Nuclear energy provides nearly one-fifth of America’s electricity generation capacity but the most recently constructed nuclear power plant dates back to 1978. So far this year, four of America’s aging nuclear reactors have been shut down permanently, reducing net electrical capacity by 3 percent nationwide this summer. Globally, nuclear power generation has declined from a peak of 17 percent of the power mix in 1993 to roughly 10 percent last year, as the average age of the nuclear reactor fleet reached 28 years.
Topics: News Update
Early this year there was a great deal of public discourse around efforts to roll back state renewable portfolio standards (RPS), but not all the RPS action in state legislatures this year has been negative. In total, there are 121 unique proposals introduced since January to increase, modify or rollback state RPS policies. As this year’s session comes to a close in most states, its time to take stock of how RPS polices have fared.
Topics: State Policy, Guest Post
Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz announced yesterday that the Department of Energy (DOE) will make $8 billion available for loan guarantees for advanced fossil energy projects. As referenced in President Obama’s climate speech last week, this backing of technology innovation in the use of fossil fuels is one part of the Administration’s approach to making all forms of energy we use cleaner and more efficient.
The draft solicitation outlines DOE’s interest in supporting four specific technology areas (for details, see the solicitation fact sheet):
Topics: Federal Priorities
[WE RECOMMEND LISTENING TO THIS PODCAST WHILE USING THE ADVANCED ENERGY LEGISLATIVE TRACKER TOOL AT www.aeltracker.org]
While this podcast is one joint project of the Advanced Energy Economy and the Center for the New Energy Economy, another one was just launched on May 7. The Advanced Energy Legislative Tracker - AELTracker.
Topics: State Policy
This week President Obama unveiled his “Climate Action Plan” in a speech at Georgetown University. The plan (which we previewed in last week’s news round-up) incorporates policies like new energy efficiency standards, increased advanced energy deployment on public lands, and performance standards for new and existing power plants. The plan moves the United States “toward a smarter energy future” and will “make the U.S. more of a leader in advanced energy, which is a $1 trillion global market opportunity for American companies and American workers,” AEE’s CEO Graham Richard said.
Topics: News Update