New Name, Great Content | Green Energy News

February 13 2005 – Vol.9 No.47

NEW NAME, GREAT CONTENT

Berkeley Labs Science Beat has become Science@Berkeley Lab Magazine. And, it has an added new section, the Energy Bar.

In the launch issue the Energy Bar column begins with a summary of a report - Easing the Natural Gas Crisis: Reducing Natural Gas Prices through Increased Deployment of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency - which is itself a review of 13 studies and 20 specific analyses.

Now that considerable power generation capacity in the U.S. is fueled by natural gas, strain is building on supplies and keeping prices high. But, building renewable energy capacity, such as wind power can reduce the burden and keep prices in check.

(Aside from paying for electricity generated from natural gas, home owners are also paying for natural gas for cooking, heating and domestic hot water.)

The report shows how Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) in 18 states can have an impact on natural gas prices. According to the report each 1-percent reduction in natural gas demand nationwide is likely to lead to a long-term wellhead price reduction of 0.8 percent to 2 percent, possibly higher.

Next Science@Berkeley Lab features Aerosols Overstay Their Welcome, a summary of a report showing how long pollutants and dust float in the atmosphere before gravity takes hold and reins them in.

Links to the full reports are also available, as is a link to Proform, a free spreadsheet program developed by researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory that can be used to determine the energy savings and greenhouse gas reductions for planned energy efficiency or renewable energy projects. Sign up for the electronic magazine today or visit it frequently at http://enews.lbl.gov/ .