Posted on May 23, 2011 …

Promoting Clean Energy in the American Power Sector

Brookings Institution / Joseph E. Aldy http://www.brookings.edu/papers/2011/05_clean_energy_aldy.aspx [Abstract]  Despite bipartisan interest in advancing American energy policy, comprehensive energy and climate legislation fell short in the Senate last year after passing in the House of Representatives in 2009. The difficulty of coming to broad agreement highlights the need for a more targeted and incremental approach. One … Continue reading »

Highway Infrastructure and the Economy Implications for Federal Policy

Rand Corp. / by Howard J. Shatz, Karin E. Kitchens, Sandra Rosenbloom and Martin Wachs http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/MG1049.html [Abstract]   To inform debate on a new transportation bill being considered, the authors review the literature on the economic outcomes of highway infrastructure spending, which constitutes the largest share of federal spending on transportation infrastructure. They first highlight the … Continue reading »

A Coal Plant’s Drain on Health and Wealth,

Chesapeake Bay Foundation http://www.cbf.org/Document.Doc?id=689 A new Chesapeake Bay Foundation report released today says pollution from a massive coal-fired power plant proposed for Surry County could result in hundreds of asthma attacks, dozens of premature deaths, and millions of dollars in regional health care costs. The report, A Coal Plant’s Drain on Health and Wealth, also … Continue reading »

Transport for Sustainable Development in the ECE Region

UN Economic Commission for Europe, Transport Division http://bit.ly/iCWco9 The UNECE Transport Division facilitates the international movement of persons and goods by inland transport modes. It aims to improve competitiveness, safety, energy efficiency and security in the transport sector. At the same time it focuses on reducing the adverse effects of transport activities on the environment … Continue reading »

Catalyzing Climate Finance – UNDP Guidebook

UN Development Programme http://bit.ly/iyT1Y2 This guidebook is offered as a primer to countries to enable them to better assess the level and nature of assistance they will require to catalyse climate capital based on their unique set of national, regional and local circumstances. It is part of a series of manuals, guidebooks and toolkits that … Continue reading »

Federal Data Center Consolidation: Measure to Manage Report

Meritalk for NetApp (16 page pdf available with free registration) http://www.meritalk.com/measure-to-manage [From Press Release] Federal agencies could save $18.8 billion from their data center consolidation efforts, according to a new study from MeriTalk, the government information technology (IT) network. That amount could pay the entire combined IT bill for the Department of Homeland Security, Department … Continue reading »

Chukchi Sea Planning Area Oil and Gas Lease Sale 193 In the Chukchi Sea, Alaska: Revised Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement

U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement, Alaska OCS Region http://alaska.boemre.gov/ref/EIS%20EA/Revised_2010_034/rev2010-034.pdf [From a E&E News PM story by Phil Taylor, sub. req'd] Up to 2.2 million barrels of oil could spill into Alaska’s Chukchi Sea if companies are allowed to drill there next summer, according to a draft Interior … Continue reading »

Drinking Water Data Search BETA Release

US EPA http://www.epa-echo.gov/echo/compliance_report_sdwa.html The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced improvements to the availability and usability of drinking water data in the Enforcement and Compliance History Online (ECHO) tool. ECHO now allows the public to search to see whether drinking water in their community met the standards required under the Safe Drinking Water Act … Continue reading »