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News
Upcoming Events
January Seminar: Methane Hydrates
Kelly Rose
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On January 8, NREL's Strategic Energy Analysis Center (SEAC) and DOE/EERE's Office of Planning, Budget, and Analysis (PBA) will present a seminar (in Washington, D.C.) discussing methane hydrates. Since 2000, the National Methane Hydrate R&D Program has supported a wide range of laboratory, engineering, and field projects that improve the understanding of methane hydrates (an ice-like substance in which methane molecules are trapped inside a lattice of water molecules). The program has examined the fundamental nature of hydrates, hydrate-bearing sediments, and the interaction between global methane hydrate accumulations and the world's oceans and atmosphere. The National Energy Technology Laboratory's (NETL's) Methane Hydrates Field Studies Laboratory supports these goals by conducting geologically based studies of gas hydrate systems. During this presentation, Kelly Rose (research lead) will provide an overview of NETL's work, outline how it supports the goals of the program, and discuss plans for future studies that include climate and seafloor stability.
February 12, 2009
"Economic Development Impacts from 1,000 MW of Wind Energy in Texas, Iowa, Washington, Pennsylvania" — Sandra Reategui (NREL)
April 9, 2009
"From Green Process Design, to Industrial Ecology, to Sustainability" — Urmila Diwekar (Center for Uncertain Systems: Tools for Optimization and Management)
For more information on the seminar series — including log-in and call-in information for remote access — visit the Web site.
Publications and Web Sites
Some of the documents in this section are available as Adobe Acrobat PDFs.
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International Clean Energy Cooperation
NREL, along with a group of key stakeholders, recently released the report "Strengthening U.S. Leadership of International Clean Energy Cooperation" (PDF 1.4 MB). Pressing economic, energy security, and environmental concerns are driving rapid growth in global investments in renewable energy (RE), energy efficiency (EE), and other clean energy technologies. The U.S. government has an unparalleled opportunity to join forces with the private sector, international institutions, and other countries to accelerate this global clean energy market transformation and capture vital domestic benefits. The global financial crisis creates an even more urgent need for government programs to stimulate private investment in RE and EE, which will foster U.S. and international job creation and economic vitality. This report presents proceedings of consultations with U.S. stakeholders that identified four overarching strategies for enhanced U.S. international clean energy cooperation — 1) establish government-wide goals, an action plan, and strengthened international leadership; 2) revitalize U.S. investment-facilitation programs; 3) accelerate clean energy technology cooperation; and 4) pursue market reform partnerships with key developing countries. These strategies and actions in support of each are presented in this report.
Assessment of Jatropha Biodiesel
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NREL analyst Garvin Heath and Michael Whitaker (Symbiotic Engineering) recently published the report "Life Cycle Assessment of the Use of Jatropha Biodiesel in Indian Locomotives" (PDF 1.8 MB). With India's transportation sector relying heavily on imported petroleum-based fuels, the Planning Commission of India and the Indian government recommended the increased use of blended biodiesel in transportation fleets, identifying Jatropha as a potentially important biomass feedstock. The Indian Oil Corporation and Indian Railways are collaborating to increase the use of biodiesel blends in Indian locomotives with blends of up to B20, aiming to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and decrease petroleum consumption. To help evaluate the potential for Jatropha-based biodiesel in achieving sustainability and energy security goals, this study examines the life cycle, net GHG emission, net energy ratio, and petroleum displacement impacts of integrating Jatropha-based biodiesel into locomotive operations in India. In addition, this study identifies the parameters that have the greatest impact on the sustainability of the system.
Investment in Solar Energy
SEAC analyst Robert Margolis, along with Charles Jennings (Financial Analytics Consulting Corporation) and John E. Bartlett (New West Technologies), recently published the report "Historical Analysis of Investment in Solar Energy Technologies (2000-2007)" (PDF 960 KB). The solar energy industry experienced unprecedented growth from 2000 to 2007, with explosive growth occurring in the latter half of this period. From 2004 to 2007, global private-sector investment in solar energy increased almost twenty-fold, marking a dramatic increase in the short span of four years. This paper examines the timing, magnitude, focus, and location of various forms of investment in the solar energy sector. It analyzes the trends, which provide an understanding of the growth of the solar industry during the past eight years and help identify emerging themes in this rapidly evolving industry.
Analysts Meet With Stakeholders
SEAC analyst Gail Mosey attended the annual conference for the U.S. Association for Energy Economics (USAEE) held in New Orleans on December 3-5. Mosey presided over the session "Economics of Energy Efficiency and Low Carbon Fuel Standards (LCFS)." The session discussed analysis of willingness to pay for emissions reduction under uncertainty, residential energy efficiency opportunities in New England, and the economics of a low-carbon fuel standard.
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