I’ve been following many of the companies involved in the Auto X Prize over the past year.
The teams, which collectively represent 136 vehicle entries with 14 different fuel sources, include diverse groups from 25 U.S. states and 11 countries. Established automakers, emerging start-ups, universities and inventors are among those represented. Six of the Registered Teams remain confidential.
The “Smart Grid” is the idea on how the US will generate and distribute power across the US. Using alternative energy, the “Smart Grid” would connect alternative energy sources such as solar power, wind energy, and geothermal energy into the electricity infrastructure in around the country to businesses and homes.
Using smart grid technology, your future home would be as likely to be powered by electricity from a neighbor’s roof-top solar panel, or a biomass generator on the edge of town, as from a traditional power plant 50 or 100 miles away.
Barack Obama is now the president of the United States of America. Now, more than making promises, he has to deliver on those promises and create real change.
The White House website had a complete makeover just as he was being sworn into office, and with that, his policy and agenda where added to the website.
The conflict in the Middle East has prompted a surge in gasoline prices across the US. Despite the rise, gas prices are still down $1.44 cents from this time last year, when a gallon of regular cost $3.00. So much of it depends on if you think the glass is half full…or half empty.
I’ve always been one to believe that the glass is half full. As long as gas prices stay low enough that everyday Americans can afford the cost to get to work and back, it’s a good thing.
It will be interesting to see how the conflict in the Middle East turns out and how the transitional of power here in the US effects gasoline prices moving forward into the spring and summer of this year.
A project that I’m currently working on is the Alternative Energy Wiki. This is awesome because it has the same business plan of Wikipedia, where anyone and everyone can contribute to the website creating a knowledge database on all things related to alternative energy.
Wiki – a page or collection of Web pages designed to enable anyone who accesses it to contribute or modify content, using a simplified markup language. Wikis are often used to create collaborative websites and to power community websites.
The decline in crude comes despite OPEC’s announcement it would cut production by 2.2 million barrels, on top of the two million barrels cut in September, for a total cut of 4.2 million barrels – its largest cut in its history. The cut brings the cartel’s daily supply target quota down to 24.85 million barrels a day.
Many people have become “complacent” since the price of oil has dropped more than 60% in the past 6 months, but smart businesses and people are using this time to develop alternative energy resources for their businesses and homes so they won’t feel the pain when the price rises again.
Even in the midst of the financial markets, there is still strong support for clean tech and alternative energy project funding. These projects need funding so they can bring the technologies to market that will generate energy from alternative sources and reduce our dependency on foreign oil.
KAS Consulting is one such funding source that has access to investment banks that have funded over $12 Billion Dollars of energy projects and companies. They have solid management and a team of advisers that will position your company for funding. They have recently set up their green energy blog to discuss issues and ideas that are facing the industry today. Read the rest of this entry »
1. Capital expenditure on oil exploration and production will continue to stagnate in 2009 2. Oil price volatility to continue in the short term but likely to stabilize within a lower narrow band by the end of 2009 3. Clean energy projects will play a crucial role in the long term energy needs of the world although there will be reduced investment in 2009 4. New investments in unconventional oil and gas projects will decline in 2009 5. Coal will continue to be the highest consumed energy source in 2009 despite a shift towards nuclear and alternative sources 6. Nuclear energy will play an increasing role in meeting the global energy needs even though some new projects might be delayed in 2009 7. European countries’ will continue to increase efforts to reduce their dependence on Russian natural gas in 2009 8. Demand for natural gas to continue to increase in 2009 9. Electricity generation capacity to grow in 2009 while distribution and transmission would require further investments 10. Rise in construction costs will delay projects in the refining sector
Since the price of natural gas has decreased under $7 per million Btu, it would be more expensive to to produce energy from wind farms. Pickens says that natural gas prices would have to be over $9 per million Btu for wind energy to be advantageous.
This is another sign of how the low oil and natural gas prices have slowed down alternative energy. With the lower prices, people have been losing interest in alternative energy technologies. Once prices rise again, there will be a renewed push for alternative energy resources where businesses can make money from alternative energy sources.
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