January 30, 2008

Oil companies have struck a potentially rich vein with respect to stranded national gas reserves. They no longer need to flare it. They can now bring it to market in the form of liquefied natural gas, or LNG.

But a central question is whether the oil companies and the host nations trust each other enough to allow this development to occur. Dissension from locals who fear being ripped off by Western capitalists is high. But the oil companies say that they work hard to fulfill their social compact while still honoring their investors.

January 28, 2008

Fuel cells are creating a lot of fanfare. But is it warranted? While some say that those hydrogen-oriented devices and the clean byproducts they release are not inevitable, others say that they are playing key roles now that will only grow.

Hydrogen, a carrier of energy, has many applications. It can be used to fuel vehicles, power stations and heavy equipment. One of most burgeoning niches is that of back-up power whereby companies that provide essential services can ill-afford a loss of service and the subsequent revenues. Telecommunications enterprises, for instance, have been pushed by federal regulators and customers alike to beef up their operations and particularly after some natural disasters knocked out services for extended periods.

January 25, 2008

Burning coal creates a sensitive waste that could ultimately become a beneficial byproduct used in building materials and cement.

Coal waste actually falls under the guidelines set for non-municipal, non-hazardous waste. The rules governing its disposal are vague, allowing the substance to be regulated by the state that establishes the appropriate rules for each site. At present, most such waste is buried in landfills. But promising technologies are emerging that allow it to be converted into other, more useful products.

January 21, 2008

Consumers respond to retail sales. And so the thinking goes they might react in kind to changing electricity prices - if they could track them. After studying this concept for one year, the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory proclaimed that, on average, participants saved 10 percent and during peak periods, they saved 15 percent.

It's never been a question of whether the tools would develop to allow such efficiencies. It's always been an issue over whether consumers would respond to the supply and demand curve that electricity follows. Researchers now conclude that by using relatively simple web-based programs, they will do so.

January 18, 2008

Piles of ugly waste-coal dot Pennsylvania's landscape. But now an international power plant designer will take that abandoned mine cast-off and use it to create steam and additional electricity. Sithe Global, which is applying for permits to build such a 300-megawatt power plant, says that there is enough waste-coal to last well into the future.

Waste-coal, which is poor quality coal that is mixed in with dirt and which has sat idle for decades, poses a serious threat to the landscape and to local water quality. By reusing it, power companies not only mitigate those hazards but they also harness what would otherwise be a continuing menace.