While many economists argue that taxing carbon dioxide is the most efficient and effective way to reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, new work by noted energy and environment economist Severin Borenstein, head of the Haas Energy Institute at the University of California Berkeley, will fuel skepticism about the conventional economic wisdom. Borenstein has long been … More Economists debunk carbon taxes
For many energy analysts who focus on reducing carbon dioxide emissions, hydrogen as a fuel is intriguing. Plentiful (the most plentiful element in the universe), odorless, colorless, tasteless, and very combustible. But H2 does not live alone. It is bound up with other elements, including with another plentiful element, oxygen, to form water, H2O. Hydrogen … More Bursting the hydrogen bubble?
Lithium-ion batteries have been transformative. They have made electric vehicles practical, pointing the way to a future using much less petroleum. They have revolutionized power tools, from drills to saws to log splitters to string trimmers, untethering many chores from gasoline cans or long cords. But there is an elemental fly in the lithium-ion electric … More Is lithium brine mining sustainable?
The French government this week announced it would fully nationalize the giant, troubled, heavily nuclear utility Electricite de France. Bloomberg reported, “The climate emergency requires strong, radical decisions,” Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said during a policy speech in parliament in Paris on Wednesday. “We need to have full control of the production and our energy … More Is pure socialism the answer to French nuclear woes?
A panel of environmental lawyers with expertise in the Clean Air Act addressed major questions Thursday (July 7) about the Supreme Court’s recent 6-3 decision stripping the Environmental Protection Agency of the ability to impose major limits coal to achieve greenhouse gas emissions across the country. The Washington-based environmental think tank Resources for the Future … More Environmental lawyers weigh in on ‘major questions’
Going green isn’t going to be a walk in a pristine park. Decarbonizing the world means massive increase in the mining and extraction of minerals like lithium, nickel, and cobalt. It will also mean international tensions, and perhaps elevate the importance in the world of China, as the major processor of the mineral ores. That’s … More Green energy transition blind spots
Don’t look to the oldest non-carbon electric generating technology, and currently the leading green power generation, to make a significant contribution to meeting the global goal of keeping world temperatures from increasing beyond 1.5 degrees. In a new report, the International Hydropower Association (IHA) says waterpower is not on the path to meeting that goal. … More Hydro pessimism about contribution to 1.5 degrees
The most significant impact of this week’s 6-3 Supreme Court ruling in West Virginia v. the Environmental Protection Agency is to doom any international effort to significantly reduce global greenhouse gas emissions. That may be bad or good news depending on who you are, or where you live, or for whom you work. But to … More Commentary: 1.5 degrees? 2 degrees? Forget about it
The majority owners of Georgia Power’s troubled Vogtle 3 and 4 nuclear construction venture have sued Georgia Power for some $700 million, claiming that the lead utility on the $30 billion two-unit, 2,200-MW plant has violated a contract designed to limit additional costs being passed to the two public power systems that together own 52.7%. … More Vogtle 3,4 owners sue to freeze their costs
Molten salt reactors appear to be the new big thing in civilian nuclear power. The hype over reactors that feature combining the coolant and the neutron moderator in one salty liquid to produce very high temperatures, and also lend itself to small packages, is everywhere. They will be cheap. They can run on nuclear waste. … More Molten salt reactors: where’s the beef?