California Carbon Capture and Storage Review Panel http://tinyurl.com/4nomkns [From Executive Summary] Recognizing the importance of CCS for California’s industrial and electricity sectors, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), California Energy Commission (Energy Commission), and the Air Resources Board (ARB) created a CCS Review Panel in February 2010…. The Panel identified a number of key legal … Continue reading »
Posted on January 21, 2011 …
Sustainable Cities: Oxymoron or The Shape of the Future?
Harvard Business School / Annissa Alusi, Robert G. Eccles, Amy C. Edmondson, Tiona Zuzul http://www.hbs.edu/research/pdf/11-062.pdf [Abstract] Two trends are likely to define the 21st century: threats to the sustainability of the natural environment and dramatic increases in urbanization. This paper reviews the goals, business models, and partnerships involved in eight early “ecocity” projects to begin … Continue reading »
Climate Policy and Innovation in the Absence of Commitment
Belfer Center, Kennedy School / Ashokankur Datta and E. Somanathan http://tinyurl.com/4wk26jt [Abstract] It is well-recognized that new technology is a crucial part of any solution to the problem of climate change. But since investments in research and development take time to mature, price and quantity instruments, i.e., carbon taxes and cap-and-trade, run into a commitment … Continue reading »
The Food Gap: The Impacts of Climate Change on Food Production: A 2020 Perspective
Universal Ecological Fund http://www.feu-us.org/images/The_Food_Gap.pdf [From report website] The temperature of the planet would increase by, at least, 2.4ºCelsius (4.3º Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial times, if the current business-as-usual path is followed. Under the current distribution patterns, global food production would not be enough to fully meet the food requirements of 7.8 billion people estimated to inhabit … Continue reading »
The Impact of Local Permitting on the Cost of Solar Power
Sun Run, Inc. http://tinyurl.com/49vrxre [Executive Summary] The policy goal of supporting solar is to create the scale necessary to achieve grid parity, the point where solar stands on its own as an economic choice for millions of homeowners, without the need for subsidies. While solar equipment prices are falling, the total installed cost of residential … Continue reading »
Use of Frequency Response Metrics to Assess the Planning and Operating Requirements for Reliable Integration of Variable Renewable Generation
Lawrence National Berkeley Laboratory / Federal Energy Regulatory Commission http://tinyurl.com/4d2tbxl [From Press Release] The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) today issued for public comment a study that seeks to ensure reliability for consumers by identifying tools that will help manage the planning and operations of new generation resources into the nation’s electricity system. The study, … Continue reading »
