“Enhanced geothermal systems have the potential to be the world’s only ever-present form of baseload renewable energy,” said Deparment of Energy Acting Assistant Secretary Katharine Fredriksen.

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“Currently, the existing U.S. coal fleet accounts for over half of all electricity generated in this country,” U.S. Secretary of Energy Samuel W. Bodman said in a release. “The projects announced today will combat climate change and help meet current and future energy needs by curbing CO2 emissions from existing coal-fired plants.”

But carbon capture and sequestration, along with “clean coal” are still perceived by many as mythical technologies that are simply not cost effective.

My question is this: If carbon capture and sequestration is such a central component of President Bush’s broader energy vision, why aren’t they doing more about it?  To put things in perspective, since 2001 the Bush administration has invested more than $2.5 billion in clean coal research and development - roughly the same amount it spends per week on the Iraq war.

Oh, and that $36 million figure mentioned at the top of this article? $36 million is roughly equal to what the U.S. spends on the Iraq war in two and a half hours.

Read more about the specific projects receiving funding at the DOE’s website.

Other posts on the DOE and carbon capture/sequestration:

• “Assistant Secretary of Energy Karsner Announces Resignation”
• “EPA Drafts Rule for Carbon Sequestration”
• “Wyoming Passes Carbon Capture and Sequestration Legislation”
• “CO2 Capture and Technology of the Future”

Photo: hAdamsky via flickr under a Creative Commons License

While Karsner has not given any reason for the resignation, the underlying point is that he resigned from a one-of -a-kind job at a time when there is major political discord about how the U.S. should be moving forward with its energy policy. Perhaps Mr. Karsner wanted to get off the U.S.S. Bush before it took him down with it?

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When we talk about addressing global climate change, the talk is often about greening our homes, changing our source of energy, and cleaning up industry.

In my previous post, I briefly discussed the critical issue of food in addressing this problem.

In this post, I am bringing to attention the great relevance of transportation and our transportation patterns and habits in addressing this critical concern for our planet and our future generations.

Automobile travel is a major cause of greenhouse gas emissions according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The Department of Energy reported that the transportation sector accounts for approximately 33% of GHG emissions in the United States. Approximately 61% of these emissions are from automobiles and light duty trucks. The Department of Energy’s findings put the transportation sector as the largest contributor to GHGs in the country. Unfortunately, it is also the fastest growing contributor according to the DOE’s findings.

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As promised in a podcast interview on February 11th,
Edward Sproat, manager of the Yucca Mountain project in Nevada, filed a license application with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to construct a nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada.

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Each of the dozen cities will receive $200,000 to advance the use of solar technologies in their communities. All the cities were selected for “their commitment and comprehensive approach to the deployment of solar technologies and the development of sustainable solar infrastructures,” according to the DOE.

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This is the classic “Not in my back yard” battle, even more understandable since Nevada was the site of nuclear weapons testing beginning in 1951. There were 100 atmospheric tests until they went underground in 1962, when 828 devices were exploded. Testing ceased in 1992, although the Nevada Test Site is still an active research area.

It’s easy to see why Nevadans are tired of the word, “nuclear” and object to the storage of thousands of tons of highly radioactive materials just 100 miles from the state’s major tourist attraction, Las Vegas.

Here is Mr. Sproat with his answer to that question, and other observations about Yucca Mountain and the future.

This story contains additional media. Click here to view the media.

You may recall my interview with Bob Loux about Yucca Mountain and the Nevada point of view. It is available in three parts, listed below.

Yucca Mountain: The Nevada Case Podcast, Part One

Yucca Mountain: The Nevada Case Podcast, Part Two

Yucca Mountain: The Nevada Case Podcast, Part Three

With the portfolio of commercial and urban green building projects happening across the globe right now, how is it possible to see them all? For those of us who are construction fanatics we like to see them in person but flying to location is definitely not the most or even a sustainable way to do things. Well, as with so most everything these days, there is a solution. To increase our remote access to ongoing and completed green building projects nationwide, Building Green Inc. has teamed up with Google and the Department of Energy to bring us an interactive way to view these projects.

The information is presented in Google Earth (must be downloaded) through a layer called the High Performance Building Layer, which is something that you have to download as well. Once you have both of them, you can choose from the 96 different projects they have highlighted thus far through the collaboration. Most of the projects selected reside in the United States, but there are a couple others around the globe. The models are created in Sketch-up and are completed with a full project description. Each building in the High Performance Building Layer also provides links to detailed case studies on the buildings performance. These studies are located on the web through different databases- AIA, USGBC, Building Green…

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The information is presented in Google Earth (must be downloaded) through a layer called the High Performance Building Layer, which is something that you have to download as well. Once you have both of them, you can choose from the 96 different projects they have highlighted thus far through the collaboration. Most of the projects selected reside in the United States, but there are a couple others around the globe. The models are created in Sketch-up and are completed with a full project description. Each building in the High Performance Building Layer also provides links to detailed case studies on the buildings performance. These studies are located on the web through different databases- AIA, USGBC, Building Green…

Read more of this story »

Sun Microsystems has a dedicated eco center website. The website describes the efforts that Sun Microsystems is making to help the environment, and their goals in cutting their carbon footprint. Sun is also working on strategies to use alternative energy, and greening their datacenters using smaller, more efficient servers that optimize energy, space, and performance. Sun is among many of the hi-tech companies that are making a difference and many more are also taking its lead. At the KGO Eco Live 2007 event that I attended in May at San Francisco, Sun had a huge booth area that showcased its energy saving efforts.

To get more individuals involved, the VP of Eco Responsibility at Sun Microsystems, Dave Douglas has released 10 tips that everyone can do to try to save some energy.

10 FAST, EASY TIPS TO COOL YOUR COMPANY

• Try using natural light. If your office is too dark, try a reading light. The average reading light consumes about 60 watts – much less than overhead lighting.
• Don’t depend on the sensors. Even if your office is equipped with sensors that switch lights on and off automatically, there is still a lag in the time the sensor takes to turn off lights. Also, motion in hallways or from other activity can reactivate your lights. Both can add up to real dollars and greenhouse gas pollution.
• Shut the blinds first thing in the morning before you feel the need to. Doing this early on in the day reduces the overall heat gain of the building and reduces the need to use air conditioning. You can enjoy that view again once the heat wave subsides.
• Dump your screensaver. If you still have one of those screensavers that move – whether the psychedelic or a tamer variety – these can consume as much energy as when your computer is in use.
• Put your computer to sleep. Most computers come with an energy saving feature that automatically puts your computer into “sleep” mode after a set amount of time if you’re not using it. Studies show that 50-80% computers are not set to go into “sleep” mode. With a few clicks, you can set up your computer to go to sleep, or just ask your IT department to help you.
• Better yet, click off the power button. Your monitor is using energy even while it sleeps. Turn off the power button when you’re not using it, and power down any other hardware you’re not using, whether in your office, or elsewhere. Unplugging your equipment at the end of the day can bring the energy from 150 watts down to 0.
• Pull the plugs. Believe it or not, your electronic devices may still use energy when they are turned off because some use “standby power.” The US EPA estimates that 40% of the energy used by home electronics like Digital Video Recorders (DVRs), big screen televisions and cable decoder boxes is consumed when the devices are turned off or in standby mode.
• Kill the space heater. Despite the sweltering heat outside, many offices are over-air conditioned and cause workers to run space heaters. Space heaters can consume as much as 1500 watts per hour. During an energy crunch, try working in a common area such as a cafeteria or sitting outside. You should also contact your office manager or facilities to get to the root of the problem. It could be an easy fix or a sign of a larger problem that needs addressing.
• Get a free consult from your local utility. Many electric utilities offer free evaluation services. They will walk you through the power drains in your facility and help you conserve— both energy and money.
• Participate in a "demand response" program. Your local utility probably offers a demand response program, in which your company can be alerted when hot weather is straining the local power grid and threatening a black out. Your utility will call you during those peak times and ask you to turn down any non-essential lights or equipment. Some will ask that you simply reduce your usage by 5%, and that small amount across hundreds of local businesses can actually prevent a black out. Participating in a demand response program can save your business money since electricity is generally most expensive during these peak times.