Guest Contributor

With energy demand expected to double by 2030, Pakistan shows significant growth potential for energy investment opportunities in the near term. By way of one of the most liberal foreign investment regimes in South Asia, Pakistan presents investment opportunities across the spectrum, from coal based power projects to natural gas and renewables. The Government of Pakistan attaches high priority to oil and gas exploration and the sector remains the major target of foreign investors.  But, with new clean energy partnerships, opportunities exist for investment in innovative technologies.  Boasting new policy frameworks, Pakistan is positioning itself to efficiently exploit its resources and leverage investments in newer energy technologies.

Topics: Renewable Energy, Energy Investment, Pakistan, Pakistan Energy, Pakistan Energy Investment

Food waste is a major problem in the US. Studies show that around 40% of all food produced in the US gets wasted at some point in the food chain. According to the EPA, food waste is the second largest category of municipal solid waste sent to landfills, accounting for 18% of their waste stream. Left to decompose in landfills, food waste creates methane gas, a lethal greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change and global warming. EPA has found that, pound for pound, the comparative impact of methane gas on climate change is more than 25 times greater than carbon dioxide.

Topics: Biomass, university renewable energy, university sustainability, Methane, biogas, waste disposal, Energy Project Finance, Green Energy, biodigestor, food waste, waste to energy, Green house gas, Project Finance, College campus, Trayless Dining, Composting, energy, Energy Project, biodigester, university energy, clean energy, Climate change, College

“Never have the stakes been so high because this is about the future of the planet, the future of life” notes French President Francois Hollande with respect to the 21st Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 21). Representatives from more than 190 nations are currently gathered in Paris to discuss a possible new global agreement on climate change, aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Global emissions have steadily increased over the past 15 years, but according to a study, published in the journal Nature Climate Change and presented at COP 21, global emissions from fossil-based fuels and industry are likely to have fallen 0.6 percent in 2015, even as the world’s economy has grown. The representatives attending the conference hope to capitalize on this opportunity and continue the work to reduce emissions.

Topics: Energy Policy, Renewable Energy, COP21

Co-author Emma Spath

In the midst of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in March 2011, electric vehicle (EV) batteries were used in an unusual and innovative way—as energy storage.  The earthquake caused a plant shutdown, but the following Tsunami waters damaged the back-up diesel generators responsible for cooling the plant’s systems.  Many do not realize that as the situation in the nuclear reactors became increasingly dire and with no ability to generate power onsite, the Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) brought in fully-charged EV batteries to supply electricity, restart the pumps, and reestablish steady water circulation for cooling.  Fukushima demonstrated to the world that EV batteries can not only be used for transportation, but also as mobile power sources able to resupply the power grid.

Topics: Energy Storage, Renewable Energy, Electric Vehicles

Our inability to provide enough skilled labor presents real and serious challenges to our ability to meet America’s energy demands over the coming decades. A Deloitte Survey from a few years ago put this in stark perspective with 70% of respondents from throughout the U.S. energy industry answering that given the current labor force, they would not be able to meet their future staffing needs. During 2014, the solar industry created jobs 20 times faster than the overall economy, and labor shortages were a consistent struggle in the boom times of shale oil production.

Topics: Energy Policy, Energy Finance, Renewable Energy

Particularly in the West, hydropower long has provided a significant portion of the energy required to meet the needs of a growing population. Increasingly, however, the circumstances that led to the dominant role played by hydropower generation in providing nearly boundless energy supplies in many parts of the country are changing. Factors that were not known about or anticipated in the decades when much of our existing hydropower infrastructure was constructed are creating challenges both to the long-term reliability and continued cost-effectiveness of traditional hydropower. Climate change and other factors are predicted to alter both the timing and pattern of precipitation and associated runoff that largely determines the availability and amount of hydropower.

Topics: Water Energy Nexus, Water, Energy Security, Energy Policy, Energy Efficiency, Energy Management

Topics: Utilities, Energy Policy, Legislation, Distributed Energy, Solar Energy, Renewable Energy

Co-authors Josh Sturtevant and Morgan Gerard

Topics: Structured Transactions & Tax, Energy Efficiency, Power Generation, Energy Finance, Distributed Energy, Energy Management, Solar Energy, Renewable Energy

Topics: Utilities, NY REV, Energy Policy, Microgrid, Energy Finance, Distributed Energy, Energy Management, Solar Energy, Renewable Energy

Topics: Utilities, NY REV, Energy Policy, Energy Efficiency, Energy Finance, Distributed Energy, Energy Management, Solar Energy, Renewable Energy