The second wave of biofuels such as cellulosic ethanol, algae and others bypass the food vs. fuel controversy and are on the cusp of commercialization. This webinar will review the latest developments in the advanced biofuel space with leading companies more...
Join Intelligent Utility managing editor Kate Rowland, along with a panel from PHI including Rob Stewart, manager of technology evaluation and implementation, and Todd McGregor, AMI director, for an interactive discussion about this company's work to build a more intelligent more...
Join industry leaders and Marty Rosenberg, Editor-in-Chief of EnergyBiz magazine, for an interactive discussion about the critical relationship between transmission and distribution (T&D) investment and smart grid success. As the energy enterprise gets smarter toward the consumer end with smart more...
This webcast should be attended by those individuals that are responsible for identifying, planning and evaluating Smart Grid solutions, including those that empower and engage consumers and are easily assimilated with existing or new technology and business processes. more...
ACI's Smart Grid Revolution February 18-19, 2010 A two day strategic event bringing together utility professionals, government & state officials & consultants involved in deployment of the smart grid. To learn strategies which will improve energy efficiency programs & operations, more...
In 2009, a global economic meltdown collided with an energy crisis to turn the world on its ear. In the United States we've witnessed an unprecedented spending on energy resource development and infrastructure. As a result, a new energy architecture more...
CERAWeek, IHS CERA's 29th Executive Conference, is recognized as a leading forum offering insight into the energy future. Each year senior policymakers, energy and power executives, and financial and technology leaders from over 55 countries engage with CERA experts in more...
The conference will provide a comprehensive analysis of the thin film industry and its key challenges in an interactive manner. Leading companies will share their experiences through panel debates and high-level presentations. A great opportunity to network with the whole more...
Gas and Electric Business Understanding provides a comprehensive overview of the natural gas and electric industries. Position yourself for career success by gaining a solid understanding of how each business works, including key physical, market and regulatory aspects, as well more...
Gas Business Understanding provides a comprehensive overview of the natural gas industry. Position yourself for career advancement by gaining a solid understanding of how the gas business works including key physical, market, and regulatory aspects and how market participants navigate more...
Electric Business Understanding provides a comprehensive overview of the electric industry. Position yourself for career advancement by gaining a solid understanding of how the electric business works including key physical, market, and regulatory aspects and how market participants navigate this more...
Gas Market Dynamics offers participants an in-depth understanding of North American natural gas markets and how they function. Enhance your career by furthering your knowledge of market structure, supply and demand, services offered in gas markets, and how various participants more...
Tam Hunt is president of Community Renewable Solutions, LLC, and a Lecturer in climate change law and policy at the UC Santa Barbara Bren School of Environmental Science & Management.
Articles
8.24.09
The Right FIT for California
Topic: Policy, Regulatory & Legal Article Viewed 2520 Times;
18 comments California is on the precipice of passing into law a game-changing Feed-In Tariff (FIT) policy that will unleash the tremendous potential of renewable energy and provide a massive economic boost in California.
A great day for renewable energy
Topic: Policy, Regulatory & Legal Article Viewed 4337 Times;
48 comments With President-elect Obama closing the deal in a resounding manner, let's review his proposed energy policies. Obama has long called for action to mitigate climate change and to decrease foreign energy dependence. Obama has not to my knowledge ever discussed peak oil, but the general rubric of "energy independence" captures some of the key features of the peak oil discussion.
4.4.08
The State of Large-Scale Solar
Topic: Solar Article Viewed 6243 Times;
49 comments Large-scale solar is about to rise on the energy scene with unprecedented impact. The revolution in small-scale solar is well-known, with installation of small solar systems in California, New Jersey, Germany, Japan and Spain setting records each year. But the time for 5 megawatt and over systems seems to have arrived.
Santa Barbara Explores the Art of the Possible
Topic: Energy Efficiency Article Viewed 4206 Times;
172 comments Some say governments move too slowly and that bureaucracies can impede progress. But in October the Santa Barbara City Council and staff bucked the stereotype and moved to approve a potentially momentous change in the building code. With broad support from developers, architects, contractors, and the environmental community, the City increased the energy efficiency standards for all new construction.
11.28.07
Local governments get serious about energy and climate change
Topic: Environmental, Emissions & Carbon Management Article Viewed 3951 Times;
69 comments Despite the Democratic takeover of Congress last year and the President's acknowledgment that "we are addicted to oil," the federal government can't get its act together when it comes to energy and climate change. Democrats have now controlled Congress for almost a year, with climate change as a top priority for action. Yet nothing has happened.
How do we get off fossil fuels?
Topic: Demand Response Article Viewed 5142 Times;
85 comments Moving away from fossil fuels should be the top environmental and economic priority for the Central Coast region of California and our nation. Simply put, we can no longer afford to rely on fossil fuels - oil, coal, and gas - for most of our energy. The key problems stemming from our reliance on fossil fuels are climate change, oil and gas depletion ("peak oil"), national security issues arising from having to import foreign oil, and air pollution.
7.12.06
Rebutting the naysayers on climate change
Topic: Environmental, Emissions & Carbon Management Article Viewed 8050 Times;
62 comments A healthy popular debate over climate change has emerged since An Inconvenient Truth, a documentary featuring Al Gore and his traveling slideshow, hit theaters last month. Gore, in his cinematic slideshow, makes a compelling case for the notion that humans are monkeying with the atmosphere in a very dangerous way.
5.30.06
If Sweden Can Do It, Can't Santa Barbara?
Topic: Environmental, Emissions & Carbon Management Article Viewed 7419 Times;
23 comments Sweden surprised the world last year by announcing its intention to get off oil by 2020. We'd like to think the Swedes got the idea here in Santa Barbara, California - the Community Environmental Council, based in Santa Barbara, has been calling for "fossil free by 2033" for a couple of years, and the City of Santa Barbara is performing a greenhouse gas inventory and is on its way to adopting similarly ambitious goals for its energy use.
Does Nuclear Power Really Make Sense?
Topic: Nuclear Article Viewed 14634 Times;
172 comments With Earth Day upon us, it's important to refresh our memories about the dangers of nuclear power. The promoters of nuclear power, corporate and political, are attempting to make nuclear power the wave of the future, in the U.S. and much of the world. In doing so, most of the negative aspects of nuclear power -- those common-sense reasons that prevented nuclear power plants from being built in the U.S. for some 30 years -- are being swept under the rug.
2.1.06
We don't need LNG in California
Topic: Fossil & Biomass Article Viewed 13455 Times;
45 comments January 28, 1969. It was the largest oil spill our nation had seen up until that point - a catastrophic blowout from an oil platform off of Santa Barbara in southern California that spread an 800 square-mile oil slick along a thirty mile coastline.
10.2.03
Community Choice Good for Pocketbooks and Environment
Topic: Business & Corporate Article Viewed 3752 Times;
1 comments Renewable energy has come of age. A recent report on the state of the
renewable energy industry concludes: "Dramatic improvements in performance, as well as government incentives, have resulted in reduced costs that are quickly making renewable energy technologies competitive with traditional forms of electricity generation...." .
