Department of Energy

November 24, 2020

More Than Ever, We Give Thanks!

Without a doubt, 2020 has been an unforgettable year. It’s been a year filled with events that many of us will never see the likes of again in our lifetime. As we approach Thanksgiving, we give thanks to the many that fill our lives with joy and love. This year […]
November 20, 2020

How Might CCUS Fare Under a Biden Presidency?

We’ve written many times about the benefits of carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technology. Unfortunately, this technology has run into one regulatory brick wall after another. That’s too bad, since many energy experts agree that carbon capture will be an essential tool for cutting carbon emissions and fighting climate […]
November 13, 2020

California, Germany Show Renewable Energy Targets May Do More Harm Than Good

A 16-hour flight and more than 5,500 miles separate Sacramento, California from Berlin, Germany. Yet, the size of their economies and the progressive energy policies they have adopted have created a common bond between them. On the world stage, California’s $2.9 trillion economy would make it the world’s 5th largest […]
November 6, 2020

Permitting Reform Key to Energy Infrastructure Development

“It’s the economy, stupid,” famously quipped colorful Democratic strategist James Carville when asked why then-Governor Bill Clinton would win the 1992 U.S. Presidential race. But when it comes to why much-needed natural gas, oil, and electric infrastructure projects aren’t being built in the U.S. today, a similar answer comes to […]
October 30, 2020

CCUS Could Help California Meet Its Green Goals

Over the years, Energy Fairness has supported Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage (CCUS) technologies. We’ve maintained that CCUS is absolutely critical for meeting carbon reduction goals while keeping electricity affordable and reliable. Fortunately, acclaimed academics are now echoing what we’ve been saying all along. According to a new report from […]
October 28, 2020

Renewable hydrogen: A game-changer for long-term storage?

We’ve all heard about the promise of lithium-ion batteries and the proven reliability of pumped storage. Yet, not much has been said about renewable hydrogen’s promise as a widely deployable energy storage solution. We’ve written many times about the need to develop more energy storage solutions. Why? Because the ever-increasing […]
October 22, 2020

Supreme Court Inches Closer to Hearing Coal Export Case

Earlier this month, the Supreme Court inched closer to taking a highly contentious environmental lawsuit. The lawsuit? A suit brought directly to the court by Wyoming and Montana against Washington State. And, without a doubt, it is the culmination of an almost decade-long fight to permit and develop a coal export […]
October 19, 2020

U.S Takes Steps to Secure Supplies of Rare Earth Minerals Critical for Energy Independence

“The United States now imports 80% of its rare earth minerals directly from China.” That was the startling fact included in President Trump’s Executive Order published last month directing the Secretary of the Interior to “…investigate our Nation’s undue reliance on critical minerals…from foreign adversaries.” Since 2010 we’ve discussed the […]
October 8, 2020

How Will the Golden State Meet Its EV Dreams?

On September 23rd, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order ending the sale of new gas-burning cars in the state by 2035. Environmentalists and carmakers praised the move, but many experts say the celebration is premature. The adoption of electric vehicles (EV) is a good thing and Energy Fairness […]
October 6, 2020

Russian Hackers Target Grid

In May, we wrote about President Trump’s “Securing the United States Bulk-Power System” executive order. The order directed the Department of Energy to take steps to defend the U.S. bulk-power system against attacks – cyber and otherwise. The action didn’t come a moment too soon. Why? Because Russia’s GRU military […]
September 29, 2020

In Extreme Heat and Catastrophic Wildfires, Natural Gas Keeps California’s Lights On

“Solar power plunges as smoke shrouds Calif.” “Wildfire Smoke Decreases California Solar Energy Output.” “When Smoke Blotted Out the Sun, Rooftop Solar Dithered.” These were just some of the headlines detailing how California dealt with rolling blackouts during an unprecedented period of extreme heat and catastrophic wildfires. Last month, we wrote about California’s blackouts. Without a […]
September 24, 2020

Op-ed: Bringing the Miracle of Electricity to Bolivia

Energy Fairness board member, Shawn Taylor, recounts his trip with NRECA International (an affiliate of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association) to electrify a rural Bolivian village. As author Ted Case notes in his book Power Plays, President Kennedy put such stock in bringing electricity to the developing world that […]
February 23, 2012

Budget Good Opportunity for Debate

After much anticipation, President Obama last week unveiled his 2013 budget proposal. Among other line items in the $3.8 trillion plan, the president recommended $27.2 billion in spending on energy initiatives, $2.27 billion of which would fund the Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. This is […]
May 17, 2018

DOE’s Hard Work and Always-On, Clean, Affordable Power

While media attention focuses on events at one end of Pennsylvania Avenue, federal agencies and dedicated employees all over the country are quietly making progress on energy issues. This week, PACE takes a look at just one week’s output of good news from the Department of Energy. Sec. Rick Perry believes in […]
June 27, 2018

Energy Debates Help Summer Heat Up

Energy Fairness is on the road again, enjoying 110 degree highs in Phoenix. Back in D.C., energy debates are heating up the Beltway atmosphere, but we also found some bright spots to share. The Senate is working on appropriations bills, but partisan divides mean that many “riders” aimed at rolling […]
July 17, 2018

Pipeline Security - We’re All in this Together

Today’s PACE Blog is an abridged version of a PACE column published yesterday by Morning Consult. When it comes to ensuring a resilient energy grid capable of serving American customers no matter what comes our way, there are few things more vital than safeguarding the security of our energy and electricity […]