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kristopher
kristopher's Journal
kristopher's Journal
January 17, 2014
http://www.renew-grid.com/e107_plugins/content/content.php?content.10702#utm_medium=email&utm_source=LNH+01-16-2014&utm_campaign=REG+News+Headlines
Texas grid operator deploys Vehicle-To-Grid Aggregation System
SwRI Develops ERCOT-Qualified Vehicle-To-Grid Aggregation System
by Renew Grid on January 15, 2014
San Antonio-based Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) has deployed a vehicle-to-grid aggregation system qualified by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) to manage charging activities for a fleet of electric delivery trucks.
SwRI says the system suspends vehicle charging when the electric grid frequency drops too far below 60 hertz, the normal operating frequency. The institute adds that the smart grid system demonstrates enabling technologies to support stable electric power delivery.
According to SwRI, it developed the aggregation system as part of an ERCOT pilot program for fast response regulation services (FRRS), with the goal of providing extremely quick response to grid frequency deviations. FRRS is designed for services that can respond nearly instantaneously to grid events, helping to slow frequency decay and ultimately reverse it sooner than current frequency regulation services can. The institute reports that electric vehicle batteries can respond in milliseconds, making them a perfect asset for FRRS services.
The technology is particularly useful for integrating green technologies into energy infrastructure, SwRI notes.
"The SwRI aggregation system manages charging for a fleet of electric vehicles while also analyzing grid frequency on a continual basis...
by Renew Grid on January 15, 2014
San Antonio-based Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) has deployed a vehicle-to-grid aggregation system qualified by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) to manage charging activities for a fleet of electric delivery trucks.
SwRI says the system suspends vehicle charging when the electric grid frequency drops too far below 60 hertz, the normal operating frequency. The institute adds that the smart grid system demonstrates enabling technologies to support stable electric power delivery.
According to SwRI, it developed the aggregation system as part of an ERCOT pilot program for fast response regulation services (FRRS), with the goal of providing extremely quick response to grid frequency deviations. FRRS is designed for services that can respond nearly instantaneously to grid events, helping to slow frequency decay and ultimately reverse it sooner than current frequency regulation services can. The institute reports that electric vehicle batteries can respond in milliseconds, making them a perfect asset for FRRS services.
The technology is particularly useful for integrating green technologies into energy infrastructure, SwRI notes.
"The SwRI aggregation system manages charging for a fleet of electric vehicles while also analyzing grid frequency on a continual basis...
http://www.renew-grid.com/e107_plugins/content/content.php?content.10702#utm_medium=email&utm_source=LNH+01-16-2014&utm_campaign=REG+News+Headlines
January 16, 2014
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/innovations/wp/2014/01/16/elon-musks-five-insights-into-solar-energy/?tid=hpModule_1728cf4a-8a79-11e2-98d9-3012c1cd8d1e
A great complimentary read:
The Secret Tesla Motors Master Plan (just between you and me)
By Elon Musk, Co-Founder & CEO of Tesla Motors
Posted by NYC_SKP http://www.democraticunderground.com/112762272
Elon Musk’s five insights into solar energy
Elon Musk’s five insights into solar energy
BY DOMINIC BASULTO
January 16 at 9:11 am
It’s hard to argue against Elon Musk being one of the greatest entrepreneurs of our era, responsible for bringing to market such innovative companies as PayPal, SpaceX and Tesla Motors. But it’s his role as chairman and primary shareholder in SolarCity — a solar energy company run by his cousins – that’s getting a lot of attention these days. SolarCity went public in 2012 at $8 a share and now trades at close to $70. That’s nearly a 10x investment in just two years.
So what does Elon Musk know about solar that the rest of us don’t?
1. Solar energy is inherently an exponential technology.
If there’s one thing Wall Street loves, it’s a good growth story, and that’s something that SolarCity has been careful to cultivate. The company already has 80,000 paying customers and expects to sign up 1 million customers within the next four years. That means the company will need to literally double in size every few months. Think about that for a minute: 1 million customers over four years means 250,000 new customers in 2014, or approximately 20,000 new customers each month. So the company will have doubled in size — from 80,000 to 160,000 customers — by Memorial Day weekend.
And then the company will double again, from 160,000 to 320,000; and then from 320,000 to 640,000; all the way to 4 million. That requires exponential growth to make possible in such a short time frame, so it’s no wonder that the godfather of exponential technological growth, Ray Kurzweil, has been quick to point out the remarkable growth that’s possible with solar technology. Just as computers benefit from the ability to cram a growing number of transistors on a chip (Moore’s Law), solar panels also benefit from being able to cram an ever-growing number of photovoltaic cells on them. According to Kurzweil’s calculations, we can expect to be energy independent within the next 20 years.
2. Solar is a brand, not a utility.
Elon Musk thinks about solar energy the same way he thinks about electric cars — it’s easier to sell if it’s backed by a highly-recognizable brand such as Tesla. As a result, SolarCity feels more like a traditional consumer brand, less like a faceless utility. Think about it ...
BY DOMINIC BASULTO
January 16 at 9:11 am
It’s hard to argue against Elon Musk being one of the greatest entrepreneurs of our era, responsible for bringing to market such innovative companies as PayPal, SpaceX and Tesla Motors. But it’s his role as chairman and primary shareholder in SolarCity — a solar energy company run by his cousins – that’s getting a lot of attention these days. SolarCity went public in 2012 at $8 a share and now trades at close to $70. That’s nearly a 10x investment in just two years.
So what does Elon Musk know about solar that the rest of us don’t?
1. Solar energy is inherently an exponential technology.
If there’s one thing Wall Street loves, it’s a good growth story, and that’s something that SolarCity has been careful to cultivate. The company already has 80,000 paying customers and expects to sign up 1 million customers within the next four years. That means the company will need to literally double in size every few months. Think about that for a minute: 1 million customers over four years means 250,000 new customers in 2014, or approximately 20,000 new customers each month. So the company will have doubled in size — from 80,000 to 160,000 customers — by Memorial Day weekend.
And then the company will double again, from 160,000 to 320,000; and then from 320,000 to 640,000; all the way to 4 million. That requires exponential growth to make possible in such a short time frame, so it’s no wonder that the godfather of exponential technological growth, Ray Kurzweil, has been quick to point out the remarkable growth that’s possible with solar technology. Just as computers benefit from the ability to cram a growing number of transistors on a chip (Moore’s Law), solar panels also benefit from being able to cram an ever-growing number of photovoltaic cells on them. According to Kurzweil’s calculations, we can expect to be energy independent within the next 20 years.
2. Solar is a brand, not a utility.
Elon Musk thinks about solar energy the same way he thinks about electric cars — it’s easier to sell if it’s backed by a highly-recognizable brand such as Tesla. As a result, SolarCity feels more like a traditional consumer brand, less like a faceless utility. Think about it ...
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/innovations/wp/2014/01/16/elon-musks-five-insights-into-solar-energy/?tid=hpModule_1728cf4a-8a79-11e2-98d9-3012c1cd8d1e
A great complimentary read:
The Secret Tesla Motors Master Plan (just between you and me)
By Elon Musk, Co-Founder & CEO of Tesla Motors
Posted by NYC_SKP http://www.democraticunderground.com/112762272
January 16, 2014
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2014/01/16/national/fukushima-no-1-engineers-warning-to-taiwan-nuclear-power-unstable/#.UthcX3l0Uy4
Fukushima No. 1 engineer’s warning to Taiwan: Nuclear power unstable
Fukushima No. 1 engineer’s warning to Taiwan: Nuclear power unstable
BY KO SHU-LING
KYODO JAN 16, 2014
TAIPEI – A Japanese engineer who helped build reactor 4 at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant said such plants are inherently unstable, urging Taiwan to ditch atomic energy for renewable resources.
Mitsuhiko Tanaka, arriving in Taipei on Tuesday with a delegation of Diet members for a six-day visit, told a press conference Wednesday that the 1986 Chernobyl disaster changed his views on nuclear power.
“Nuclear accidents are bound to happen someday, only that we don’t know when they will happen,” he said.
Tanaka, who helped build part of reactor 4 while working at Hitachi Ltd. in 1974, quit the company in 1977 and became a writer. He chronicled the discovery of a manufacturing defect in reactor 4, and the subsequent coverup, in a book in 1990.
When he went in 1988 to the then-Ministry of International Trade and Industry to report the cover-up...
BY KO SHU-LING
KYODO JAN 16, 2014
TAIPEI – A Japanese engineer who helped build reactor 4 at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant said such plants are inherently unstable, urging Taiwan to ditch atomic energy for renewable resources.
Mitsuhiko Tanaka, arriving in Taipei on Tuesday with a delegation of Diet members for a six-day visit, told a press conference Wednesday that the 1986 Chernobyl disaster changed his views on nuclear power.
“Nuclear accidents are bound to happen someday, only that we don’t know when they will happen,” he said.
Tanaka, who helped build part of reactor 4 while working at Hitachi Ltd. in 1974, quit the company in 1977 and became a writer. He chronicled the discovery of a manufacturing defect in reactor 4, and the subsequent coverup, in a book in 1990.
When he went in 1988 to the then-Ministry of International Trade and Industry to report the cover-up...
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2014/01/16/national/fukushima-no-1-engineers-warning-to-taiwan-nuclear-power-unstable/#.UthcX3l0Uy4
January 16, 2014
I can see that side of it; can you see the other side?
The employees of the telemarketing company are violating a very fundamental social norm revolving around beliefs about the sanctity of the home, privacy, the role of guests, and almost certainly several others. In fact, since the outrage at the intrusion was so great, we've passed a law against this and the telemarketers are now violating not just norms, but the law.
Can you think of instances where that type of behavior is looked at sympathetically because the person you interact with is just (to paraphrase) a poor schlep fronting for 'the bad guys'?
Let's go to an extreme to obtain some clarity.
If a soldier is ordered to kill innocent civilians, is the solder as guilty as the person issuing the order?
Let's step it down a bit.
If bank employees knowingly falsify mortgage documents at the behest of their employer, are they as guilty as the employer?
And a bit more.
If you are working in a convenience store, and the owner instructs you to place a couple of random items on the counter and "accidentally' ring those items up for every other customer (and the customer walks out without the items), is the cashier morally responsible?
All of those example have in common a coercive element. The soldier is bound by law to obey, and while the ability to reject and order exists, the repercussions are pretty drastic. The bank employees don't have that legal obligation to obey, but the threat of the loss of a steady job they probably have years invested in has spawned the term 'wage slave' for very valid reasons. And while the cashier at the convenience store probably isn't making a career of it, they are likely living hand to mouth on an insufficient paycheck that they can't do without.
How much slack do you cut them as individuals when they are caught in their illegal acts?
Since the telemarketers are violating the law and taking advantage of our inability to catch and hold them accountable, is it any wonder that people seek a way to exact their own form of justice?
But still it is as you say - they are just trying to make a living. But then again, all of those above are doing the same thing, are they less deserving of our sympathy?
Final thought - during Vietnam this was a popular saying, "What if they held a war and nobody showed up?"
Does improvement in society begin with each person applying morality over expediency?
Just some thoughts, no judgement rendered.
January 16, 2014
More at: http://oilprice.com/Alternative-Energy/Nuclear-Power/Canada-Considering-Nuclear-Reactors-in-Alberta-Tar-Sands-Fields.html
Canada Considering Nuclear Reactors in Alberta Tar Sands Fields
Canada Considering Nuclear Reactors in Alberta Tar Sands Fields
By John Daly | Mon, 21 January 2013 22:42 | 10
....
Lying under 54,000 square miles of forest and bogs, the bitumen tar sands are estimated to be comparable in magnitude to the world's total proven reserves of conventional petroleum.
...
Oil sands pollution is not a topic that Ottawa is keen to publicize. In 2009 the Canadian government acknowledged that it deliberately had excluded data indicating a 20 percent increase in annual pollution from Canada’s oil sands industry from a 567-page report on climate change that it was required to submit to the United Nations.
... Alberta’s oil sands have been found to be one of the major causes of air pollution in Canada, as Tar sands facilities were found to be among the top four highest polluters of volatile organic compounds, a major air contaminant, along with acid rain.
That pollution rap sheet could soon include nuclear, as Toshiba is developing “mini” nuclear reactors to be used to mine Canadian oil sands, with an initial deployment projected by 2020.
Why nuclear power? It is estimated that approximately 90 percent of the Alberta oil sands are too far below the surface to use open-pit mining. Making liquid fuels from oil sands requires energy for steam injection and refining. Mining oil sands is water intensive; drilling one well consumes 5.5 acre-feet of water each year, and the production of one gallon of oil requires thirty-five gallons of water...
By John Daly | Mon, 21 January 2013 22:42 | 10
....
Lying under 54,000 square miles of forest and bogs, the bitumen tar sands are estimated to be comparable in magnitude to the world's total proven reserves of conventional petroleum.
...
Oil sands pollution is not a topic that Ottawa is keen to publicize. In 2009 the Canadian government acknowledged that it deliberately had excluded data indicating a 20 percent increase in annual pollution from Canada’s oil sands industry from a 567-page report on climate change that it was required to submit to the United Nations.
... Alberta’s oil sands have been found to be one of the major causes of air pollution in Canada, as Tar sands facilities were found to be among the top four highest polluters of volatile organic compounds, a major air contaminant, along with acid rain.
That pollution rap sheet could soon include nuclear, as Toshiba is developing “mini” nuclear reactors to be used to mine Canadian oil sands, with an initial deployment projected by 2020.
Why nuclear power? It is estimated that approximately 90 percent of the Alberta oil sands are too far below the surface to use open-pit mining. Making liquid fuels from oil sands requires energy for steam injection and refining. Mining oil sands is water intensive; drilling one well consumes 5.5 acre-feet of water each year, and the production of one gallon of oil requires thirty-five gallons of water...
More at: http://oilprice.com/Alternative-Energy/Nuclear-Power/Canada-Considering-Nuclear-Reactors-in-Alberta-Tar-Sands-Fields.html
January 16, 2014
http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/china-wants-time-of-use-pricing-by-2015-one-meter-per-home-by-2017?utm_source=Daily&utm_medium=Headline&utm_campaign=GTMDaily
China Wants Time-of-Use Pricing by 2015, One Meter per Home by 2017
China Wants Time-of-Use Pricing by 2015, One Meter per Home by 2017
Big plans from central government, but how will they translate into action?
Jeff St. John
January 14, 2014
China, the world’s biggest potential smart meter market, has just set some ambitious goals for pushing smart pricing and energy awareness to the masses. Now, the question is how these lofty goals will be put into effect by the regional governments responsible to fulfill them.
In a little-noticed December announcement, a key Chinese central government agency has asked the country’s regions to implement a “One Meter Per Household” standard over the course of the next three years. As translated by GTM Research's Charlene Fowler, the announcement calls for 95 percent of meters shared by more than one household to be replaced, and for all meters to be monitored individually in each household, by the end of 2017.
While the statement from the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) doesn't specify just how “smart” these meters need to be, it does stress that they’re meant to allow all regional authorities to implement a “step pricing” system, also known as “Peak-Valley Pricing,” by 2015. That’s the NDRC’s term for time-of-use pricing, and it's meant to encourage people to “move the peak to fill the valley” in daily energy use -- that is, to reduce peak energy demand to better match it to baseload resources -- while keeping overall residential energy prices at a relatively steady level.
This kind of time-of-use pricing has been applied to roughly two-thirds of China’s industrial and commercial electricity users over the past two years, according to research firm Azure International. That’s one of the highest levels of adoption in the world. And, unlike the vast majority of TOU programs in other countries, China’s province-wide programs are mandatory, not voluntary, according to Anders Hove, Azure’s cleantech advisory manager.
That doesn’t mean, however, that last month’s NDRC directive will flow seamlessly into a nationwide, full-scale smart meter deployment...
Big plans from central government, but how will they translate into action?
Jeff St. John
January 14, 2014
China, the world’s biggest potential smart meter market, has just set some ambitious goals for pushing smart pricing and energy awareness to the masses. Now, the question is how these lofty goals will be put into effect by the regional governments responsible to fulfill them.
In a little-noticed December announcement, a key Chinese central government agency has asked the country’s regions to implement a “One Meter Per Household” standard over the course of the next three years. As translated by GTM Research's Charlene Fowler, the announcement calls for 95 percent of meters shared by more than one household to be replaced, and for all meters to be monitored individually in each household, by the end of 2017.
While the statement from the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) doesn't specify just how “smart” these meters need to be, it does stress that they’re meant to allow all regional authorities to implement a “step pricing” system, also known as “Peak-Valley Pricing,” by 2015. That’s the NDRC’s term for time-of-use pricing, and it's meant to encourage people to “move the peak to fill the valley” in daily energy use -- that is, to reduce peak energy demand to better match it to baseload resources -- while keeping overall residential energy prices at a relatively steady level.
This kind of time-of-use pricing has been applied to roughly two-thirds of China’s industrial and commercial electricity users over the past two years, according to research firm Azure International. That’s one of the highest levels of adoption in the world. And, unlike the vast majority of TOU programs in other countries, China’s province-wide programs are mandatory, not voluntary, according to Anders Hove, Azure’s cleantech advisory manager.
That doesn’t mean, however, that last month’s NDRC directive will flow seamlessly into a nationwide, full-scale smart meter deployment...
http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/china-wants-time-of-use-pricing-by-2015-one-meter-per-home-by-2017?utm_source=Daily&utm_medium=Headline&utm_campaign=GTMDaily
January 16, 2014
http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/obama-review-promises-new-energy-blueprint
Obama Review Promises New Energy Blueprint
Obama Review Promises New Energy Blueprint
The White House formally launches a Quadrennial Energy Review, with an initial focus on infrastructure.
Earthtechling, Pete Danko
January 14, 2014
On the day that New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said he was sorry, really sorry, this didn’t get a whole lot of attention. And maybe in the end it won’t deserve much. But President Obama’s formal establishment on Thursday of the Quadrennial Energy Review for the United States is at the very least a ray of hope that in the face of climate change -- and with a vast range of clean-energy and energy-efficiency technologies aching for just a little nudge forward -- the country might create a thoughtful, forward-looking energy policy.
<snip>
...“Americans and people around the world are already experiencing the very real impacts of climate change,” wrote three key administration officials on energy -- John P. Holdren, assistant to the president for science and technology and director of the White House Office of Science & Technology Policy; Cecilia Muñoz, director of the Domestic Policy Council; and Ernest Moniz, the Department of Energy secretary -- in a joint post on the White House blog. “The QER process launched today is designed to further address the challenge of leveraging America’s domestic energy resources while strengthening our energy security and the health and resilience of our planet for future generations.”
Interestingly, while the American Petroleum Institute was silent on the QER, both the wind and solar industries put out press releases praising the president for initiating the process.
The White House has boasted that its “all-of-the-above” energy strategy has helped boost domestic oil production. But maybe Big Oil isn’t happy that the U.S. is using less petrol than it used to, and isn’t too fond of the president’s support for higher fuel economy standards, biofuels and electric vehicles...
The White House formally launches a Quadrennial Energy Review, with an initial focus on infrastructure.
Earthtechling, Pete Danko
January 14, 2014
On the day that New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said he was sorry, really sorry, this didn’t get a whole lot of attention. And maybe in the end it won’t deserve much. But President Obama’s formal establishment on Thursday of the Quadrennial Energy Review for the United States is at the very least a ray of hope that in the face of climate change -- and with a vast range of clean-energy and energy-efficiency technologies aching for just a little nudge forward -- the country might create a thoughtful, forward-looking energy policy.
<snip>
...“Americans and people around the world are already experiencing the very real impacts of climate change,” wrote three key administration officials on energy -- John P. Holdren, assistant to the president for science and technology and director of the White House Office of Science & Technology Policy; Cecilia Muñoz, director of the Domestic Policy Council; and Ernest Moniz, the Department of Energy secretary -- in a joint post on the White House blog. “The QER process launched today is designed to further address the challenge of leveraging America’s domestic energy resources while strengthening our energy security and the health and resilience of our planet for future generations.”
Interestingly, while the American Petroleum Institute was silent on the QER, both the wind and solar industries put out press releases praising the president for initiating the process.
The White House has boasted that its “all-of-the-above” energy strategy has helped boost domestic oil production. But maybe Big Oil isn’t happy that the U.S. is using less petrol than it used to, and isn’t too fond of the president’s support for higher fuel economy standards, biofuels and electric vehicles...
http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/obama-review-promises-new-energy-blueprint
January 15, 2014
more at: http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/government-business-finance-green-revolution
How is addressing climate change like going to war?
Harnessing governments, business and finance for a green revolution
Forget the futile climate debate. Let's focus on driving business, political and financial leaders to act, writes Stephen Kinnock
Stephen Kinnock
Guardian Professional, Wednesday 15 January 2014 07.41 EST
The connection between human activity and global warming is now as clear and proven as the link between smoking and cancer, so let's stop this futile debate about the accuracy of the science of climate change and focus instead on building a green growth revolution.
Storms have been hitting people's homes, towns and livelihoods – and the headlines – this new year, with many saying they've seen nothing like it in decades. In September last year the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) published its latest report, a measured and meticulous piece of work based on the contributions of thousands of experts, which concluded that the climate is changing, humans are responsible, and more extreme weather events are heading our way.
It's revealing to look back on the media chatter that the IPCC report generated, and to note how much time and energy was spent questioning its scientific credibility. This is puzzling, particularly if you benchmark the thoroughness of the IPCC's work against the sort of flimsy intelligence that formed the basis of the case for other big judgment calls that have been made in recent times (Weapons of mass destruction as the justification for the invasion of Iraq is one example).
This tells us that game-changing decisions are not taken on the basis of objectively verifiable statistics or painstakingly compiled analytics; they are, in fact, driven by a will to act. In particular, by the will to act of business and political leaders.
So, where is that leadership going to come from? ...
Forget the futile climate debate. Let's focus on driving business, political and financial leaders to act, writes Stephen Kinnock
Stephen Kinnock
Guardian Professional, Wednesday 15 January 2014 07.41 EST
The connection between human activity and global warming is now as clear and proven as the link between smoking and cancer, so let's stop this futile debate about the accuracy of the science of climate change and focus instead on building a green growth revolution.
Storms have been hitting people's homes, towns and livelihoods – and the headlines – this new year, with many saying they've seen nothing like it in decades. In September last year the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) published its latest report, a measured and meticulous piece of work based on the contributions of thousands of experts, which concluded that the climate is changing, humans are responsible, and more extreme weather events are heading our way.
It's revealing to look back on the media chatter that the IPCC report generated, and to note how much time and energy was spent questioning its scientific credibility. This is puzzling, particularly if you benchmark the thoroughness of the IPCC's work against the sort of flimsy intelligence that formed the basis of the case for other big judgment calls that have been made in recent times (Weapons of mass destruction as the justification for the invasion of Iraq is one example).
This tells us that game-changing decisions are not taken on the basis of objectively verifiable statistics or painstakingly compiled analytics; they are, in fact, driven by a will to act. In particular, by the will to act of business and political leaders.
So, where is that leadership going to come from? ...
more at: http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/government-business-finance-green-revolution
January 15, 2014
More at: http://www.utilitydive.com/news/how-alec-plans-to-reshape-us-energy-policy-in-2014/213358/
ALEC documents linked in article:
Model policies on energy, environment, and agriculture
http://s3.amazonaws.com/dive_static/diveimages/ALEC_Natural-Resource-Reserve.pdf
2014 Proposed Model Bills
http://s3.amazonaws.com/dive_static/diveimages/ALEC_EEA_2013_SNPS_35_Day.pdf
How ALEC plans to reshape U.S. energy policy in 2014
How ALEC plans to reshape U.S. energy policy in 2014
By Ethan Howland
JANUARY 10, 2014
Who is ALEC?
The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) is a corporate-funded conservative group that drafts model bills and policies for its legislative members to take back to their home states.
ALEC boasts nearly 2,000 state lawmakers as members, according to the group. Typically, ALEC lawmaker members introduce the group's model legislation and resolutions in their home legislatures. Identical ALEC bills sometimes pop up in different states around the country.
ALEC has turned its attention to electric utility issues in recent years. “The ever-increasing governmental control over energy supply, distribution, and use is threatening not only the nation’s prosperity but also individual liberty,” according to ALEC's 2014 Natural Resource Reserve, which lays out the group's model policies on energy, the environment and agriculture for this year....
By Ethan Howland
JANUARY 10, 2014
Who is ALEC?
The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) is a corporate-funded conservative group that drafts model bills and policies for its legislative members to take back to their home states.
ALEC boasts nearly 2,000 state lawmakers as members, according to the group. Typically, ALEC lawmaker members introduce the group's model legislation and resolutions in their home legislatures. Identical ALEC bills sometimes pop up in different states around the country.
ALEC has turned its attention to electric utility issues in recent years. “The ever-increasing governmental control over energy supply, distribution, and use is threatening not only the nation’s prosperity but also individual liberty,” according to ALEC's 2014 Natural Resource Reserve, which lays out the group's model policies on energy, the environment and agriculture for this year....
More at: http://www.utilitydive.com/news/how-alec-plans-to-reshape-us-energy-policy-in-2014/213358/
ALEC documents linked in article:
Model policies on energy, environment, and agriculture
http://s3.amazonaws.com/dive_static/diveimages/ALEC_Natural-Resource-Reserve.pdf
2014 Proposed Model Bills
http://s3.amazonaws.com/dive_static/diveimages/ALEC_EEA_2013_SNPS_35_Day.pdf
January 15, 2014
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2014/01/13/3151271/showtime-years-living-dangerously/
Showtime To Launch Landmark Climate TV Series ‘Years Of Living Dangerously’ In April
Showtime To Launch Landmark Climate TV Series ‘Years Of Living Dangerously’ In April
BY JOE ROMM ON JANUARY 13, 2014 AT 5:23 PM
This April, Showtime will start airing its ground-breaking climate change TV series on the experiences and personal stories of people whose lives have been touched by climate change. Years Of Living Dangerously is an 8-part series produced by the legendary storytellers and film-makers James Cameron, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jerry Weintraub -– together with three former 60 Minutes producers who have 18 Emmys between them.
While reviewing the segments for technical accuracy as Chief Science Editor, I’ve been blown away by just how visually and narratively compelling the show is. It is not just going to be a landmark climate change series, it is going to be a landmark television series, like Ken Burns’ The Civil War.
Much as the best, most innovative long-form drama has moved from film to TV, in shows like the Game of Thrones, The Sopranos, Mad Men, Homeland, and Breaking Bad, so too with documentaries. Here is the trailer:
http://vimeo.com/78162825
....
Nothing like this 8-part series has ever been put on TV before, a collaboration between the amazing storytellers mentioned above and top-flight journalists (like Chris Hayes, Lesley Stahl, and Tom Friedman) and some of Hollywood’s biggest stars (like Matt Damon, Ian Somerholder, Don Cheadle, Olivia Munn, and Harrison Ford). They provide gripping reports of people affected by, and seeking solutions to, climate change.
....
BY JOE ROMM ON JANUARY 13, 2014 AT 5:23 PM
This April, Showtime will start airing its ground-breaking climate change TV series on the experiences and personal stories of people whose lives have been touched by climate change. Years Of Living Dangerously is an 8-part series produced by the legendary storytellers and film-makers James Cameron, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jerry Weintraub -– together with three former 60 Minutes producers who have 18 Emmys between them.
While reviewing the segments for technical accuracy as Chief Science Editor, I’ve been blown away by just how visually and narratively compelling the show is. It is not just going to be a landmark climate change series, it is going to be a landmark television series, like Ken Burns’ The Civil War.
Much as the best, most innovative long-form drama has moved from film to TV, in shows like the Game of Thrones, The Sopranos, Mad Men, Homeland, and Breaking Bad, so too with documentaries. Here is the trailer:
http://vimeo.com/78162825
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Nothing like this 8-part series has ever been put on TV before, a collaboration between the amazing storytellers mentioned above and top-flight journalists (like Chris Hayes, Lesley Stahl, and Tom Friedman) and some of Hollywood’s biggest stars (like Matt Damon, Ian Somerholder, Don Cheadle, Olivia Munn, and Harrison Ford). They provide gripping reports of people affected by, and seeking solutions to, climate change.
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http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2014/01/13/3151271/showtime-years-living-dangerously/
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