News & Articles on Renewable Energy
My specialty is wind energy, but I have worked with all forms of renewable energy. Over the years I’ve written about a number of renewable technologies, including solar and geothermal energy. In recent years I’ve focused on comprehensive renewable energy policies that develop a mix of renewable resources. I’ve also written about our use of fossil fuels and nuclear power.
New York Times almost gets it right
By
Craig Morris
Hans-Josef Fell, co-author of the 2000 Renewable Energy Act, is not working to restrict wind farms in his home state of Bavaria. Otherwise, the article does not contain too many factual inaccuracies.
Rebutting Recent Darwell Critiique of Renewables
By
Diane Moss
Climate change skeptic and PR consultant Rupert Darwall recently wrote an editorial called “Obama’s Renewable Energy Fantasy” that spins a dire depiction of renewable power as a threat to economies around the world, the U.S included. But it turns out that there’s more to the real story and that the patient – that is, renewable-based electricity – just needs a dose of facts to show great improvement.
Guardian: Exxon knew of climate change in 1981, email says – but it funded deniers for 27 more years
By
Suzanne Goldenberg
ExxonMobil, the world’s biggest oil company, knew as early as 1981 of climate change – seven years before it became a public issue, according to a newly discovered email from one of the firm’s own scientists. Despite this the firm spent millions over the next 27 years to promote climate denial.
France’s EDF finds wind & solar reducing baseload
By
Craig Morris
In a brief study, the French operator of the country’s nuclear plants unsurprisingly finds that backup generation capacity for fluctuating wind and solar will need to be as flexible as possible. The study also finds that the backup conventional fleet will be smaller.
Coal power down, renewables up in Germany
By
Craig Morris
Overall, electricity from lignite dropped by 3.6 percent, mainly because so much wind power was produced during the winter that it actually cut into this baseload electricity. In contrast, power from hard coal dropped by only one percent; it already ramps the hardest. Electricity from natural gas was down by 1.5 percent; it is already offset the most. Nuclear power was actually up by 2.8 percent.
Is Germany reliant on foreign nuclear power?
By
Craig Morris
In a nutshell, France relies on Germany to cover its peak demand, not vice versa. There is, however, a risk of Germany decommissioning so much coal and nuclear capacity over the next seven years as to endanger the security of supply, but there is also enough time for the country to prevent this outcome. Right now, Germany imports nuclear power from France when the French need to dump excess nuclear generation at low prices – not in order to prevent blackouts in Germany.
