Get Energy Smart! NOW!

The U.S. Department of Transportation and the Virginia state government agencies do not mandate seat belts on school buses. School bus design, over the years, has focused on providing a safe space without seat belts.  School buses are already the safest form of road transportation in the United States and it is quite unclear, when one […]

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Clean electrons Electrify Everything These four words are core touchstones en route a prosperous, climate-friendly future. As clean electrons continue to plunge in price, everywhere, momentum toward clean(er) electricity grids continues to mount around the world. Coal has nearly disappeared from the UK’s electricity grid while likely to do so across Europe by 2030. Projections […]

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The District of Columbia is taking serious steps forward in line with its Climate Change plans . These include strengthening building codes for greater energy efficiency, sustainability, and livability; programs for cleaning up the electricity sourcing (including solar on 50 government buildings); and investments to make the urban environment quieter and cleaner with more effective […]

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Electrification of rail, a global phenomena (with, sigh, a major exception in the US/Canadian market), has significant positive impacts: Improved rail capacity with no other change, roughly 15% improvement in capacity due increased efficiency in braking/acceleration Interesting options for improving grid reliability, connections, etc … rail right of way as viable for power lines Reduced […]

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The pace of global change accelerates with each passing year. Energy systems — which tend, even amid revolution (wood to coal, coal to oil, …), to change slowly — are struggling, globally, to adapt to how that pace of change is accelerating within them as well. Globalization combined with information technology reach combined with materials […]

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UPFRONT NOTE:  President Obama’s proposed 21st century clean transportation program, funded by a $10 fee per barrel of oil, would likely have significant positive return on investment: reduced fossil fuel pollution impacts, improved economic activity in areas with mass and other transit investments, reduced economic vulnerability to oil market volatility and price shocks, reduced oil imports, […]

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In a series of guest posts, Assaf addresses — from the perspective both of an EV owner and an analyst — myths about electric vehicles. The first post addressed the life-cycle CO2 Footprint of various types of cars … and … the simple truth (in line with Debunking Handbook guidelines): Electric Vehicles have lower (LOWER!) […]

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In a series of guest posts, Assaf addresses — from the perspective both of an EV owner and an analyst — myths about electric vehicles. The first post addressed the life-cycle CO2 Footprint of various types of cars … and … the simple truth (in line with Debunking Handbook guidelines): Electric Vehicles have lower (LOWER!) […]

[Read more →]

In a series of guest posts, Assaf addresses — from the perspective both of an EV owner and an analyst — myths about electric vehicles. The first post addressed the life-cycle CO2 Footprint of various types of cars … and … the simple truth (in line with Debunking Handbook guidelines): Electric Vehicles have lower (LOWER!) […]

[Read more →]

In a series of guest posts, Assaf addresses — from the perspective both of an EV owner and an analyst — myths about electric vehicles. The first post addressed the life-cycle CO2 Footprint of various types of cars … and … the simple truth (in line with Debunking Handbook guidelines): Electric Vehicles have lower (LOWER!) […]

[Read more →]