Energy Exchange

Live Stream EDF’s Panel Discussions at SXSW Eco Oct. 6-8

By EDF Blogs / Published: October 5, 2014

SXSW Eco attracts a global community to explore, engage, and co-create solutions for a sustainable world. A uniquely inclusive platform for professionals, SXSW Eco examines the critical challenges of our times through a kaleidoscopic lens of design innovation, policy tipping points, technological breakthroughs, conservation practice, entrepreneurial spirit, and a culture of creativity to transform inspiration into action.

EDF will be there in full force, including participating in four panels (CST): Read More »

Also posted in Texas / Comments are closed

Texas Comptroller’s New Report Should Not Play Favorites

By Marita Mirzatuny / Published: October 3, 2014

Recently, the Texas Comptroller, Susan Combs, decided to come out swinging against renewable energy, specifically wind, in a report entitled Texas Power Challenge: Getting the Most From Your Energy Dollars. It would be easier to take this report seriously if it applied the same pressure and scrutiny to the oil, gas, and coal industries, which have received subsidies and incentives hand over fist. But, no, the attacks seem to focus only on renewables.

What’s worse is the Comptroller’s report is not based in fact. One of the main points of contention is the CREZ transmission lines that were built to ease the bottle-necked energy congestion in West Texas. Yes, this congestion was partly due to more wind energy on the power grid needing to make its way to cities in the East, but natural gas very much benefited from the added transmission lines as well. Even Railroad Commissioner Barry Smitherman, a Republican ally of Combs’, took her to task for this in a statement to the Texas Energy Report: Read More »

Also posted in Renewable Energy, Texas / Comments are closed

Making the World a Better Place: One Megawatt at a Time

By EDF Blogs / Published: October 2, 2014

By: Supraja Sudharsan, student at Georgia Institute of Technology

What does it take for a manufacturing firm with 24/7 operations to incorporate sustainability goals into its daily activities? I learned the answer to the question this summer at Owens Corning.

Owens Corning is an innovator in fiberglas™ technology operating in 27 countries around the world, with its products’ end-uses ranging from insulation and roofing shingles to wind turbines. The company has been a member of the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index for the last five years, and has rallied around climate change issues to achieve key milestones in its energy intensity and greenhouse gas reduction goals since 2002. Having picked the so-called “low hanging fruits” in energy efficiency, Owens Corning now aspires to purchase 100 percent of its primary energy from renewables. In this, the company’s most recent milestone has been the installation of the largest onsite solar PV system in New York State funded by the New York Sun program in 2013.

One reason this has been possible is due to a shift in the cost of renewable technology, with solar and wind approaching grid parity in some regions of the United States. This has provided an opportunity to enter the renewables space that did not exist a few years back. Technologies like net metering, which allows businesses to sell excess clean energy back to the grid and profit from their renewable deployment, and availability of third party energy suppliers in some states, as well as a means to track and retire the renewable certificates and the reporting standards that have emerged around these, have all been crucial for enabling this shift towards greater renewables. Read More »

Also posted in Renewable Energy / Comments are closed

Three Ways to Boost Energy Efficiency after the “Low-Hanging Fruit” has been Picked

By EDF Blogs / Published: October 1, 2014

By: Lana Zaman, graduate student at UC Berkeley

Companies today are increasingly investing in energy efficiency upgrades, both to conserve energy and to reduce operating costs. By lowering greenhouse gas emissions and fuel expenses, energy efficiency benefits the economy as well as the environment in the face of climate change. Being from Bangladesh, a country that is on a trajectory to become completely submerged as sea levels rise, climate change is an important issue to me and is largely the reason why I joined EDF Climate Corps.

Before I began my fellowship, I asked myself: When there exists a seemingly obvious solution to current energy challenges, why aren’t more companies investing in these solutions? What is holding the private sector back from pursuing initiatives that not only save the company money, but can also contribute to mitigating climate change? Read More »

Also posted in Energy Efficiency / Comments are closed

Companies Turn to Technology to Engage Consumers in Smart Energy Management

By EDF Blogs / Published: October 1, 2014

By: Claire Dooley, student at the Bren School of Environmental Science & Management

Most of us in America would argue that affordable and reliable energy access is a basic life necessity, possibly even a basic human right. However, JD Power & Associates recently reported that only 3% of consumers are actually reviewing their energy usage more than once a month. Interaction with this commodity is almost entirely passive. Utilities do whatever it is they do to keep the electrons flowing, and we pay the bill.

With all of the public attention that energy’s impact on climate change has received in recent months—including IPCC findings that human-induced global warming is unequivocal and a new EPA regulation on coal-fired power plants—consumer awareness and interest in curbing our reliance on dirty energy is on the rise. Concurrently, the massive influx of residential clean energy technologies is providing unprecedented opportunity for the public to participate in climate change solutions. Read More »

Also posted in Grid Modernization / Tagged Energy Storage | Read 1 Response

Clean Energy Conferences Roundup: October 2014

By EDF Blogs / Published: October 1, 2014

Each month, the Energy Exchange rounds up a list of top clean energy conferences around the country. Our list includes conferences at which experts from the EDF Clean Energy Program will be speaking, plus additional events that we think our readers may benefit from marking on their calendars.

Top clean energy conferences featuring EDF experts in October:

Oct 2: 2014 Energy Competition Symposium, Columbus, OH
Speaker: Cheryl Roberto, Associate Vice President, Clean Energy

The future of competitive retail and wholesale energy markets, product innovations for retail customers, and improving the shopping experience for consumers are among the larger themes to be explored at the Retail Energy Supply Association’s 2014 Energy Competition Symposium, a half-day event exploring the leading issues affecting retail energy competition nationally.

Oct 6-7: 2014 Utility Environmental Benchmarking Forum, Charlotte, NC
Speaker: Cheryl Roberto, Associate Vice President, Clean Energy

Since 2010, Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) has hosted the Forum which has provided a platform for the electric utility industry to benchmark their performance on environmental metrics. Now, TVA and Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) are teaming up to ensure the Environmental Benchmarking Forum will continue for years to come. Discussion topics include environmental performance measures and data, lessons learned from leading utility companies and energy providers, and sustainability programs, profitability, and effective implementation. Read More »

Also posted in Conference Roundup / Comments are closed