Congressional Research Service / James E. McCarthy http://assets.opencrs.com/rpts/R40145_20100901.pdf [From Summary] EPA regulatory actions on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions using existing Clean Air Act authority have been the main focus of congressional interest in clean air issues in recent months. Although the agency and the Obama Administration have consistently said that they would prefer that Congress … Continue reading »
Posted on October 8, 2010 …
U.S. Biomass Supply for Electricity Generation: Climate Policy Implications and Carbon Neutrality
Steven K. Rose and Bruce McCarl http://tinyurl.com/22pqyn2 [Abstract] This paper investigates three important energy and climate policy issues: (1) the availability of biomass for electricity generation (i.e., supply), (2) climate policy effects on this supply, and (3) the net greenhouse gas reduction when biomass is used for electricity generation. Using a detailed model of U.S. … Continue reading »
Achieving Low-Cost Solar PV: Industry Workshop Recommendations for Near-Term Balance of System Cost Reductions
Rocky Mountain Institute / Lionel Bony, Stephen Doig, Chris Hart, Eric Maurer, Sam Newman http://www.rmi.org/Content/Files/BOSReport.pdf Solar photovoltaic (PV) electricity offers enormous potential to contribute to a low-carbon electrical system. However, costs must drop to fundamentally lower levels if this technology is to play a significant role in meeting U.S. energy needs. “Balance of system” (BoS) … Continue reading »
Supporting Solar Power in Renewables Portfolio Standards: Experience from the United States
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory / Ryan Wiser, Galen Barbose, and Ed Holt http://eetd.lbl.gov/ea/emp/reports/lbnl-3984e.pdf [Abstract] Among the available options for encouraging the increased deployment of renewable electricity, renewables portfolio standards (RPS) have become increasingly popular. The RPS is a relatively new policy mechanism, however, and experience with its use is only beginning to emerge. One key … Continue reading »
