Communicating Sustainability: Perspektiven der Nachhaltigkeit in Politik, Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft

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Oct 172012

Herausgegeben von: Josef Mantl, Alexander Ochs und Marc R. Pacheco

http://www.boehlau-verlag.com/978-3-205-78817-1.html

Nachhaltigkeit muss aus verschiedenen Blickwinkeln betrachtet, diskutiert und umgesetzt werden: Politik, Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft. Diese klassische Triade bildet den Rahmen für viele Diskussionen und Vorträge, die jungen Menschen, PolitikerInnen, UnternehmerInnen, WissenschafterInnen u.v.m. dabei helfen sollen, sich an die komplexe Struktur globaler Probleme heranzuwagen, diese zu reflektieren, Meinungen auszutauschen und miteinander zu diskutieren.
Das Buch enthält Beiträge von ReferentInnen und UnterstützerInnen der Sustainable Future Campaign, einer Initiative der Hochschulliga für die Vereinten Nationen (Akademisches Forum für Außenpolitik). Das Ziel ist es, Nachhaltigkeit zu kommunizieren, die Bemühungen der letzten Jahre zusammenzufassen und zu weiteren Diskussionen anzuregen.

Link zum Versenden: http://www.boehlau-verlag.com/978-3-205-78817-1.html

Moving Renewable Energy Forward in Nicaragua

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Sep 132012

Adam Dolezal and Alexander Ochs | ReVolt | 13 September 2012

Para una versión en español de este blog, por favor hacer click aquí.

Last week, the Worldwatch Institute’s Central America team – together with our partners from the INCAE Business School – convened a working group of nearly 40 renewable energy experts and decision-makers in Managua, Nicaragua. The emphasis: access to energy for marginalized communities through sustainable energy options. With presentations and participation from the government’s renewable energy office, Nicaragua’s renewable energy association, an array of rural energy initiatives, and the region’s largest wind power developer, the working group took our research and potential for impact to a new level.

Participants from the workshop The Way Forward for Renewable Energy in Nicaragua at INCAE Business School Campus in Managua, Nicaragua.

Worldwatch Director of Climate & Energy, Alexander Ochs, incited the round table forum to recall that the overarching goal of our efforts is not to promote renewable energy technology for its own sake– as so often the discussion can remain caught in technical details – but for the environmental, social and economic outcomes that clean and locally-generated energy provides. Renewable energy is a means to reach overarching policy priorities: giving access to modern energy sources, mitigating local pollution and climate change, and addressing important gender, health, and education issues. In a region where countries ship 5 to 15 percent of their GDP overseas for the import of fossil fuels-the use of which produces high additional social, environmental and economic costs- harvesting domestic renewable energy sources is a prerequisite for sustained economic growth. Continue reading »

REN21 Renewables 2012 Global Status Report: North America Focus

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Sep 042012

Presented by Clean Energy Solutions Center, REN21, and Leonardo Energy | September 4, 2012

Vickie Healey – Moderator
Christine Lins – Presenter
Alexander Ochs- Presenter

[Please find my presentation, given jointly with my colleague Evan Musolino, HERE]

Experts Assess Future of Renewable Energy in Central America

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Aug 302012

The Worldwatch Institute and the INCAE Business School host high-level workshop on energy access and renewable energy potential in Central America

WASHINGTON – August 30 – The Worldwatch Institute (www.worldwatch.org) and the INCAE Business School’s Latin American Center for Competitiveness and Sustainable Development (CLACDS) are co-hosting two workshops on “The Way Forward for Renewable Energy in Central America” in Managua, Nicaragua and Alajuela, Costa Rica tomorrow and on September 3, respectively. The participative dialogues aim to promote the exchange of ideas and experiences among a select group of experts from regional institutions, civil society organizations, energy sector companies, and government agencies. The workshops will focus on the role of renewable technologies in broadening access to modern energy services and achieving regional development goals.
(…)
“This project is a joint effort aimed at speeding the development of renewables in Central America,” said Alexander Ochs, Director of Worldwatch’s Climate and Energy Program. “Key energy experts will gather in one room to discuss the region’s challenges and opportunities in embracing renewables, discussing state-of-the-art reforms as well as areas of local, national, and regional best practices.”

“It’s not just that all countries will need to contribute to mitigating and adapting to global climate change.” continued Ochs. “Central America can become a real leader on renewables, given the high price it pays for its current energy system—-some countries spend 10 percent or more of their GDP on importing fossil fuels. The region has also had exciting early experiences with adopting new, unconventional renewable technologies, including geothermal, solar, biomass, and wind technologies.”

The first workshop will take place at the INCAE Business School’s Managua campus from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 30, 2012. The second workshop will take place at the INCAE Business School’s Alajuela campus from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Monday, September 3, 2012.

[You can find the full announcement HERE]

Biofuels Make a Comeback Despite Tough Economy

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Aug 292012

Global production of biofuels increased 17 percent in 2010 to reach an all-time high of 105 billion liters, up from 90 billion liters in 2009. High oil prices, a global economic rebound, and new laws and mandates in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, and the United States, among other countries, are all factors behind the surge in production, according to research conducted by the Worldwatch Institute’s Climate and Energy Program for the website Vital Signs Online.

The United States and Brazil remain the two largest producers of ethanol. In 2010, the United States generated 49 billion liters, or 57 percent of global output, and Brazil produced 28 billion liters, or 33 percent of the total. Corn is the primary feedstock for U.S. ethanol, and sugarcane is the dominant source of ethanol in Brazil.

“In the United States, the record production of biofuels is attributed in part to high oil prices, which encouraged several large fuel companies, including Sunoco, Valero, Flint Hills, and Murphy Oil, to enter the ethanol industry,” said Alexander Ochs, Director of Worldwatch’s Climate and Energy Program. High oil prices were also a factor in Brazil, where every third car-owner drives a “flex-fuel” vehicle that can run on either fossil or bio-based fuels. Many Brazilian drivers have switched to sugarcane ethanol because it is cheaper than gasoline.

“Although the U.S. and Brazil are the world leaders in ethanol, the largest producer of biodiesel is the European Union, which generated 53 percent of all biodiesel in 2010,” said Ochs. “However, we may see some European countries switch from biodiesel to ethanol because a recent report from the European Commission states that ethanol crops have a higher energy content than biodiesel crops, making them more efficient sources of fuel.”
(…)

[Find the full article HERE | The Worldwatch Institute’s Vital Sign Biofuels article can be found HERE]

A new sustainable energy model

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Aug 212012

Alexander Ochs, Director and Katie Auth, Researcher at the Worldwatch Institute welcome a new energy model, and encourage governments to undertake Sustainable Energy Roadmaps.

Climate change and the reliable, affordable supply of energy are among the most pressing issues we will face in the twenty-first century. Despite recognition of these unprecedented collective challenges, the international community has so far failed to take
aggressive action. Fortunately, signs point to the appearance of a new paradigm – fuelled in part by the growing efficiency and plummeting costs of renewable energy sources. Facilitating a shift to clean, low-carbon societies does not mean sacrificing
economic or human development. On the contrary, it increasingly represents our only way to attain both.

Already, people around the world are dealing with the effects of changing weather patterns, rising sea levels, and biodiversity loss – with negative implications not only for the environment, but also for human health and well-being. Commonwealth countries, located across a wide geographic range, will face a broad array of climaterelated impacts. These include changes in the distribution of fish stocks, the melting of Arctic ice, coastal flooding, and drought. It is vital that Ministers within the Commonwealth take heed and look for sustainable solutions.

[Find the whole article, published in the 2012 Commonwealth Ministers Reference Book, HERE]

Fossil Fuel and Renewable Energy Subsidies on the Rise

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Aug 212012

Alexander Ochs, Eric Anderson, and Reese Rogers | Aug 21, 2012

A recent projection places the total value of conventional global fossil fuel subsidies between $775 billion and more than $1 trillion in 2012, depending on which supports are included in the calculation.¹ In contrast, total subsidies for renewable energy stood at $66 billion in 2010, although that was a 10 percent increase from the previous year.² Two thirds of these subsidies went to renewable electricity resources and the remaining third to biofuels.³

Although the total subsidies for renewable energy are significantly lower than those for fossil fuels, they are higher per kilowatt-hour if externalities are not included in the calculations. Estimates based on 2009 energy production numbers placed renewable energy subsidies between 1.7¢ and 15¢ per kilowatt-hour while subsidies for fossil fuels were estimated at around 0.1–0.7¢ per kWh.⁴ Unit subsidy costs for renewables are expected to decrease as technologies become more efficient and the prices of wholesale electricity and transport fuels rise.⁵

Globally negotiated efforts to reduce fossil fuel subsidies have been hindered by competing definitions of subsidies. Calculation methods also vary. The common price gap approach to calculating consumption subsidies uses the difference between the observed domestic prices of energy and the world market prices as an estimate of the impacts of a country’s policies on market prices.⁶ Some oil exporters, however, argue that production cost rather than market price should be used as the baseline.⁷ The difficulties in accurately measuring data are compounded by the lack of transparency among countries with regard to energy subsidies.⁸

[For full access to the complete trend and its associated charts, log in to Vital Signs]

Worldwatch Report on Fossil-Fuel Subsidies: With No Gain, Less Societal Pain

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Aug 212012

By Cheryl Kaften, August 21, 2012

Total subsidies for renewable energy stood at $66 billion in 2010 – less than one-tenth of the government financing provided globally to the fossil fuel industry, according to new research from the Washington, DC-based Worldwatch Institute.
(…)
“These so-called hidden costs, or externalities, are in fact very real costs to our societies
that are not picked up by the polluter and beneficiary of production but by all taxpayers,” said Alexander Ochs, director of Worldwatch’s Climate and Energy program and report co-author. “Local pollutants from the burning of fossil fuels kill thousands in the United States, alone, each year, and society makes them cheaper to continue down their destructive path.”

Shifting official support from fossil fuels to renewables, Ochs pointed out, is essential
for “decarbonizing” the global energy system.

Such a shift could help create a triple win for national economies by reducing global greenhouse gas emissions, generating long-term economic growth and reducing dependence on energy imports.
(…)
“At the same time, a phase-out of fossil fuel subsidies would level the
playing field for renewables and allow us to reduce support for clean energy sources as well,” said Ochs. “After all, fossil fuels have benefited from massive governmental backing worldwide for hundreds of years.”

Progress toward a complete phase-out, however, has been minimal, according to Ochs. The
2009 pledge by the Group of 20 major economies to reduce “inefficient fossil fuel subsidies” has been left “vague and unfulfilled.” The lack of a definition has left countries to make their own determination if their subsidies are inefficient. As of August 2012, G20 countries had not taken any substantial action in response to the pledge: Six members opted out of reporting altogether (an increase from two in 2010), and no country has yet initiated a subsidy reform in response to the pledge.

[You can find the whole article HERE; further reporting HERE | HERE | HERE | HERE]

Cambodia’s Hydro Plans Carry Steep Costs

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Aug 202012

By Lawrence Del Gigante, IPS News

A fisherman on the Si Phan Don riverine archipelago of the Mekong River. Credit: Courtesy of Suthep Kritsanavarin/Oxfam

NEW YORK, Aug 18 2012 (IPS) – The Cambodian government has committed to the construction of five dams along the Mekong River in order to meet a huge demand for electricity, but environmental groups warn that severe repercussions loom for this strategy. (…)

Hydroelectricity, even if a successful venture, will not solve the country’s electrification problems, other analysts say. “Right now it is relatively catastrophic, the power situation in the country,” Alexander Ochs, the director of climate and energy at the Washington-based Worldwatch Institute, told IPS. Cambodia has one of the lowest electrification rates in Southeast Asia, estimated at only 24 percent, according to the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

The government aims to raise the national electrification rate to 70 percent by 2020, according to the ADB, by expanding the grid and sourcing more than half of the needed electricity from the Mekong River. A large complication is transmitting the electricity, with only the major cities and surrounding areas having access to power lines, meaning people in rural areas will not benefit from the hydro.

“The number of people that are really connected to a grid as we know it, a modern power service or energy line, in rural areas is as little as seven percent of the population. Overall, nationwide, it’s about 15 percent,” said Ochs. Biomass is very popular for heating and cooking, predominantly burning wood for fires and stoves. “Everything else comes from off-grid or micro-grid diesel generators and this is very inefficient and very costly, a very expensive, very dirty way to produce electricity,” said Ochs.

Currently, 91 percent of Cambodia’s power plants are fuelled by imported light diesel and heavy fuel oil, not including the diesel it takes to fuel stand-alone generators. “All of this happens in a country where you have incredible renewable energy potential. It has amazing potential for wind, very, very good potential for solar,” said Ochs. Importantly, the solar potential in Cambodia is very high where it’s needed, including in the populated areas, meaning solar technologies can be installed domestically, such as solar panels on the roofs of houses, according to Ochs.

Enrique Ramírez presenta plan de estrategias para aprovechar las Energías Sostenibles de RD

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Jul 282012

Santo Domingo.- La Comisión Nacional de Energía (CNE), la organización Internacional Worldwatch Institute’s -WWI, y la Alianza en Energía y Ambiente con Centroamérica (AEA), dieron a conocer este miércoles 18 de julio “El Reporte final de Estrategias para las Energías Sostenibles en RD”. El informe evalúa los recursos viento y de sol para las 6 zonas del país con mayores potenciales, y proporciona un mapa de los caminos que debe tomar para potenciar las energías renovables y reducir su dependencia en importaciones de petróleo. Según este nuevo estudio, confeccionado por el WWI, los países pueden comenzar a confiar más profundamente en fuentes de energía renovable y menos en combustibles fósiles si se realizan ciertas medidas.

El estudio, “Estrategia para las Energías Sostenibles: pretende aprovechar los recursos del sol y el viento en República Dominicana”, dado a conocer este miércoles por el presidente de la CNE, Enrique Ramírez, el Sr. Alexander Ochs, director del Departamento de Energía y Ambiente, el Sr. Mark Konold, Jefe del Proyecto del WWI, identifica, principalmente, la cantidad y calidad del viento y los recursos de energía solar con que cuenta el país en las regiones con mayor potencial para su explotación.

Report finds ‘incredible’ renewable potential under the Dominican sun

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Jul 262012

Thursday, July 26, 2012 – Lisa Friedman, E&E reporter

The Dominican Republic has “extensive” solar and wind resources and will be able to meet the government’s ambitious renewable energy goals, a new study has found. Yet the Caribbean nation’s road map — among the first of its kind — cautions that while the Dominican Republic has made important strides in weaning itself off fossil fuels and reducing its carbon footprint, it still needs stronger domestic policies and international funding to succeed.

“I think the Dominican Republic has to be credited. It’s a developing country, and it has really gone through the paradigm change that I wish so many other countries would have already gone through,” said Alexander Ochs, director of climate and energy at the Worldwatch Institute, which developed the study. “They have come a long way, and they have a long way to go,” Ochs said. But, he added, “I think the Dominican Republic can become a model country.”

Research shows that by strategically harnessing its wind and solar resources, the country can achieve its goals for a low-carbon energy future

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Jul 242012

International Business Times, 24 July 2012, 08:53 BST

According to a new report released by the Worldwatch Institute’s Climate and Energy Program, the Dominican Republic will benefit economically, socially, and environmentally if it relied more heavily on renewable energy sources and less on fossil fuels. The report, Roadmap to a Sustainable Energy System: Harnessing the Dominican Republic’s Wind and Solar Resources, assesses the Caribbean country’s wind and solar energy resources and provides a policy roadmap for how it can cost-effectively harness its renewable potential and reduce its dependence on energy imports.

“Developing a stable energy infrastructure that can withstand both fuel price fluctuations and looming natural disasters is extremely important for a country like the Dominican Republic,” said Alexander Ochs, Director of Worldwatch’s Climate and Energy Program. “Installing a renewable energy system in a country that in some years spends ten percent or more of its GDP on the burning of foreign fossil fuels while having very strong domestic renewable resources is vital for its sustained—-and sustainable—-development.”

République Dominicaine: le programme Energie et Climat expose une nouvelle feuille de route

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Jul 232012

23/07/2012 11:37 (Par Jean-Charles BATENBAUM)

Un tout nouveau rapport du programme Energie et Climat du Worldwatch Institute, vient de démontrer que, si certaines mesures sont mises en places, les pays du monde tirerons des bénéfices économiques, sociaux et environnementaux d’un appui plus important sur des sources d’énergies renouvelables, et moins important sur les énergies fossiles.

Un tout nouveau rapport du programme “Energie et Climat” du Worldwatch Institute, vient de démontrer que, si certaines mesures sont mises en places, les pays du monde tirerons des bénéfices économiques, sociaux et environnementaux d’un appui plus important sur des sources d’énergies renouvelables, et moins important sur les énergies fossiles. Intitulé « Feuille de Route pour un Système Energétique Durable : Mobiliser les Ressources Solaires et Eoliennes de la République Dominicaine », l’étude montre qu’en mobilisant stratégiquement ses ressources d’énergie solaire et éolienne, le pays peut accomplir ses objectifs vers un future énergétique pauvre en carbone.

Alexander Ochs, le directeur du programme “Energie et Climat” du Worldwatch Institute, explique : « Développer une infrastructure énergétique stable, capable de résister non seulement à des fluctuations dans les prix des carburants, mais aussi à de potentielles catastrophes naturelles, est extrêmement important pour un pays comme la République Dominicaine (…) Installer un système énergétique renouvelable dans un pays qui a dépensé pendant des années 10% de son PIB en énergies fossiles, malgré un fort potentiel national en la matière, est tout simplement vital pour un développement soutenu – et soutenable. » Continue reading »

Un Nouveau Rapport Expose une Feuille de Route pour un Système Energétique Durable en République Dominicaine

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Jul 192012

Science & Environnement

Jeudi 19 Juillet 2012

Selon un nouveau rapport du programme “Energie et Climat” du Worldwatch Institute, publié aujourd’hui, si certaines mesures sont mises en places, les pays du monde tirerons des bénéfices économiques, sociaux et environnementaux d’un appui plus important sur des sources d’énergies renouvelables, et moins important sur les énergies fossiles. Le rapport, intitulé « Feuille de Route pour un Système Energétique Durable : Mobiliser les Ressources Solaires et Eoliennes de la République Dominicaine », évalue les ressources solaires et éoliennes de cet Etat des Caraïbes et fournit une feuille de route de politiques publiques, expliquant comment il peut mobiliser son potentiel énergétique renouvelable à moindre coût, et réduire sa dépendance vis-à-vis des importations énergétiques.« Développer une infrastructure énergétique stable, capable de résister non seulement à des fluctuations dans les prix des carburants, mais aussi à de potentielles catastrophes naturelles, est extrêmement important pour un pays comme la République Dominicaine », explique Alexander Ochs, le directeur du programme “Energie et Climat” du Worldwatch Institute. « Installer un système énergétique renouvelable dans un pays qui a dépensé pendant des années 10% de son PIB en énergies fossiles, malgré un fort potentiel national en la matière, est tout simplement vital pour un développement soutenu – et soutenable. »
Continue reading »

Destacan potencial de las energías renovables

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Jul 192012

RECOMIENDAN CREAR UNA VENTANILLA ÚNICA PARA EL SECTOR
Economía y Negocios 19 Julio 2012
Rainier Maldonado, rainier.maldonado@listindiariio.com

Santo Domingo

Santo Domingo y Santiago son las dos ciudades dominicanas con mayor potencial para la explotación de energía solar, gracias a los niveles de insolación que poseen y a su infraestructura económica, destaca un estudio presentado ayer por la Comisión Nacional de Energía (CNE), y elaborado por el instituto de investigación en energías renovables World Watch Institute (WWI).

Según la investigación, pese a que en la parte occidental de la isla hay mayores niveles de sol, las eficiencias de integración y economías de escala son mayores en estas dos ciudades. El estudio indica, además, que existen oportunidades para el desarrollo solar fuera de la red, “tanto para el pequeño número de casas actualmente no conectadas, como para la industria del turismo”.

Sobre la situación de la energía eólica, el informe señala que el país tiene 78 sitios con un factor de carga superior al 30% y recursos superiores en localidades del suroeste, como Pedernales, Baní y Montecristi, en el noroeste. Sin embargo, alerta que la variabilidad del viento en el es alta, tanto en el transcurso del día como en las estaciones, lo que puede incidir en la generación eléctrica. No obstante, dichos cambios se pueden reducir aprovechando la diversidad geográfica de la isla.

Pese a los beneficios para impulsar el desarrollo de la energía eólica, la investigación recomienda tener una mejor coordinación y diálogo entre las instituciones involucrados con promover la energía renovable, una mayor participación de la sociedad en su conjunto. Además, el respaldo del sector financiero mediante la creación de productos financieros que respalde el gobierno para inversiones en energía renovable, y finalmente, una “ventanilla única” que facilite los trámites burocráticos a los inversionistas. Continue reading »

La CNE identifica zonas para energía renovable

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Jul 192012

19/07/2012 12:00 AM – AMILCAR NIVAR

Pedernales, Montecristi y Baní son las zonas de mayor potencial para la energía eólica, mientras que Santo Domingo y Santiago son más favorables para la energía solar.Estos datos fueron ofrecidos por la Comisión Nacional de Energía (CNE), junto a las organizaciones internacionales Worldwatch Institute (WWI) y la Alianza en Energía y Ambiente con Centroamérica (AEA), las cuales presentaron el reporte final del estudio titulado “Estrategias para las Energías Sostenibles en RD”.

Las conclusiones del estudio arrojaron que República Dominicana tiene algunas regiones con un excelente recurso de viento, pero no todas las regiones tienen lugares que puedan ser atractivos para el desarrollo eólico. El factor de carga bruto es excepcionalmente alto en algunos lugares del país, en comparación con otros recursos eólicos viables en el mundo. El estudio que pretende aprovechar los recursos del sol y el viento en el país, dado a conocer por el presidente de la CNE, Enrique Ramírez; Alexander Ochs, director de Energía y Ambiente, y Mark Konold, jefe del proyecto del WWI, identifica la cantidad y calidad del viento y los recursos de energía solar.

http://www.elcaribe.com.do/2012/07/19/cne-identifica-zonas-para-energia-renovable

RD tiene sólido potencial de energía solar y eólica

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Jul 032012

ENERGÍA|19 JUL|POR MARIELA MEJÍA

DIARIO LIBRE

Puerto Plata, Samaná y La Altagracia también cuentan con un limitado potencial eólico

SD. La República Dominicana tiene un sólido potencial de energía solar, con una irradiancia horizontal global (GHI) promedio generalmente en el rango de 210 a 250 vatios por metro cuadrado, así como de explotación de energía eólica que permitiría crear 5,500 puestos de trabajo.

Así lo arrojó el estudio “Estrategia para para un Sistema de Energía Sustentable” presentado ayer por la Comisión Nacional de Energía, que identificó 78 lugares con un factor de carga superior al 30% en recursos eólicos, especialmente en Pedernales, Baní y Montecristi en el noroeste. El análisis, realizado durante un año por Worldwatch Institute y la Alianza en Energía y Ambiente con Centroamérica, explicó que estas características permitirían la reducción del uso de combustibles fósiles y la atracción de inversiones extranjeras en energía alternativa. No obstante, sugiere mejoras.

Recomienda la creación de una Ventanilla Única o una única ventanilla administrativa dentro del gobierno para que los inversores de energía renovable puedan ayudar a acelerar y simplificar los procesos significativamente. Santo Domingo tiene un recurso solar promedio de 5.45 kilowatt-hora (kWh) por metro cuadrado por día, y Santiago 5.60.

http://www.diariolibre.com.do/noticias/2012/07/19/i344397_tiene-solido-potencial-energia-solar-eolica.html

Energy Agency Looks to Natural Gas “Golden Age”

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May 302012

Wed, 30 May 2012 04:57 GMT, Source: Content Partner // Inter Press Service
By Carey L. Biron

WASHINGTON, May 30 (IPS) – If a series of “golden rules” can be followed, a new report from the International Energy Agency (IEA) suggests, global natural gas usage could grow by more than 50 percent by 2035.The report, released on Tuesday, came under sharp criticism from environmental groups for charting a route to a “golden age” in the extraction and use of natural gas.
(…)
“We have an opportunity for natural gas to address the intermittency problems of renewable energy sources – it could become an ally of renewables,” Alexander Ochs, the director of the climate and energy programme at the Worldwatch Institute here in Washington, told IPS. Ochs also reviewed a draft of the IEA report.

Ochs says that there are a number of actors within the gas sector that will welcome the new IEA recommendations as a way of cutting down on the potential of a future environmental catastrophe that could lead to industry-damaging policy restrictions.

“The problem isn’t with this report. The problem is that if you don’t have good regulations in place, there go your opportunities,” he says. “And if you don’t have smart technologies in place, you lose this ally.”

Ochs does warn that the report underplays the potential use of renewables in the upcoming decades, however, by suggesting that green technologies other than hydro will only make up five percent of total energy demand in the next quarter century.

“I think the IEA could well be wrong in the numbers it’s using. Technically and economically, more than half of our electricity could come from renewables as early as 2030,” he says.

“But if gas sees a golden age and becomes cheap globally, it could get in the way of renewables. Then, rather than being an enabler, it becomes a deal breaker.”

US Electrical Energy Production Ripping US Water Supply

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May 172012

The Emergency Email & Wireless Network, http://www.emergencyemail.org/newsemergency/anmviewer.asp?a=1686&z=34

Scientists, climatologists and energy experts share a growing concern: the need for water in the production of energy, especially in regions that are experiencing serious drought. Generating power – whether it be from fossil fuels or renewable energy sources – requires large amounts of water. How are the nation’s energy producers are facing this challenge?

Water is also used to cool fuel rods at nuclear plants and to generate steam to power turbines. The biofuel industry needs water for irrigation, fermentation and the production of ethanol and biodiesel fuels.

Alexander Ochs, director of climate and energy at the Worldwatch Institute, says that adds up to a lot of water. “Per megawatt hour, coal uses 500 to 1000 gallons of water for the production of just one megawatt hour of electricity,” said Ochs. “If we look at all the plants combined in the U.S., all the thermo-electric plants [powered by steam] in the US in 2008 alone, they drew 60 billion to 170 billion gallons of water, per year.”

Without water, most types of energy could not be produced. Even renewable energy, like geothermal and solar, use water to cool equipment and to clean the collector panels. Those requirements have led California, Massachusetts and several Midwestern states to halt the operations of some power plants.

“Places like the Midwest where water is a very scarce resource already today, a number of power plants have actually been halted, and this is actually true for across the United States,” said Ochs. (…)

[Please find the full article HERE]

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May 112012

Last Updated: May 11, 2012

Alexander Ochs
Director, Climate and Energy

Alexander Ochs is director of climate and energy at the Worldwatch Institute, an independent research organization focused on fact-based analysis of critical global issues. Worldwatch’s climate and energy program is dedicated to achieving a transformation of the global energy system in order to stabilize the climate, create sustainable growth, and increase security. Ochs is also the editor of Worldwatch’s ReVolt blog, which explores strategies for low-carbon development around the world.

In addition, Ochs is the founding director of the Forum for Atlantic Climate and Energy Talks (FACET) and a senior fellow at Johns Hopkins University.

Ochs was previously a member of the German delegation to the UN climate change negotiations. He has has held research and teaching positions at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP), the City University of New York (CUNY), Princeton, Munich University, Freie Universität Berlin, and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin.

Focus: Agriculture, Conservation, Energy, Environment, Food, Science, Technology, Transportation, Germany, United States, Americas, Europe

Link: http://www.worldwatch.org/users/alexander-ochs

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The Worldwatch Institute and the INCAE Business School host high-level workshop on energy access and renewable energy potential in Central America

Science & Environnement

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Alexander Ochs Director, Climate and Energy

Alexander Ochs
Director, Climate and Energy