By Benjamin M. Attia Access to electricity is a key catalyst correlated with economic development. The International Energy Agency (IEA) recently estimated that over 1.5 billion people do not have access to affordable electricity, representing one quarter of the world’s population [1]. In the absence of aggressive new policies and significant financing, it is estimated that […]
Read More »The Green Cred of Bike Sharing Programs
A.L. Smith The announcement that Philadelphia will be rolling out its new bicycle sharing program this spring gives me a minute to reflect on the pros and cons of this new type of transportation infrastructure. First off, a bit about the program. The program will be implemented in two phases. The first is this spring […]
Read More »Mobilizing Public and Private Capital for Clean Energy Financing
By Joseph Nyangon Innovative financing, increased capital investment and technological improvement are catalyzing renewable energy growth. The energy market in the United States is undergoing a dramatic transformation, driven by technological advancement, market dynamics, and better policies and laws—none of which was a decade ago. Venture capitalists made huge profits from the computing boom of the 1980s, […]
Read More »Energy Dilemma of Ethical Cities and the Solar City’s Promise
By Job Taminiau, Jeongseok Seo and Joohee Lee No one in large cities would want to have a nuclear or a coal-fired power plant in their residential boundaries. Recognizing environmental and health risks of conventional power plants, it becomes increasingly unthinkable to propose the construction of such power plants near populous areas. Instead, remote locations are […]
Read More »Water: An Additional Reason for Rapid Deployment of Sustainable Energy Technologies
No one denies the importance of water. Our life depends on it and we need it to survive. However, we don’t always know the worth of water until the well runs dry or unless we live in drought-stricken parts of the world.
Read More »Obama’s Budget Proposals for Clean Energy and Climate Investment
President Obama has released a $4 trillion budget proposal for FY 2016. It contains a range of programs designed to encourage deployment of the next generation clean energy and energy efficiency technologies.
Read More »Pathways to Deep Decarbonization Report
Key findings of this report show that total CO2-energy emissions from the identified 15 preliminary deep decarbonization pathways can lead to a decrease in emissions by 45%. While this does not achieve the full decarbonization needed to assure to stay below 2 degree Celsius limit, the report stresses that pathways can be immediately implemented, which moves us substantially toward a global goal of living sustainably.
Read More »