Commentary
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May 23, 2013 |
The business news media has been buzzing recently with the apparent reversal of America's energy fortunes. Advanced drilling and extraction techniques are boosting domestic fossil fuel production. A Citigroup forecast boldly predicts that within five years, the U.S. will need only Canadian imports to satisfy domestic oil and gas consumption. The IEA predicts that the U.S. will be a net exporter by 2030. -
May 20, 2013 |
Demand Response (DR) in the Texas restructured market seems to be on verge of becoming the next big thing. Unfortunately, it has been on the verge of being the next big thing for quite a while. The mounting evidence, however, seems to support the democratization of DR by enabling technologies that address the greatest source of power reserves in the state: Peak Residential Demand. -
May 16, 2013 |
Attorneys' work product, mental impressions, legal theories, and conclusions generally fall within a zone of privacy and, therefore, are protected from disclosure. In addition, attorneys regularly rely on subject-matter experts to develop and implement litigation strategies. These experts routinely prepare materials to be used in litigation. In certain instances, materials prepared for litigation by experts are deemed to fall within the protected zone of privacy and are protected from disclosure by the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure ("FRCP"). In many respects, administrative litigation before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission ("FERC" or "Commission") is similar to litigation before Federal courts. FERC has promulgated rules to govern discovery in litigation and has modeled its rule governing discovery of materials prepared in anticipation of litigation, Rule 402(b), on the Federal rule. -
May 13, 2013 |
Paul Torcellini of the National Renewable Energy Labs (NREL) gave a presentation last year on net zero energy (NZE) buildings to folks from NYSERDA, the NY Department of Public Service, consultants, and others who buzz about in New York's efficiency circles. Towards the end, he drew a graph. Along the x-axis were energy savings, and along the y-axis were costs. -
May 06, 2013 |
Natural gas has been a valuable source of energy for hundreds of years, but over the last decade or so, the use of this resource has intensified. In its early stages, natural gas was mainly used for street lights and powering a small number of homes. After improving technology and distribution, it has become a vital source of energy for several industries, as well as an efficient way to heat buildings, produce electricity, and fuel vehicles. If trends continue in this direction, natural gas may eventually become an energy giant, and our sole source of power. -
May 06, 2013 |
It has always been advantageous for inventors in the cleantech or renewable energy industry (hydropower, biofuels, wind power, solar power, etc.) to file a patent application as soon as possible; the sooner you file, the sooner you will get a patent. As of March 16, 2013, there is one more reason to file patent applications in the U.S. as soon as possible - the America Invents Act (AIA), which is the first comprehensive reform to the U.S. patent laws in 60 years. -
Apr 29, 2013 |
A new trend in the electric vehicle industry is emerging. Several states are proposing a gas tax on vehicles produced in 2015 or later that get 55 miles per gallon or more. Cars like the Chevy Volt, Nissan Leaf, and Toyota Prius are just some of the cars that will incur this per-mile fee.
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Apr 22, 2013 |
When you hear the phrase "electricity theft," you may automatically picture places like India or Brazil where the number of power outages is astounding. Unfortunately, electricity thieves can be found in nearly every country across the globe, including the US. Whether it's performing illegal hookups, tampering with meters, or stealing copper wire from substations, over $200 billion in electricity is lost each year due to equipment failure or electricity thieves. In the US alone, this crime costs roughly $6 billion annually, which makes it the third most stolen commodity following credit card information and vehicles.
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Apr 22, 2013 |
Ireland has recently made news with its efforts in energy efficiency and sustainability. According to the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), 2012 was a landmark year for energy efficiency and sustainability in Ireland. The SEAI reports energy savings totaling $35 million (equal to 670GWh and 160,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions avoided), and about 4,000 jobs preserved in the construction and energy industries. -
Apr 08, 2013 |
Is your facility struggling to pay its daily expenses? Maybe your organization is just looking for an additional source of income. In the midst of our nation's hard economic times, thousands of businesses are searching for an answer to their financial struggles. Participating in a demand response program will not only save your company money, but it will also supply it with that extra monetary cushion you've been searching for.
