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141 results
The Sustainability of `Sustainable´ Energy Use: Historical Evidence on the Relationship between Economic Growth and Renewable Energy
The paper examines historical cases from the Roman Empire, Early Modern Europe, and the Far East to argue that long-term economic growth is possible within renewable energy systems if demand, supply, and trade are managed through sound government policy. It contrasts successful management in Germany and Japan with failures in China, and assesses the technical potential of global renewable resources compared to current energy consumption.
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Document type: Research paper
Connecticut’s Dependence on Imported Coal
In 2008, Connecticut imported all the coal used by its power plants, spending $130 million on these imports, a significant portion of which came from Indonesia. While coal accounts for only 14.4% of the state's electricity mix, the state spent $37 per person on imported coal in 2007, exceeding the $27 per person spent on electricity efficiency programs. To reduce this dependence, Connecticut has implemented energy efficiency resource standards and renewable electricity standards, requiring utilities to source at least 23% of in-state power demand from renewables by 2020. The document notes that land-based renewables could technically meet 37% of the state's 2008 electricity needs, and offshore wind resources in New England could potentially supply over 24 times the region's power requirements.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Food and Crop Waste: A Valuable Biomass Feedstock
The fact sheet identifies significant quantities of agricultural production left in fields and waste generated during food processing as viable, non-food-competing biomass for biofuels. It details the causes of crop loss, such as weather and health outbreaks, and highlights existing technologies for recovering value from potato, orange, and corn waste, as well as the potential for anaerobic digestion of wastewater to produce biogas.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Local Clean Power
Alabama has the potential to generate an additional 51,000 GWh of electricity from renewable resources by 2025, which would represent approximately 60 percent of current electricity sales. The document identifies biomass, solar PV, and low-impact hydro as key resources and recommends the establishment of a renewable electricity standard (RES) with a target of 25 percent by 2025.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Local Clean Power: GEORGIA
The document identifies that Georgia has the potential to generate an additional 49,451 GWh of electricity from renewable resources by 2025, which would represent approximately 40 percent of current electricity sales. It highlights biomass as the largest potential source of renewable power and recommends the establishment of a renewable electricity standard (RES) with a target of 25 percent by 2025, alongside financial incentives and grid infrastructure improvements.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Local Clean Power: SOUTH CAROLINA
The document identifies that South Carolina has the potential to generate an additional 25,000 GWh of electricity from renewable resources by 2025, which would represent approximately 30 percent of current electricity sales. It advocates for a renewable electricity standard (RES) with a target of 25 percent by 2025, alongside financial incentives and grid infrastructure improvements. The report compares various power resources, noting that while renewable and conventional options have comparable total costs for new generation, renewables offer superior performance regarding water use, air quality, and climate impacts.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Water and Watts
The Southeast United States faces significant challenges in balancing water and energy needs due to population growth and frequent droughts. Thermoelectric power plants are the region's largest freshwater consumers, while water heating and treatment are major energy drivers. The document advocates for integrated policy priorities, including the adoption of water-efficient energy technologies, energy-efficient public buildings, and financial incentives for high-performance products like ENERGY STAR and WaterSense labels.
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Document type: Briefing
Water and Watts
The fact sheet highlights the water-energy nexus in Florida, noting that thermoelectric power plants account for nearly 10% of freshwater withdrawals and that water heating and treatment represent significant portions of residential and municipal energy costs. It recommends policy priorities including the prioritization of low-water energy technologies, the adoption of ENERGY STAR and WaterSense products, and the implementation of water recycling and solar water heating systems.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Local Clean Power: Renewable Electricity Opportunities in the Southeast United States
The Southeast United States has sufficient renewable energy resources to meet up to 30 percent of its electric power needs by 2025. The region can leverage biomass, solar, wind, and low-impact hydropower to reduce reliance on conventional power, though this requires overcoming regulatory barriers such as restrictive third-party power pricing and insufficient interconnection rules. The document argues that a national or state-level renewable electricity standard (RES) would drive job growth and economic investment with minimal impact on consumer electricity costs.
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Document type: Briefing
How Geothermal Energy Works
The document describes geothermal energy as a sustainable, baseload power source derived from Earth's internal heat. It details three types of power plants—dry steam, flash, and binary cycle—and the use of ground-source heat pumps for building climate control. While the U.S. is a global leader in capacity, largely centered in California, the text highlights emerging technologies like Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) and co-production in oil and gas wells as keys to unlocking vast untapped energy reserves.
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Document type: Guide
Global Land & Food in the 21st Century
The report projects that global food requirements will increase significantly by 2050, driven by population growth and rising dietary standards in less developed countries (LDCs). While theoretical land and yield potentials exist, the report argues that meeting this demand will require massive increases in crop yields, a substantial expansion of cultivated land in Africa and Latin America, and a six-fold increase in cereal exports from developed regions. It highlights critical risks including soil degradation, water scarcity, and the environmental impact of forest clearance, suggesting a 'doubly green' revolution focused on sustainable intensification and policy reform to avoid food insecurity.
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Document type: Report
Global Land & Food in the 21st Century
The report analyzes the sustainability of global food systems up to 2050, projecting a significant increase in food demand, particularly in less developed regions (LDCs). It argues that while global production can theoretically meet this demand through yield increases and land expansion, this requires massive shifts in trade, where developed regions (MDCs) must substantially increase cereal exports to Africa and the Middle East. The study highlights critical risks including soil degradation, water scarcity, and the need for a 'doubly green' revolution in agricultural technology to avoid environmental collapse.
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Document type: Report
Superhot Rock Geothermal in Afghanistan
The document highlights Afghanistan's significant superhot rock geothermal resources, noting that just 1% of this endowment could provide 144 GW of energy capacity. It argues that this energy source could reduce energy poverty, lower land-use requirements compared to other renewables, and provide reliable firm power to the electrical grid.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Superhot Rock Geothermal in Algeria
The document highlights that just 1% of Algeria's superhot rock geothermal resource could provide 819 GW of energy capacity, far exceeding the country's projected 2050 electricity demand of 181,286 GWh. While not expected to reach commercial scale by 2030, this technology could theoretically replace all fossil fuels used in Algeria's electricity production, eliminate coal imports, and support desalination and hydrogen production. The resource is noted for its low land footprint (12 km² per 1 GW) and its potential to leverage existing subsurface expertise from Algeria's oil and gas sector.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Superhot Rock Geothermal in Angola
The document highlights that just 1% of Angola's estimated superhot rock geothermal resource could provide 197 GW of energy capacity, far exceeding the country's projected 2050 electricity demand of 62,933 GWh. It argues that this technology could replace fossil fuels in the electricity sector, reducing emissions by approximately 4 megatonnes of CO2eq, while utilizing significantly less land than solar, wind, or biomass. Additionally, the report suggests that Angola's existing oil and gas workforce and subsurface expertise could facilitate a transition to this zero-carbon energy source to address energy poverty and low electrification rates in rural areas.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Superhot Rock Geothermal in Argentina
The document highlights that just 1% of Argentina's superhot rock geothermal resource could provide 2,659 GW of energy capacity, far exceeding the country's projected 2050 electricity demand of 348,032 GWh. This resource could theoretically replace all fossil fuels used for electricity production, reducing emissions by approximately 47 megatonnes of CO2eq, which represents 129% of Argentina's Nationally Determined Contribution goal. Additionally, the technology offers high energy density, requiring only 12 km² of land per 1 GW, and could eliminate the need for the 17% of natural gas and 4% of electricity that Argentina currently imports.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Superhot Rock Geothermal in Arizona
The document argues that superhot rock geothermal could be a gamechanger for Arizona's energy sector, providing a carbon-free, firm power source with a very small land footprint. Preliminary modeling suggests that just 1% of Arizona's superhot rock resource could provide 596 GW of energy capacity, which is 58 times the state's 2023 electricity consumption. The technology is described as more versatile than traditional geothermal because it does not require natural underground water sources. Additionally, the document notes that Arizona's existing oil and gas workforce possesses subsurface expertise that could facilitate a transition to this zero-carbon energy production.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Superhot Rock Geothermal in Armenia
The document highlights that just 1% of Armenia's estimated superhot rock geothermal resource could provide 40 GW of energy capacity, far exceeding the country's 2021 electricity consumption of 7,876 GWh. This resource could theoretically replace all coal and gas used for electricity production, reducing emissions by approximately 2 megatonnes of CO2eq, which represents 16% of Armenia's Nationally Determined Contribution goal for 2030. Additionally, the technology offers a low land footprint, requiring roughly 12 km² per 1 GW, and could eliminate Armenia's dependence on natural gas and electricity imports.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Superhot Rock Geothermal in Australia
The document highlights that just 1% of Australia's superhot rock geothermal resource could provide 624 GW of energy capacity, potentially meeting the country's projected 2050 electricity demand of 436,281 GWh. It argues that this technology offers a low-land-footprint alternative to other renewables and a transition pathway for the oil and gas workforce.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Superhot Rock Geothermal in Austria
The document highlights that just 1% of Austria's superhot rock geothermal resource could provide 31 GW of capacity, exceeding the country's 2021 electricity demand and potentially replacing all fossil fuel and electricity imports.
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This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Fact sheet