applied R&D, feedstocks, hyrdrocarbon fuels, and sustainability.”
SOLAR AND WIND
Western Wind and Solar Integration Study
National Renewable Energy Laboratory – May 2010
http://www.nrel.gov/wind/systemsintegration/wwsis.html
This study assesses the operational impacts and economics of increased contributions from wind and solar energy producers on the power grid. It examines the benefits and challenges of integrating enough wind and solar energy capacity into the grid to produce 35 percent of its electricity by 2017. The study finds that this target is technically feasible and does not necessitate extensive additional infrastructure, but does require key changes to current operational practice.
Jenna Goodward
What’s Blocking the Sun?: Solar Photovoltaics for the U.S. Commercial Market
World Resources Institute – May 2010 – 26 pages
http://pdf.wri.org/working_papers/whats_blocking_the_sun.pdf
“This paper provides a snapshot of the current investment environment for solar PV in the United States from the commercial end user’s point of view…. Solar PV installations are concentrated in states with strong financial incentives and no regulatory barriers to distributed generation. Commercial investments have fared worse than the residential market during the economic downturn of the past two years. The policy landscape has improved since 2008, but multiple regulatory barriers remain at the state level and federal support is less certain after 2010…. An analysis of the hurdles remaining for solar PV finds that they are both economic and regulatory.”
Jacob Funk Kirkegaard, Thilo Hanemann, Lutz Weischer, and Matt Miller
Toward a Sunny Future? Global Integration in the Solar PV Industry
Peterson Institute for International Economics – May 2010 – 66 pages
http://piie.com/publications/wp/wp10-6.pdf
“This paper analyzes the global integration of the solar photovoltaic (PV) sector and looks in detail at the industry’s recent growth patterns, industry cost structure, trade and investment patterns, government support policies and employment generation potential…. Lowering existing trade barriers—by abolishing tariffs, reducing non-tariff barriers and harmonizing industry standards—would create a positive policy environment for further global integration.”
MISCELLANEOUS
Deborah Seligsohn and Kelly Levin
China’s Carbon Intensity Goal: A Guide for the Perplexed
World Resources Institute – China FAQs – April 20, 2010 – 7 pages
http://www.chinafaqs.org/files/chinainfo/ChinaFAQs_China's_Carbon_Intensity_Goal_A_Guide_for_the_Perplexed_0.pdf
“In late November 2009, China announced its intention to reduce the intensity of carbon dioxide emissions within the Chinese economy by 40-45% by 2020, as compared with a 2005 baseline…. To enhance understanding of China’s commitment, we provide answers to the major questions related to the Chinese carbon intensity target below.”
Julian L. Wong
China’s Clean Energy Push: Evaluating the Implications for American Competitiveness
Center for American Progress – June 21, 2010
http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2010/06/china_clean_energy_push.html
“Senior staff from the Center for American Progress brought a select group of Senate staffers to visit China in April to meet with policymakers, academics, and companies to better understand China’s clean energy economic development strategy. The visit provided convincing evidence to those involved that China has made large-scale investments in clean energy manufacturing and infrastructure, and that these signal China’s clear desire to lead the world in clean energy technology production, deployment, and eventually innovation.”
Country Analysis Briefs: Algeria
Energy Information Administration
http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/Algeria/pdf.pdf
“Algeria's hydrocarbons sector accounted for 60 percent of its budget revenues, nearly 30 percent of its GDP, and over 97 percent of its export earnings in 2008, according to the U.S. State Department. Algeria was the sixth largest natural gas producer in the world in 2008 after Russia, the United States, Canada, Iran, and Norway. Algeria produced 3.05 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in 2008, of which 69 percent was exported and 31 percent was consumed domestically.”
Affichage des articles dont le libellé est energie. Afficher tous les articles
Affichage des articles dont le libellé est energie. Afficher tous les articles
samedi 31 juillet 2010
vendredi 13 juin 2008
LE MARCHE DES MATIERES PREMIERES VU PAR LE FMI
Vague porteuse
Thomas Helbling, Valerie Mercer–Blackman et Kevin Cheng
Les consommateurs et les pays importateurs de matières premières commencent à souffrir de la hausse des cours des matières premières, et on s’inquiète des répercussions sur les pauvres dans les pays émergents et les pays en développement. L’envolée des cours pourrait avoir des effets durables.
(936 kb fichier pdf)
Voir Mineraux sur Internet
Thomas Helbling, Valerie Mercer–Blackman et Kevin Cheng
Les consommateurs et les pays importateurs de matières premières commencent à souffrir de la hausse des cours des matières premières, et on s’inquiète des répercussions sur les pauvres dans les pays émergents et les pays en développement. L’envolée des cours pourrait avoir des effets durables.
(936 kb fichier pdf)
Voir Mineraux sur Internet
vendredi 8 février 2008
USA ENERGY
PUBLIC AFFAIRS - American Embassy
Sylvie VACHERET
Tel: 01 43 12 29 28
E Mail: vacheretsr@state.gov
U.S. ENERGY ONLINE
A SELECTION OF DOCUMENTS RECENTLY PUBLISHED ON THE WEB
No 2 – September/October 2007
ENERGY POLICY
Cutler J. Cleveland and Robert K. Kaufmann
The Bush Energy Policy
Center for Energy and Environmental Studies - Boston University – 14 pages
http://www.bu.edu/cees/research/workingp/pdfs/Bush_Policy0102.pdf
“Like his four predecessors, President Bush has identified dependence on imported oil as an urgent energy, economic, and national security concern. To close the 'oil supply gap' the President promotes the development of domestic resources of oil and natural gas. Will this policy succeed? This project assesses the economic, energy security and environmental issues surrounding the Bush Energy plan.”
Gregory J. Lengyel
Department of Defense Energy Strategy
The Brookings Institution - Paper - August 2007
http://www.brookings.edu/views/papers/lengyel20070815.htm
“The United States has a National Security problem, energy security, in which the Department of Defense has a unique interest. The United States imports 26% of its total energy supply and 56% of the oil it consumes. The DOD is the largest single consumer of energy in the United States and energy is the key enabler of US military combat power. Huge energy consumption, increased competition for limited energy supplies, ever increasing energy costs, and no comprehensive Energy Strategy or oversight of energy issues in the DOD have created vulnerabilities.”
Federal Electricity Subsidies: Information on Research Funding, Tax Expenditures, and Other Activities That Support Electricity Production
US Government Accountability Office – October 26, 2007 – 67 pages
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-102
“Because of electricity’s importance to producers, consumers, and businesses, the federal government has undertaken a wide range of programs to develop the electricity sector, which includes fuel suppliers, electric utilities, and others in the electricity industry. These programs have sought to, among other things, develop the nation’s electrical infrastructure, influence the types of fuels used to produce electricity, increase the use of renewable energy, and limit the harmful effects of electricity production.”
Reaping the Rewards: How State Renewable Electricity Standards Are Cutting Pollution, Saving Money, Creating Jobs And Fueling A Clean Energy Boom
Federation of States PIRGs – September 17, 2007 – 64 pages
http://www.uspirg.org/uploads/n9/pG/n9pGh-1aBbt5IAFiNOvCQQ/Reaping-the-Rewards-USPIRG.pdf
“America now generates twice as much electricity from the wind and the sun as it did just four years ago. RES policies have been among the most important factors in encouraging the development of renewable energy. This report documents the benefits that have already been achieved by states that have adopted renewable electricity standards.”
Energy Efficiency: Opportunities Exist for Federal Agencies to Better Inform Household Consumers.
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, U.S. Senate – Report to the Chairman - September 26, 2007
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-1162
“Overall, opportunities exist for the EnergyGuide program to improve how it provides information that could help consumers improve their households’ energy efficiency and decrease energy consumption nationally.”
Commodity Futures Trading Commission: Trends in Energy Derivatives Markets Raise Questions about CFTC's Oversight
United States Government Accountability Office - Testimony Before the Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management - Committee on Agriculture - House of Representatives - October 24 – 25 pages
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-174T
“Energy prices for crude oil, heating oil, unleaded gasoline, and natural gas have risen substantially since 2002, generating questions about the role derivatives markets have played and the scope of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s (CFTC) authority. This testimony focuses on (1) trends and patterns in the futures and physical energy markets and their effects on energy prices, (2) the scope of CFTC’s regulatory authority, and (3) the effectiveness of CFTC’s monitoring and detection of abuses in energy markets.”
Energy Market and Economic Impacts Of S.280, the Climate Stewardship and Innovation Act of 2007
Energy Information Administration, U.S. Department of Energy - July 2007 – 92 pages
http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/servicerpt/csia/pdf/sroiaf(2007)04.pdf
“This report provides estimates of the economic impact of Senate Bill S.280, the Climate Stewardship and Innovation Act of 2007. This bill would establish a series of caps on greenhouse gases starting in 2012 and continuing to 2050. The report provides estimates of the effects on energy markets and the economy through 2030.”
TAXES
Kevin A. Hassett and Gilbert E. Metcalf
An Energy Tax Policy for the Twenty-First Century
American Enterprise Institute Online - August 9, 2007 – 5 pages
http://www.aei.org/publications/filter.all,pubID.26625/pub_detail.asp
“The United States' energy tax policy is rooted in a twentieth-century objective to encourage the development of the domestic energy sector. With the new geopolitical realities of the twenty-first century, it is an opportune time to revisit our policies.”
Eric Toder
Eliminating Tax Expenditures with Adverse Environmental Effects
WRI and Brookings - Policy brief - June 2007 - 12 pages
http://pdf.wri.org/Brookings-WRI_TaxExpenditures.pdf
“This policy brief examines four tax expenditures listed by the Joint Committee on Taxation—each with an annual revenue loss of over $1 billion—that increase consumption of fossil fuels. The first three—expensing of exploration and development costs, percentage depletion, and the alternative fuel production credit—encourage domestic production of fossil fuels. The fourth—exemption of qualified parking expenses—encourages commuting by automobile.”
Gilbert E. Metcalf
A Green Employment Tax Swap: Using a Carbon Tax to Finance Payroll Tax Relief
The Brookings Institution and World Resource Institute – Policy Brief – June 2007 - 8 pages
http://pdf.wri.org/Brookings-WRI_GreenTaxSwap.pdf
“A carbon tax is another way to limit emissions. This policy brief describes how a carbon tax could be implemented and presents an analysis of a Green Employment Tax Swap (GETS). Under this proposal, a national tax on carbon emissions is paired with a reduction in the payroll tax. In particular, the brief assesses the impact of a tax of $15 per metric ton of carbon dioxide (CO2), which is used to rebate the federal payroll tax on the first $3,660 of earnings per worker. This reform is both revenue-neutral and distributionally neutral.”
BILATERAL AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
Frank Verrastro and Sarah Ladislaw
Providing Energy Security in an Interdependent World
The Washington Quarterly – Autumn 2007 – 10 pages
http://www.twq.com/07autumn/docs/07autumn_verrastro.pdf
“Concern over the continued ability to secure energy supplies from an increasing list of inaccessible, high-risk, or less than reliable parts of the world has prompted policymakers to once again raise the issues of the desirability and achievability of energy independence. Yet, focusing on energy independence, although politically attractive, is a misguided quest that can actually distract from the more important objective of managing the transition to a more sustainable and secure energy future.”
Zha Daojiong and Hu Weixing
Promoting Energy Partnership in Beijing and Washington
The Washington Quarterly – Autumn 2007 – 11 pages
http://www.twq.com/07autumn/docs/07autumn_zha-hu.pdf
“In an age of global interdependence, Beijing and Washington should seek to ameliorate differences on tense energy issues. Although dialogues on energy security conceptualizations and policy preferences are positive, they must move beyond talking toward a true partnership that can confront the common challenges they face as importers.”
Mark P. Sullivan, Clare M. Ribando, and Nelson Olhero
Latin America: Energy Supply, Political Developments, and U.S. Policy Approaches.
Congressional Research Service (CRS), Library of Congress - Updated May 8, 2007 – 23 pages
http://ncseonline.org/NLE/CRSreports/07Jun/RL33693.pdf
“Canada, Mexico, and Venezuela supply the U.S. with almost 50% of its imported oil and petroleum products. The oil reserves in the Western Hemisphere are approximately 24% of worldwide reserves. The U.S. has the largest proven reserves of natural gas in the hemisphere—approximately 37%. However, most Latin American and Caribbean countries are net energy importers. This report examines the current political environment in Latin America and its effect on energy production in the region. The report also discusses efforts to help Latin American and Caribbean countries that are dependent on energy imports. Lastly, it examines proposed policies for increased hemispheric energy cooperation and security.”
Zeyno Baran
EU Energy Security: Time to End Russian Leverage
The Washington Quarterly – Autumn 2007 – 14 pages
http://www.twq.com/07autumn/docs/07autumn_baran.pdf
“Questions regarding the security and sustainability of energy supply have mostly been left to individual EU member states and to the invisible hand of the market. Many European leaders preferred not to discuss the geopolitics of energy, instead delegating this portfolio to their economic ministries. Russia, the European Union’s primary oil and gas provider, has deliberately taken advantage of this lack of cohesion to gain favorable energy deals and heighten European dependence on Russian supplies. Moscow is pursuing a divide and conquer strategy of amassing bilateral deals with member states..”
Erica S. Downs
The Fact and Fiction of Sino-African Energy Relations
The Brookings Institution - China Security - Summer 2007 – 27 pages
http://www3.brookings.edu/views/articles/fellows/downs20070913.pdf
“The expanding footprint in Africa of China's national oil companies (NOCs) lies at the heart of concerns of many policy-makers and pundits in the United States and Europe. China's deepening engagement with Africa is viewed as an erosion of their own interests and influence on the continent…This article examines a number of widely accepted "facts" about the growing involvement of China's NOCs in Africa. While some of these have some validity, others simply do not. Contrary to public opinion, China's NOCs are not "locking up" the lion's share of African oil as part of a centralized quest for energy.”
NEW TECHNOLOGIES
Fred Sissine
Renewable Energy: Background and Issues for the 110th Congress
Congressional Research Service (CRS) - September 6, 2007 - 37 pages
http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/92953.pdf
“Renewable energy can be used to produce liquid fuels and electricity. A variety of funding, tax incentives, and regulatory policies have been enacted to support renewables as a means for addressing concerns about energy security, air pollution, international competitiveness, and climate change. This report reviews the background for renewables and describes the current congressional debate.”
Brent D. Yacobucci
Biofuels Provisions in H.R. 3221 and H.R. 6: A Side-by-Side Comparison
Congressional Research Service (CRS) - August 21, 2007 - 35 pages
http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/92963.pdf
“With recent high energy prices, concerns over energy security, and the desire to reduce air pollutant and greenhouse gas emissions, there is ongoing congressional interest in promoting greater use of alternatives to petroleum fuels. Biofuels — transportation fuels produced from plants and other organic materials — have attracted particular interest. Ethanol and biodiesel, the two most widely used biofuels, receive significant federal support in the form of tax incentives, loan and grant programs, and regulatory programs.”
National Geothermal Initiative
Senate Energy Committee - Hearing - September 26, 2007
http://energy.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Hearings.Hearing&Hearing_ID=1656
“The purpose of the hearing is to receive testimony on S. 1543, a bill to establish a national geothermal initiative to encourage increased production of energy from geothermal resources by creating a program of geothermal research, development, demonstration and commercial application to support the achievement of a national geothermal energy goal.”
Witnesses: President of Icelqnd Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, Alexander Karsner, U.S. Department of Energy, Dr. Mark Myers, Director, USGS, Susan Petty, AltaRock Energy; Dr. Lisa Shevenell, University of Nevada; Dr. David R. Wunsch, New Hampshire Geological Survey; Dr. Kenneth H. Williamson, Geothermal Consultant
GAS AND OIL
Josef Braml
Can the United States Shed Its Oil Addiction?
The Washington Quarterly – Autumn 2007 – 14 pages
http://www.twq.com/07autumn/docs/07autumn_braml.pdf
“Since the 1950s, U.S. energy consumption, mainly driven by the transportation sector and fed by oil, has almost tripled. Because the cultivation of domestic resources has not been able to keep up with demand, the United States has become increasingly dependent on energy supplies from unstable regions of the world. The costs and risks to national security provide the first major incentive for a readjustment of U.S. energy policy. U.S. dependency on foreign energy creates immense economic challenges and vulnerabilities as well.”
Facing the Hard Truths about Energy: A Comprehensive View To 2030 Of Global Oil And Natural Gas: Draft Report
NPC Global Oil and Gas Study - National Petroleum Council (NPC) - July 18, 2007 – 422 pages
http://www.npc.org/Facing_Hard_Truths-71807.pdf
“This study found that global energy demand is projected to grow by 50-60 percent by 2030. At the same time, there are risks to the supply of reliable, affordable energy. The risks, as outlined in this report, are political, infrastructure requirements, and lack of a trained workforce. The report concludes with strategies to meet these challenges.”
Joseph G. Haubrich and Brent Meyer
Peak Oil
The Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland – Economic Commentary – August 15, 2007 – 4 pages
http://www.clevelandfed.org/research/Commentary/2007/0815.pdf
“When will the world’s production of oil peak, and what will the economic consequences be?
Calculating when turns out not to be so straightforward as it seems, but predicting the likely
economic consequences is—and they’re not as bleak as many fear.”
Toni Johnson
Non-OPEC Oil Production
Council on Foreign Relations – October 19, 2007
http://www.cfr.org/publication/14554/
“Oil producers operating outside the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) are responsible for producing 60 percent of the world’s oil and face increasing production hurdles. Experts say many of the non-OPEC producers have older, less productive wells, rising costs for new projects, and in some cases rising demand at home that may cut into exports.”
Federal Trade Commission Report On Spring/Summer 2006 Nationwide Gasoline Price Increases
Federal Trade Commission – August 2007 - 27 pages
http://www.ftc.gov/reports/gasprices06/P040101Gas06increase.pdf
“In response to the President’s April 2006 directive, staff of the Commission conducted an economic analysis and investigation of the national average gasoline price increases that began during the spring of 2006 and continued through the summer. Using this information, staff identified six factors that appear to explain the national average price increases that occurred during the spring and summer of 2006, and then quantified the price impact of each of those six factors.”
NUCLEAR AND FUSION ENERGY
Jack Spencer
The Nuclear Renaissance: Ten Principles to Guide U.S. Policy
The Heritage Foundation – WebMemo #1640 – September 26, 2007 – 4 pages
http://www.heritage.org/Research/EnergyandEnvironment/upload/wm_1640.pdf
“Nuclear power has many advantages over other power sources, but a global expansion of peaceful nuclear technology could present risks if not managed properly. To reap the benefits of nuclear power, while minimizing the risks, the United States must commit to reestablishing itself as a technology leader in commercial nuclear power, avoid unwanted foreign dependencies, modernize its approach to waste disposal, promote marketplace freedom, and modify its approach to nonproliferation. The 10 straightforward principles laid out in this paper should guide Congress and the Administration's actions.”
Mark E. Gaffigan
Nuclear Energy: NRC Has Made Progress in Implementing Its Reactor Oversight and Licensing Processes but Continues to Face Challenges
Subcommittee on Clean Air and Nuclear Safety, Committee on Environment and Public Works – U.S. Senate - October 3, 2007 – 17 pages
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-114T
“The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is responsible for overseeing the nation’s 104 commercial nuclear power reactors to ensure they are operated safely. This testimony is based on GAO reports that reviewed (1) how NRC implements the ROP, (2) the results of the ROP over several years, (3) the status of NRC’s efforts to improve the ROP, (4) NRC’s efforts to prepare its workforce and manage its workload for new reactor licensing, and (5) NRC’s efforts to develop its regulatory framework and review processes for new reactor activities.”
Nuclear Energy: NRC's Workforce and Processes for New Reactor Licensing Are Generally in Place, but Uncertainties Remain as Industry Begins to Submit Applications
United States Government Accountability Office – Report to Congressional Committees – September 2007 – 41 pages
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d071129.pdf
“Nearly three decades after the last order for a new nuclear power reactor in the United States, electric power companies plan to submit 20 applications in the next 18 months to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for licenses to build and operate new reactors. Since 1989, NRC has developed a new license review process that allows a power company to obtain a construction permit and an operating license through a single combined license (COL) based on one of a number of standard reactor designs. NRC expects its new process to enhance the efficiency and predictability of its reviews. GAO reviewed NRC’s readiness to evaluate these applications by examining the steps NRC has taken to (1) prepare its workforce and manage its workload and (2) develop its regulatory framework and review process for new reactor activities.”
Jack Spencer
Congress Must Implement CSC Treaty to Reinvigorate U.S. Nuclear Industry
The Heritage Foundation – Web Memo #1658 – October 9, 2007 – 2 pages
http://www.heritage.org/Research/EnergyandEnvironment/upload/wm_1658.pdf
“September 29 marked the 10-year anniversary of the United States signing the Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage (CSC). The House of Representatives has failed to pass legislation to implement the treaty. As it stands, U.S. firms are exposed to unlimited liability in U.S. courts, virtually barring them from competing for nuclear energy projects abroad.
Participating in the CSC will better enable U.S. companies to engage in peaceful international nuclear commerce. Congress should quickly adopt implementing legislation that will increase American competitiveness, demonstrate American leadership, and come at no cost to taxpayers.”
Fusion Energy: Definitive Cost Estimates for U.S. Contributions to an International Experimental Reactor and Better Coordinated DOE Research Are Needed
United States Government Accountability Office – Report to Congressional Committees - October 26 – 38 pages
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-30
“The United States is pursuing two paths to fusion energy—magnetic and inertial. On November 21, 2006, the United States signed an agreement with five countries and the European Union to build and operate the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) in Cadarache, France, to demonstrate the feasibility of magnetic fusion energy. The United States also built and operates facilities to pursue inertial fusion energy research. This report discusses (1) U.S. contributions to ITER and the challenges, if any, in managing this international fusion program and (2) the Department of Energy’s (DOE) management of alternative fusion research activities, including National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) initiatives.”
MISCELLANEOUS
Lisa Margonelli
Start-Up U
New America Foundation – California – September/October 2007
http://newamerica.net/publications/articles/2007/start_u_5890
“With global warming breathing down our necks, energy is hot. And Berkeley, where brainpower is mingling with government power-brokers to implement the state’s greenhouse gas legislation, is even hotter. Having just announced a $500 million ten-year deal with oil giant BP to found a new Energy Biosciences Institute on campus, Steven Chu, the Nobel Prize winner and head of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), made a pitch for more: “We are seeking industry partnerships ... We seek solutions. We don’t seek, dare I say, science papers anymore.””
Rajeev Dhawan and Karsten Jeske
What Determines the Output Drop after an Energy Price Increase: Household or Firm Energy Share?
Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta - Working Paper 2007-20 – August 2007 – 12 pages
http://www.frbatlanta.org/filelegacydocs/wp0720.pdf
“During the past thirty-five years, energy use as a fraction of output has dropped significantly at both the household and the firm levels. Therefore, we investigate a dynamic stochastic generalized equilibrium model economy’s response to an energy price hike for different firm and household energy shares. Simulation results indicate that the economy’s output response is mainly determined by the firm energy share. Increasing the household energy share while keeping firm energy share constant actually decreases the output response.”
Green Energy News
http://www.green-energy-news.com/index.html
“Bruce Mulliken has been covering news and commentary on the world of clean, efficient, and renewable energy since 1996. His Green Energy News site is geared towards a broad audience that includes the general public, industry professionals, and government officials. First-time visitors will want to look at the "News Stories" on the front page which in recent editions have included pieces on the growing hydrogen economy, the potential of parking lots as a form of solar power, and the possibility of a zero emission electric vehicle with two wheels. Those looking for previous news features can browse the "Archives and Resources" area, which dates back to April 1996. Those looking for "green" events should browse over to the "Events Calendar" section, which provides links to upcoming events such as renewable energy conferences.”
mercredi 21 mars 2007
Daniel Cohn-Bendit sur l'energie
Extraits de son article dans le Monde du 22/03/2007
Cinquante ans après le traité sur le charbon et l'acier les Européens doivent réduire leur dépendance énergétique, assurer la sécurité d'approvisionnement, mais en tenant compte cette fois de la dégradation climatique.
L'UE ne pourra plus compter sur ses ressources en pétrole et en gaz de la mer du Nord en cours d'épuisement . Selon la Commission européenne : sans changement radical de nos habitudes de consommation et de production énergétiques, la dépendance énergétique de l'UE d'ici à 2030 atteindra les 70 % de sa consommation - respectivement 80 % pour le gaz, 66 % pour le charbon et 90 % pour le pétrole. L'Europe importe déjà la quasi-totalité de son uranium, en provenance de pays instables.
Les litiges entre la Russie, l'Ukraine,et la Biélorussie invitent à une stratégie commune des sources d'approvisionnement: par ex. oléoducs evitant la Russie à travers des pays de transit déjà membres de l'Union (sauf la Turquie)...
Le volet énergétique devrait être inclus dans la future politique étrangère et de sécurité commune (PESC) toujours exclue du champ communautaire.
Ll'UE devra investir massivement dans les énergies renouvelables, pour des raisons économiques et ecologiques. 25 % de la consommation au moins devraient être assurés à partir des sourcesrenouvelable d'ici à 2020.
Mais il faudra également l'Allemagne et la France scinder les secteurs de la production et de la distribution. La consommation elle-même doit être maîrisée...
Technologies innovantes dans la rénovation et la construction des bâtiments (secteur qui consomme 40 % de l'énergie utilisée dans l'Union), ainsi que des voitures, des appareils électroménagers et domestiques plus économes.
Changement des comportements? suite aux efforts de Al Gore, Nicolas Hulot ou Nicholas Stern ( rapport au gouvernement britannique : si dans les dix années à venir nous n'avons pas trouvé les moyens de réduire la production des gaz à effet de serre, le coût pour l'économie mondiale d'ici à 2100 excédera celui des deux guerres mondiales pour s'élever à 5 500 milliards d'euros. Quant aux effets sociaux, il les compare à ceux subis lors de la crise de 1929 et estime à 200 millions le nombre de personnes déplacées pour cause d'inondations ou de sécheresse. Cela dépasse le cadre d'une élection...
L'exigence climatique nous invite à reprendre le modèle du pacte de stabilité pour l'appliquer au climat.Moratoire sur la construction de nouvelles centrales, viser à terme la fermeture des anciennes, tout en élaborant une politique des transports durable, notamment par une internalisation des coûts et une taxation spécifique (près de 30 % des gaz à effets de serre proviennent des transports responsables de 70 % de la consommation de l'UE en pétrole quand leur dépendance aux produits pétroliers est de 96 %), nous pouvons réduire d'au moins 30 % les émissions de gaz à effet de serre, en particulier le CO2 d'ici à 2020 et de 40 % d'ici à 2030 sans pour autant recourir au nucléaire.
L'objectif doit être la stabilisation de la température à l'échelle planétaire qui ne devra excéder que de 2 degrés celle rencontrée à l'époque préindustrielle. L'UE se positionnerait en tête de la course à l'innovation et à la compétitivité. Le monde de l'entreprise comprend aussi que la lutte contre le changement climatique est une affaire rentable . La British Petroleum a investi dans l'énergie solaire.
Un chantier gigantesque que nous pouvons pourtant lancer en attendant que les Etats-Unis élisent un nouveau président qui respectera le protocole de Kyoto. Le nouveau traité constitutionnel aura conservé la base juridique nécessaire: le principe de lutte contre la dégradation climatique comme principe régissant toutes les politiques de l'Union.
Daniel Cohn-Bendit est député Verts au Parlement européen
mardi 20 mars 2007
ENERGIE: Le mixe énergétique du futur
Le mixe énergétique du futur (Source: Ambassade d'Allemagne)
La protection de l'environnement, la rentabilité et la fiabilité de l'approvisionnement sont les piliers du nouveau concept de politique énergétique pour l'Allemagne. Le secteur de l'économie et le gouvernement veulent investir des milliards dans l'énergie
Les prix du pétrole et du gaz battent tous les records, les ressources en énergies fossiles diminuent et la lutte contre le gaz à effet de serre est loin d'être terminée. L'énergie est un thème d'actualité. A quoi ressemble le mixe énergétique de l'avenir ? Comment s'assurer l'approvisionnement en matières premières ? Ce sont des questions que se posent aussi bien des organisations mondiales comme le G8 que les gouvernements nationaux.
Le 3 avril a marqué le début d'un nouveau concept de politique énergétique pour l'Allemagne: la chancelière Angela Merkel a invité à la chancellerie des représentants de la politique et de l'économie à un sommet sur l'énergie.
D'ici mi-2007, le concept de l'énergie, basé sur la fiabilité de l'approvisionnement, la rentabilité, la compétitivité et le caractère non polluant sera élaboré lors de plusieurs rencontres au sommet. La première a déjà été un véritable succès: d'ici 2012, les entrepreneurs allemands veulent investir un total de 70 milliards d'euros dans l'approvisionnement en énergie. 40 milliards seront affectés aux énergies renouvelables, 30 milliards à de nouvelles centrales et de nouveaux réseaux. De plus, le gouvernement fédéral consacre deux milliards d'euros à la recherche sur l'énergie. Une autre chose est claire: on maintient la sortie du nucléaire au cours de la législature allant jusqu'en 2009, comme cela figure au contrat de coalition, en dépit des opinions divergentes des partenaires.
Les énergies renouvelables sont l'un des principaux éléments du nouveau concept énergétique. La biomasse, l'énergie solaire et éolienne ainsi que la pile à combustible sont les vecteurs d'énergie du futur. Aujourd'hui encore le pétrole et le gaz arrivent en tête: La part des énergies renouvelables est de 4,6 pour cent de la consommation d'énergie et place l'Allemagne parmi les leaders mondiaux. Cette part augmente chaque année. Dès 2010 elle doit représenter au minimum 12,5 pour cent de la production d'électricité et doit même atteindre 20 pour cent d'ici 2020.
La biomasse devra apporter une contribution importante. Il n'est donc pas étonnant qu'à Berlin on ait abordé le thème de la stratégie nationale en ce qui concerne les matières premières biologiques. En effet, la biomasse est la plus polyvalente des énergies renouvelables. Elle permet de produire aussi bien des carburants que de la chaleur et de l'électricité. Presque toutes les matières organiques sont d'excellents vecteurs d'énergie – aussi bien le colza que les roseaux, le lisier ou la bouse de vache. Contrairement au pétrole ou au gaz naturel, la biomasse réduit l'émission de gaz à effet de serre, elle est disponible en permanence et est indépendante du vent ou du temps. Les entreprises allemandes sont très innovatrices dans le domaine des énergies renouvelables. C'est le cas, par exemple de la société Choren, de Freiberg dans l'est de l'Allemagne, qui, en collaboration avec le groupe pétrolier Shell, investit des centaines de millions d'euros dans la production de "SunDiesel". Ce carburant non polluant est fabriqué essentiellement à partir de bois, de paille et de déchets agricoles. Ce carburant liquide est considéré comme le diesel le plus propre du monde: il émet 30 à 50 pour cent de moins de gaz d'échappement que le diesel fossile, il ne contient pas de goudron, est biodégradable et est neutre pour ce qui est du CO2 car, en se consumant, il n'en rejette pas plus que les plantes utilisées n'en ont absorbé lors de leur croissance. Grâce à leur brevet enregistré dans le monde entier, les responsables de Choren ont pu également convaincre les constructeurs automobiles DaimlerChrysler et Volkswagen qui, tous deux, soutiennent Choren Industries dans la recherche. A partir de 2007, DaimlerChrysler livrera tous ses modèles diesel équipés pour ce biocarburant. La biomasse est en plein essor, pas seulement à Freiberg: rien que l'année dernière 800 nouvelles installations de biogaz ont vu le jour en Allemagne. En 2005 on a produit près de dix milliards de kilowattheures – quatre milliards de plus qu'une année auparavant. Selon les estimations du ministère fédéral de l'Environnement, à long terme, en Allemagne, la biomasse permettra d'assurer dix pour cent de l'ensemble de la production d'électricité et 20 pour cent de la production de chaleur.
En matière d'énergie éolienne, l'Allemagne occupe déjà la place de leader: des installations d'une puissance de 18000 mégawatts y ont été mises en place. Aucun autre vecteur d'énergie ne fournit autant d'électricité que la force du vent. On trouve en Allemagne environ un tiers des éoliennes installées dans le monde entier et à peu près la moitié des centrales éoliennes de l'UE. Ces installations produisent près du double d'électricité que n'en consomme Berlin en une année. A partir de 2008, au plus tard, la part en énergie éolienne de l'approvisionnement en électricité croîtra largement: dans deux ans débutera l'installation de plus de 30 parcs éoliens offshore dans la mer du Nord et
L'industrie solaire allemande est également en plein essor. Elle réalise un chiffre d'affaires de trois milliards d'euros et croît chaque année de 20 pour cent. Le leader, SolarWorld, grâce à la reprise de la production de cellules solaires de Shell, il y a quelques mois, s'est même placé en tête du marché des Etats-Unis. En Allemagne également la photovoltaïque représente un potentiel important: en 2005, elle participait pour 1,6 pour cent à l'approvisionnement en énergie par des énergies renouvelables. Ce chiffre est amené à augmenter – grâce aux récents développements d'entreprises allemandes. D'ici 2010, le fabricant berlinois Sulfurcell veut produire des modules dits à couche fine pour la moitié des coûts actuels. En effet, la nouvelle génération de cellules solaires est fabriquée sans silicium utilisé jusqu'à maintenant. Les ingénieurs de Schott Solar optent pour une voie complètement nouvelle: ils ont développé des modules à couche fine semi transparents pouvant remplacer les vitres sur les bâtiments et produire ainsi de l'électricité. L'institut Fraunhofer pour les systèmes d'énergie solaire va encore plus loin: les modules des scientifiques de Freiburg atteignent un rendement de 25 pour cent – supérieur à celui de toutes les cellules solaires. Dans deux ans au plus tard les premiers modules de la troisième génération devraient arriver sur le marché.
Il faudra attendre beaucoup plus longtemps pour la fabrication en série de la pile à combustible – du moins pour les véhicules. Selon les experts, ce ne sera pas avant 2020, au plus tôt, que l'on verra sur les routes un grand nombre de véhicules fonctionnant à l'hydrogène. L'ère du pétrole sera alors complètement révolue. En effet, la pile à combustible transforme l'hydrogène en électricité et en chaleur, sans aucun gaz d'échappement. Dans le monde entier, des techniciens travaillent à son développement, essentiellement en Allemagne. On est prêt à passer à la production en série de petites piles à combustible pouvant alimenter en énergie des ordinateurs et des téléphones portables. Des fabricants tels que Vaillant, Viessmann et Buderus se préparent à une révolution en matière de chauffage. Ils développent des piles à combustible stationnaires pouvant alimenter les maisons en électricité et en chaleur dont l'introduction est prévue pour
Pour des milliers d'Allemands, la question du chauffage ne se pose plus ; souvent, ils n'en ont même pas besoin. Car ils vivent dans des maisons dites passives, à très basse consommation d'énergie. La chaleur dégagée par le corps de deux adultes suffit en général comme source de chaleur. Cela semble être de la science-fiction mais n'est rien d'autre qu'une interaction sophistiquée entre différents composants techniques. Entre autre un isolement efficace des murs extérieurs, des fenêtres à triple vitrage, des collecteurs solaires sur le toit et un système de ventilation automatique. Son élément central est un échangeur de chaleur qui chauffe d'abord à température ambiante l'air frais aspiré à l'extérieur avant de le diffuser dans la maison. Et l'échangeur récupère la chaleur de l'air vicié qu'il expulse. Pour les propriétaires de maisons dites passives, les discussions sur la hausse des coûts du pétrole relèvent du passé. Une maison passive consomme 80% moins d'énergie qu'une maison à faible consommation d'énergie, et même plus de 90% de moins qu'un bâtiment conventionnel. Une maison passive consomme l'équivalent de moins d'un litre et demi de fuel par mètre carré et par an. Les maisons à faible consommation d'énergie, dont les standards en matière d'environnement sont obligatoires depuis 2002 pour tous les nouveaux bâtiments, consomment de 8 à
Une chaleur enfouie au plus profond de
Initiative d'exportation
En Allemagne, les énergies renouvelables créent de plus en plus d'emplois. Rien qu'entre 2004 et 2005 le nombre d'emplois dans ce secteur n'est passé de 157.000 à 170.000. Le développement permanent en Allemagne, tout comme l'exportation de la technologie allemande permettent d'atteindre d'importants taux de croissance. Depuis
Calendrier 2007
En coopération avec les Chambres du commerce à l'étranger, l'initiative de promotion des exportations de l'Agence allemande pour l'Energie (Dena) présente des entreprises allemandes et leurs technologies utilisant les énergies renouvelables à l'étranger : du 14 au 17 février à Lyon en France, du 28 février au 2 mars à Madrid en Espagne, du 19 au 21 avril à Verona en Italie, du 14 au 16 mai à Casablanca au Maroc, et du 16 au 18 mai à Daegu en Corée du Sud. Autres rendez-vous à l'adresse : www.exportinitiative.de
La loi sur les énergies renouvelables
Pratiquement aucun autre secteur en Allemagne n'a d'aussi belles perspectives de croissance que celui des énergies renouvelables. Selon
L'énergie nucléaire
Une journée au caractère symbolique : la loi sur " la fin programmée de l'utilisation de l'énergie nucléaire pour la production commerciale d'électricité " est entrée en vigueur le 26 avril 2002 en Allemagne, seize ans après l'accident de la centrale ukrainienne de Tchernobyl. La coalition gouvernementale de l'époque, composée du SPD et des Verts, déterminait les grands axes de cet adieu au nucléaire : la construction de nouvelles centrales n'est plus autorisée, et la durée de vie des centrales existantes est limitée à 32 ans après leur mise en service. Comme la grande coalition actuelle composée de
Infos sur l'Internet
www.bmu.de
Ministère fédéral de l'Environnement, de
www.erneuerbare-energien.de
Infos sur les énergies renouvelables en Allemagne
www.dena.de
Agence allemande de l'Energie
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