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Week in Energy Newsletter

Welcome to the sixth edition of the ESTP Energy

Newsletter! Send your energy news and updates to

the editor at efairman@andrew.cmu.edu, currently

a graduate student at Carnegie Mellon University.

Use the following link to explore the Energy

Science, Technology, and Policy Master’s program:

http://www.cmu.edu/engineering/estp.

The editor just returned from the Society of Women Engineers National Conference in Los

Angeles, where industry experts spoke about everything from “The Future of Natural Gas” and

“Solar Electricity 101” to “Smart Grid—Does Your Grid Need an Education (and How to Make it

Get One Fast)?” and “Energy Efficiency in Your Home and Business: Going Beyond Twisty Light

Bulbs.” If you’d like to learn more about opportunities for collegiate and professionals through the

Society of Women Engineers, use the following link: http://societyofwomenengineers.swe.org/.

In this Edition…

Industry

Research

Project Funding

US Policy

International News

Industry

Transportation

Price hike by BNSF Railway Co.

The Burlington Northern and Santa Fe (BNSF) Railway Company has announced a $1000 price

hike on older railcars. The cars that that will be affected are the DOT-111s built prior to strict

industry standards. This pricing change will especially impact oil companies that transport crude

oil by rail. Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-10-24/berkshire-s-bnsf-to-add-

surcharge-on-older-oil-tank-cars.html

Auto Manufacturers are Shifting Toward Fuel Cells

Hydrogen fuel cells are becoming more and more popular as the auto industry reduces its reliance

on gasoline and other fossil fuels. Although there are a lack of fueling stations available for fuel-

cell-powered vehicles, just like for electric vehicles, perhaps future policy and renewable fuel

standards will change the current infrastructure.

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Los Angeles Times: http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-fuel-cell-cars-20141026-

story.html#page=1

Learn more from Toyota Motor Corp.: http://www.toyota.com/fuelcell/

Learn more from Ford Motor Co.: http://corporate.ford.com/microsites/sustainability-report-

2011-12/environment-products-plan-migration-fcv

Learn more from General Motors:

http://media.gm.com/media/us/en/gm/news.detail.html/content/Pages/news/us/en/2013/Oct/1022

-fc-equinox.html

Efficiency

Waste Consultant Reduces Landfill

Rubicon acts as a waste consultant for companies that hire waste management firms, looking for

unique recycling opportunities and reducing prices. There is a large economic opportunity in the

waste management industry. Read more from the New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/26/business/dividing-and-conquering-the-trash.html?_r=2

Incidentally, biogas has been gaining in popularity, according to the New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/30/business/energy-environment/biogas-low-tech-fuel-with-a-

big-payoff.html?_r=0

Energy Storage Battery Plant

A large-scale electric battery storage plant could smooth electric power demand between peak and

off-peak hours. Alevo Group SA, a Swiss company, recently received major investment from

China-ZK International Energy Investment Co. Ltd. and Sandi Group to construct their storage

facility in North Carolina.

Read about the project from Bloomberg: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-10-27/alevo-

planning-battery-plant-in-former-cigarette-factory.html

A Newer, Better LED

Cree Inc. has developed a more efficiency incandescent-replacement LED that does not contain

mercury.

See the bulb on Cree Inc.’s website: http://www.cree.com/

Read more about the lightbulb: http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2014/10/new_light-

weight_led_bulb_from.html

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Solar Energy

PV Solar Systems Expected to Drop in Price

Based on a Department of Energy report, the price of PV arrays will continue to drop in the near

future. Read the DOE report here: http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy14osti/62558.pdf

Trouble with Minnesota Solar Project (and other Midwest energy news)

Xcel Energy Inc. announced three solar projects to be constructed in Minnesota; however, the

projects are losing favor as a PA-based company may construct the largest solar array—100 MW

north of Twin Cities—rather than a MN-based developer.

The following Star Tribune article announces the Minnesotan solar projects:

http://www.startribune.com/business/280383452.html

Interested in more energy news in the Midwest? There has been a rate dispute between Michigan

and Wisconsin over a coal-fired power plant on the southern shore of Lake Superior, while

meanwhile Wisconsin chose to invest in a new upper Michigan power plant. Read more here:

http://www.midwestenergynews.com/tag/transmission/

Expanding Solar Industry in Oregon

The solar manufacturing company SolarWorld Americas has announced a $10M expansion of its

current facility. Read more from the New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/31/business/solarworld-plans-to-add-200-jobs-and-increase-

production.html?_r=0

Wind Energy

Pentagon Opposes Wind Energy Project

The Pentagon has formally objected to a wind energy project on the Eastern Shore. Read more

from this Baltimore Sun article: http://www.baltimoresun.com/features/green/blog/bs-md-

pentagon-wind-project-20141030-story.html

Research

What Happens to Oil after a Spill?

It is important to understand where oil goes, as well as how much, after a spill in the ocean. This

understanding will serve to predict damage from future spills. Read the original study using the

following link: http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2014/10/23/1414873111.full.pdf+html

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Off-Shore Drilling Opportunities

The U.S. Geological Survey has released a report on drilling opportunities in the Gulf Coast.

Read the report here: http://www.doi.gov/oig/reports/upload/CR-IS-GSV-0008-2014Public1.pdf

What drives U.S. gasoline prices?

The EIA report (http://www.eia.gov/analysis/studies/gasoline/pdf/gasolinepricestudy.pdf)

concludes that domestic crude oil exports will cause U.S. crude oil prices to rise, which will in

turn cause gasoline prices to fall.

Nuclear Energy Institute Poll

What do Americans think of nuclear power? The Nuclear Energy Institute’s poll (access here:

http://www.eenews.net/assets/2014/10/28/document_gw_03.pdf) concludes that 62% of those

surveyed consider nuclear power a climate change solution.

A New Science Fiction Book

“The Collapse of Western Civilization: A View from the Future,” written by Naomi Oreskes and

Erik M. Conway, is told from the perspective of a Chinese historian in 2393 explaining the Great

Collapse of 2093 due to climate change. Buy it on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/The-

Collapse-Western-Civilization-Future/dp/023116954X

Project Funding

The National Park Service Invests in Energy Efficiency

Around eighty energy efficiency and water conservation projects in the local Washington, DC area

are being financed by the National Park Service. See the National Park Service news update:

http://www.nps.gov/mono/parknews/washington-area-national-parks-make-nationally-

unprecedented-investment-in-energy-conservation.htm

Remote Community Renewable Energy Partnership in Alaska

This partnership encourages the use of renewable energy sources in rural Alaska, and it has just

been enhanced by $300,000 from the Interior Department. Many of the rural communities in

Alaska rely heavily on diesel fuel, which can be expensive. Thus, the Interior has also decided to

contribute $100,000 to an effort to improve renewable-diesel technology used to synchronize local

microgrid systems by NREL.

Listen/read the news from the Alaskan station KUAC here: http://fm.kuac.org/post/department-

interior-doubles-budget-decrease-reliance-diesel-remote-alaska

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DOT Announces Funding for Bus Fleets

The Department of Transportation has announced $100M in funding to improve public

transportation. Many of the new buses will be fueled with diesel, natural gas, or hybrid technology.

Federal Transit Administration news update:

http://www.fta.dot.gov/newsroom/news_releases/12286_16155.html

American Public Transportation Association 2014 Fact Book:

http://www.apta.com/resources/statistics/Documents/FactBook/2014-APTA-Fact-Book-

Appendix-A.pdf

Cleantech Innovation Incubator

Wells Fargo has announced a $10M grant that will be administered by the National Renewable

Energy Laboratory to help clean-technology startups move from lab to market. This project is the

first of its kind within the banking industry.

Wells Fargo news update: https://www.wellsfargo.com/about/press/2014/cleantech-innovation-

incubator_1028/

DOE Announces Nuclear Innovation Awards

The Department of Energy has announced $13M for five projects that would accelerate the

development of next-generation nuclear reactors. Those five projects include:

1. AREVA Federal Services, TerraPower, Argonne National Laboratory, and Texas A&M

University to model and simulate longer-life cores for liquid metal cooled fast reactor assemblies

2-3. Argonne National Lab has two partnerships with:

GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy to create next-generation risk assessment methodologies

Westinghouse Electric Co. and the University of Pittsburgh to develop thermo-acoustic

sensors for sodium-cooled fast reactors

4. Westinghouse with Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP) Alliance, AREVA, UltraSafe

Nuclear, and Texas A& to examine high temperature gas reactor post-accident heat removal

5. General Atomics, University of California at San Diego, and University of South Carolina to

fabricate and test complex silicon carbide structures that apply to advanced reactor concepts

Read more details about these awards from Power: http://www.powermag.com/doe-announces-

13-m-in-nuclear-innovation-awards/

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DOE and the U.S. Navy to Invest in Wave Energy

It has been announced that $10M will be invested to test wave energy conversion devices off the

coast of Hawaii. The companies that will conduct the testing include Ocean Energy USA LLC

and Northwest Energy Innovations (NWEI).

News update from NWEI: http://azurawave.com/wets-award/

News update from Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy:

http://energy.gov/eere/articles/energy-department-announces-10-million-full-scale-wave-energy-

device-testing

U.S. Policy

Carbon Emissions Cuts in California

Will the California law requiring carbon emissions cuts within the state have an effect on climate

change? See what the Los Angeles Times have to say: http://www.latimes.com/science/la-me-

climate-shell-game-20141026-story.html#page=1

Federal Agencies Announce Climate Change Plan

The Council on Environmental Quality has released a progress report

(http://www.performance.gov/node/3406/view?view=public#supporting-info) from 38 federal

agencies who have announced their updated plans to improve their carbon footprint and

sustainability.

International News

U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change

The United Nations recently approved a plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions within the European

Union. This international agreement is expected to be signed in Paris in 2015. The agreement

includes commitments from all countries within the EU to reach a target of 40% reduction in GHG

emissions by 2030. If you would like to learn more about the convention, use this link:

http://unfccc.int/2860.php.

Brazil-US Symposium

International scientists gathered to discuss joint projects on the Amazon rainforest and its role in

global climate change. Read more about the symposium here: http://www.fapesp.br/en/9038

Where are the Top Developing Markets for Clean Energy?

Bloomberg New Energy Finance: http://global-climatescope.org/en/

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IAEA Report on Africa

The International Atomic Energy Agency has released a report stating that Africa has great

potential for renewable energy projects. Read the report here:

http://www.iea.org/publications/freepublications/publication/WEO2014_AfricaEnergyOutlook.p

df

Ukraine and Russia Reach Agreement

Russia will continue to deliver natural gas to Ukraine, according to the following New York

Times article: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/31/business/international/ukraine-and-russia-

reach-deal-on-natural-gas-supplies.html?_r=0

Floating LNG Factory

Lithuania has responded to Russia’s influence in the energy sector by implementing a vessel that

is capable of converting LNG. Read more in this New York Times article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/28/business/energy-environment/lithuania-offers-example-of-

how-to-break-russias-grip-on-energy.html?_r=0

Supercomputer in UK

A new supercomputer is set to model meteorological responses to climate change. Learn more

about the computer from BBC News: http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-29789208

Tidal Power Project in UK

Tidal Lagoon Power Ltd. has proposed the generation of up to 10% of Britain’s energy off the

coast of Wales, using tidal power as an energy source. The project would cost about $1.6B. Read

the New York Times article: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/29/business/energy-

environment/swansea-bay-generating-power-from-tidal-lagoons.html?_r=0

How to Curb Carbon Permits in UK and Germany?

Carbon dioxide emissions are traded on the European Union market, but there has been an

accumulated surplus of permits. How should the carbon market be stabilized? Read the

Bloomberg article: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-10-28/u-k-sees-good-chances-of-

early-start-to-eu-carbon-fix.html