Can simple government programs effectively promote voluntary initiatives to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions? This paper by Matthew J. Kotchen provides an evaluation of how the Connecticut Clean Energy Communities program affects household decisions to voluntarily purchase “green” electricity, which is electricity generated from renewable sources of energy. The results suggest that, within participating communities, subsidizing municipal...
Read more »
In 1953, the Netherlands was swamped. The North Sea washed over half a million acres of land and killed over 1,800 people on the south-western coast. The disaster prodded the Dutch government into embarking on one of the greatest engineering projects in history. Over the following decades, engineers constructed a vast network of dams, sluices, locks, dykes and storm-surge barriers...
Read more »
Combined heat-and-power (CHP) facilities using renewable fuels to produce heat — and electric power – for industrial processes in large factories have become a central component of the UK’s low-carbon strategy.
Read more »
Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) market is poised for continued growth in the coming years. REC sales in the compliance market alone will increase more than 50 percent by 2015, reaching 179 million megawatt hour (MWh), according to a new report from Pike Research. In a forecast scenario that includes passage of a federal Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS), the report predicts...
Read more »
Washington State is moving forward on plans to enter into long-term biomass supply agreements with biomass energy companies. The state recently enacted the Forest Biomass Supply Agreements Bill, which will enable companies to secure reliable and predictably priced biomass feedstock from state forest lands. Supporters claim the measure will boost the timber economy while...
Read more »
UK MPs call for climate date to be more open, scrutinised (Financial Times, BBC, 31 March 2010) The UK Commons Science and Technology Committee, following an investigation into the University of East Anglia (UEA) “climategate” e-mail scandal, cleared professor Phil Jones and the Climate Research Unit of accusations that data was tampered with, but...
Read more »
Joint Statement: United States -Japan Cooperation on APEC March 29, 2010 Japan and the United States, as the hosts of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in 2010 and 2011, are cooperating closely to achieve substantive outcomes that will contribute to the growth and prosperity of the Asia-Pacific region. Together with the other APEC economies,...
Read more »
A new report on technology transfer, “Advancing technology transfer for climate change mitigation,” examines the international governance of technology transfer, the performance of different instruments in delivering new technologies and proposals aiming at increased technology transfer. The study also examines a number of critical conditions for technology oriented treaties that can effectively promote technology...
Read more »