Funds allocated under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) are heading to renewable energy and efficiency programs in seven states and territories. DOE Secretary Steven Chu announced the disbursement of $119 million to state-run programs in Alabama, American Samoa, Washington DC, Illinois, Maryland, North Dakota and Wyoming.
Sec. of Energy Steven Chu
In announcing the awards, Secretary Chu stressed the importance of local control in how the federal energy dollars are spent.
Stanford Professor Mark Jacobson
I was disappointed when I discovered that the list of experts at last week’s Clean Energy Summit would not include Stanford University’s Mark Jacobson. Of course, no individual is indispensable at such a summit. But as the day went by I felt his absence more and more keenly.
That’s because Jacobson is one of the few scientists looking at energy’s Big Picture. How big?
In an article published in the journal Energy & Environmental Science earlier this year, Jacobson reported the first quantitative, scientific study evaluating the top energy sources based on:
Our recent report on the electric car company, Better Place, generated lots of interest.
(Forgive my shorthand description of Better Place as a “car” company. They are, more accurately, an oil-free transportation infrastructure company. Which should explain why I used shorthand.)
For those who were left wanting more, here’s a presentation by Better Place CEO, Shai Agassi, made in April 2009. In it, he explains the concept behind Better Place, how it evolved, where the company is today and where they hope to be in the next few years.
