Topic: energy

Energy Demands Drain Water Resources in Southeast U.S., Policies Needed

Stressed water supplies in the Southeast United States could be relieved by introducing energy and water conservation policies outlined in a report released today by the World Resources Institute, Southface and Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance.

Public officials in the U.S. Southeast should recognize and carefully manage the relationships between energy and water.

WHAT: The World Resources Institute (WRI), Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance (SEEA), and Southface will hold a tele-press conference to discuss the third report in a three-part series on energy opportunities in the Southeast United States. Water and Watts examines the region’s heavy dependence on water for electricity produced at coal and nuclear power plants. The report shows how clean energy policies can protect diminishing freshwater supplies and meet the energy demands of a growing population.

In the Southeast from 1997 to 2006, total fossil fuel consumption increased approximately 14 percent, outpacing the national average rate of 5 percent growth.

Energy efficiency is significantly cheaper than producing electricity with new power plants (see chart) and offers additional economic and environmental benefits.

Note: Levelized costs attempt to p

This chart shows near-term energy efficiency potential in the Southeast, compared to DOE projections for electricity consumption through 2015.

Policies Needed to Improve Energy Efficiency, Revive Economy in Southeast U.S.

Energy efficiency policies in the Southeast U.S. can help reduce electricity use by more than 10 percent over the next six years - saving the same amount of power generated by more than 30 coal-fired power plants, according to a report released today by the World Resources Institute (WRI), the Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance (SEEA), and Southface.

Nuclear power plants withdraw and consume the largest amounts of water, followed by power plants that use fossil fuels (coal or oil), biomass, or waste.

Nearly 40 billion gallons are withdrawn each day from Southeast freshwater supplies for thermoelectric power plants–about 65 percent of all withdrawals.

New Report Shows Strong Potential, Economic Benefits for Renewable Energy in Southeast U.S.

More than 25 percent of the Southeast U.S. region’s electric power could come from locally-available renewable energy supplies by 2025, according to findings released today by the World Resources Institute (WRI), Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE), and Southface.

Emergency spending for developing countries provides an opportunity to deliver green investments.

A group of major corporate energy buyers announced today that they have reached their collective goal of purchasing 1,000 megawatts of new, cost-competitive power generated from renewable-energy sources - enough power to displace a large coal-fired power plant.

Southeast Energy Policy Briefs

The World Resources Institute (WRI)—together with the Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance (SEEA), Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE), and Southface—compiled high-level overviews of regional opportunities to enhance energy efficiency, develop renewable electric power resources, and manage water-energy relationships. Watch WRI’s Eliot Metzger discuss the energy efficiency potential in the Southeast with Clean Skies News:

With an investment of US$10 billion dollars in energy efficiency improvements, India’s economy would benefit from its potentially vast annual energy savings of 183.5 billion kilowatt hours.

The purpose of this study is to provide a better understanding of the potential of India’s Energy Service Company (ESCO) industry in order for financial investors to make better-informed investment decisions.