March 2008

How is Changing a Government Mandate “Killing” the Electric Car?

Lynne KIesling Can someone please explain the logic of the argument in this Wired Autopia blog post to me? EV advocates say the California Air Resources Board is trying to kill the electric car — again. Under a proposal pending before the Air Resources Board, state regulators would slash — from 75,000 to as few …

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Reliable Power: the Winds of West Texas Vs. a Maintenance Worker Mistake in Florida

Michael Giberson It is rare that these little “learning moments” come nicely packaged, but the two near contemporaneous power system emergencies in Florida and Texas on February 26, 2008 present such a package. Still, otherwise intelligent industry observers seem to miss the point. Example, the Smart Grid News of March 26, which presents an overly …

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Price Gouging: At the Intersection of Emotions, Ethics, and Economics

Michael Giberson Usually, with annual Spring price increases, we hear the perennial allegations of gasoline price gouging from politicians. Despite all the talk about high gasoline prices, there hasn’t been a lot of talk about price gouging this year. The precise meaning of the term “price gouging” is sometimes hard to pin down, but a …

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A Day in Savannah

Lynne Kiesling It’s spring break, and I’m escaping the course prep and house renovation load chez KP for a concert at the Savannah Music Festival. Just got back from a run, and I’ve got to say, Savannah is picturesque! Just beautiful in that distinctively Southern way. The weather’s gorgeous too. Now I’m off to prowl …

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Energy Efficient Homes Appealing to Buyers in Texas

Michael Giberson Even in the Houston area, with an economy built on the oil industry, some consumers are looking for a little extra — and sometimes a lot extra — energy efficiency in their home purchases. Via the Houston Chronicle: Local builders for years have touted the energy efficiency of their homes, such as better …

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Sad Socket: Galvin Electricity Initiative’s New Ad

Lynne Kiesling Have you seen the Galvin Electricity Initiative Sad Socket ad? In the half-century since our electric power system was completed, little has been done to update it — and it shows. We’re relying on an obsolete electricity grid that is dangerously vulnerable, even to forces as predictable as thunderstorms and as tiny as …

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Energy from Animal Waste

Lynne Kiesling Mike’s two recent posts about turning animal waste in to electric power and John Doerr’s focus on methane recovery from animal waste prompt me to mention one of the innovative entrepreneurs in this space: RealEnergy. RealEnergy builds, installs, and manages distributed generation and combined heat and power (CHP) systems, and can do so …

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