Energy and Climate Change


EPA Fines Yuba City Power Plant $13,500 Following Illegal Arsenic Release

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has fined Calpine Corporation, owner of a 500-megawatt natural-gas fired power plant, $13,500 for the improper management of hazardous waste at its Yuba City, Calif. facility.

EPA and the Georgia Force Encourage Metro Atlanta to Take ENERGY STAR Pledge

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in partnership with the Georgia Force, collected Change the World with ENERGY STAR® pledges at the Georgia Force Arena Football game in the Gwinnett Arena in Duluth, GA.

More Heat, More Light: A Step Toward Better Solar Energy Systems

A Michigan Technological University researcher has made a solar cell that brings more to the rooftop: it’s good at making electricity, and it’s great at capturing heat to warm your home and your water.

U.S. Announces Clean Air Act Settlement With Wisconsin Utility

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced a Clean Air Act (CAA) settlement with Dairyland Power Cooperative (DPC) that will cover the utility’s three power plants in Alma and Genoa, Wis.

EIA Examines Alternate Scenarios for the Future of U.S. Energy

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) has released the complete version of Annual Energy Outlook 2012 (AEO2012) which, in addition to the Reference case projections, includes 29 alternative cases which show how different assumptions regarding market, policy, and technology drivers affect projections of energy production, consumption, technology, and market trends and the direction they may take in the future.

500-Meter Safety Zone for Shell's Alaska Drillship

Two Shell Exploration & Production Co. drilling rigs -– the Kulluk, which must be towed, and the Noble Discoverer, a drilling vessel converted from a log carrier –- are now en route from Seattle to the Arctic waters off Alaska, specifically to undertake exploratory well drilling operations in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas.

EBay to Power New Data Center With Fuel Cells

Proving that it’s serious about becoming greener, EBay has announced that a new data center being built in Utah will run entirely on fuel cells, a move that other giants in the technology sector have been hesitant to take.

Toyota to Expand Eco-Friendly Tie Up With BMW

Toyota Motor is expanding a tie-up with Germany's BMW on hybrid and fuel-cell vehicle technology as the global automakers push further into the "green" market, a report said on Monday.



Reliant Launches Learn and Conserve Electricity Plan

Reliant is bringing customers a unique electricity plan featuring an innovative learning thermostat to help manage home electricity use.

Bigger Wind Turbines Do Make Greener Electricity: Report

In a study that could solidify the trend toward construction of gigantic windmills, scientists have concluded that the larger the wind turbine, the greener the electricity it produces.

Renewables Can Fill 80 Percent Electricity Demand in U.S. in 2050

Renewable energy sources in the U.S. could supply 80 percent of electricity demand in 2050 just by using technologies commercially available today, according to a new study.

Geostellar Raises Funds to Help Turn Energy Consumers Into Producers

Geostellar, providers of advanced geomatic technology to accurately determine the value of solar energy generation for property owners, has announced an investment from strategic, financial and economic development sources including NRG Energy, Inc., GeoEye, Inc., the State of Maryland and Flash Forward Ventures.

Green Fuel From Carbon Dioxide

A research team at the Freiburg Materials Research Center (FMF) led by the chemist Prof. Dr. Ingo Krossing has now developed a new system for producing methanol that uses CO2 and hydrogen. Methanol can, for example, be used as an environmentally friendly alternative for gasoline.

Ancient Effect Harnessed to Produce Electricity From Waste Heat

A phenomenon first observed by an ancient Greek philosopher 2,300 years ago has become the basis for a new device designed to harvest the enormous amounts of energy wasted as heat each year to produce electricity. The first-of-its-kind "pyroelectric nanogenerator" is the topic of a report in ACS' journal Nano Letters.

Composite Materials Will Lead to Greener Cars

The use of composite materials is rapidly entering into the automotive industry thanks to a technique developed by the EPFL spin-off EELCEE. This technique promises lighter cars that burn less fuel and, consequently, emit less CO2.

Honeywell Meets Energy Needs With Smart Grid Solution and Building Management System

Honeywell, a Fortune 100 technology and manufacturing company, has created a new building management system and Smart Grid Solutions business to help meet facilities' and providers' energy needs.

New Twist On Old Chemical Process Could Boost Energy Efficiency Significantly

Chemical reactions on the surface of metal oxidesare important for applications such as solar cells that convert the sun's energy to electricity. Now scientists have found that a previously unappreciated aspect of those reactions could be key in developing more efficient energy systems.

Researchers Take Big Step to Develop Nuclear Fusion Power

University of Tennessee researchers have successfully developed a key technology in developing an experimental reactor that can demonstrate the feasibility of fusion energy for the power grid.

Environmental Benefit of Biofuels is Overestimated, New Study Reveals

A commentary published today in GCB Bioenergy reveals that calculations of greenhouse gas (GHGs) emissions from bioenergy production are neglecting crucial information that has led to the overestimation of the benefits of biofuels compared to fossil fuels.

Republic Services, Foristar and Duke Energy Dedicate Gas-to-Energy Plant in N.C.

Leading environmental services company Republic Services, Inc., FORTISTAR and Duke Energy dedicated a new, state-of-the-art, landfill gas-to-energy plant in North Carolina with a ribbon-cutting event at the site today.