Tag: energy

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Green Energy Advisory Task Force Report Released

The BC Ministry of Energy,  Mines and Petroleum released the Green Energy Advisory Task Force Report on Wednesday.  The province also passed the Clean Energy Act (Bill 17) on the same day.  According to the BC News Release the Act builds on a number of recommendations from the task force, including:

  • Confirming our commitment to the Heritage Contract, to ensure B.C. ratepayers continue to receive the benefits of B.C.’s low-cost electricity assets.
  • Moving forward on critical infrastructure projects such as Site C and the Mica and Revelstoke upgrades.
  • Increasing B.C.’s clean energy supply to meet domestic and future export demand.
  • Better align implementation of policy between BC Hydro and BCUC and review the need for a separate transmission corporation.
  • Enabling utilities to implement initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and/or improve energy efficiency, such as encouraging installation of high-efficiency heating systems like heat pumps or vehicle electrification and charging infrastructure.
  • Creating a First Nations Clean Energy Business Fund to support revenue sharing opportunities and to increase First Nations participation in clean energy resource development.

For another opinion read the article What Voters weren’t told about the Clean Energy Act from the Tyee.

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New report: Hidden Costs of Energy: Unpriced Consequences of Energy Production and Use

From National Academies Press website: “Hidden Costs of Energy defines and evaluates key external costs and benefits that are associated with the production, distribution, and use of energy, but not reflected in market prices. In aggregate, the damage estimates presented here are substantial, and reflect damages from air pollution associated with electricity generation, motor vehicle transportation, and heat generation. The book also considers other effects not quantified in dollar amounts, such as damages from climate change, effects of some air pollutants such as mercury, and risks to national security.

While not a comprehensive guide to policy, this analysis indicates that major initiatives to further reduce other emissions, improve energy efficiency, or shift to a cleaner electricity-generating mix could substantially reduce the damages of external effects. A first step in minimizing the adverse consequences of new energy technologies is to better understand these external effects and damages. Hidden Costs of Energy will therefore be a vital informational tool for government policy makers, scientists, and economists in even the earliest stages of research and development on energy technologies.”

For full report (available on the National Academies website)  scroll down towards the bottom of the page.

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Online Resource (Free)

New site from the Energy Information Assn (EIA)

The EIA has just launched a new consumer information site called “Energy Explained, Your Guide to Understanding Energy.”  The site provides a wealth of information on energy: consumption and production statistics, energy units and conversion calculators, energy and the environment, and renewable/non-renewable energy sources.  Also provides some information/statistics on international oil production, consumption and reserves.  While the site is aimed at consumers and is written in simple, non-jargon laden language, it is chock-full of useful facts and statistics and also provides links to EIA key titles, such as:

  • Energy Perspectives : “a graphical overview of energy history in the United States…. revealing sweeping trends related to the Nation’s acquisition and use of energy from 1949 through 2008.”
  • Annual Energy Outlook 2009 : “presents projections and analysis of US energy supply, demand, and prices through 2030.”
  • Monthly Energy Review : the EIA’s “primary report of recent energy statistics. Included are total energy production, consumption, and trade; energy prices; overviews of petroleum, natural gas, coal, electricity, nuclear energy, renewable energy, and international petroleum; carbon dioxide emissions; and data unit conversions.”
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Online Resource (Free)

Social Science Data Search at Berkeley

The Doe & Moffitt Libraries at the University of California, Berkeley have recently launched a Google Custom Search engine on site that “targets 800+ academic, government agency, non-profit, and other web sites that provide high quality, downloadable statistical information and data sets. Emphasis is on data pertaining to the social sciences, health, developing countries, energy, natural resources, and the environment.”

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