Articles

ENN

Q&A: Envisioning Minnesota's future electricity system

What do Minnesotans want their electricity system look like in the year 2040? That's the question a group of civic, business and community leaders are working to answer as part of a nonprofit policy forum.

31 January 2012
ENN

Greener buildings, with no upfront spending?

Sen. Al Franken, D-Minnesota, hosted a webinar Friday at the University of Minnesota's St. Paul campus to promote energy savings performance contacting and other retrofit financing tools for government and commercial buildings.

30 January 2012
ENN

Dispatches from the oil boom

There's been plenty of press about how North Dakota's oil boom is affecting long-time residents of the area, but most of us know little about the day-to-day life of the thousands of workers who have flocked to the state to work in the oil fields.

By Ken Paulman . 27 January 2012
ENN

For U.S. wind industry, a storm before the calm

The wind industry continued to expand in 2011, but industry officials said the momentum is likely to come to an abrupt halt if a crucial tax incentive is allowed to expire this year.
Photo by bevknits via Creative Commons

By Ken Paulman . 26 January 2012
ENN

Power from hog manure slow to catch on in Midwest

Researchers in North Carolina have created a better way to convert hog manure to energy, but producers in the Midwest are unlikely to rush to implement it.

By Drew Kerr . 26 January 2012
ENN

Should red and blue states be green and black instead?

A presidential election year is upon us again, and that means the return of maps splitting the nation into red and blue states. James Lenfestey thinks we should be seeing green and black instead.

25 January 2012
ENN

State of the Union on energy

24 January 2012
ENN

Playing the health card

Despite a lack of evidence, opponents of smart meters, power lines and wind turbines continue to repeat claims that they are harmful to human health. Why? Because it works.

By Ken Paulman . 24 January 2012
ENN

As smart meters roll out, opponents get organized

In Naperville, Illinois, as in other communities throughout the U.S., utilities' smart meter plans are running into intense opposition from some customers. Smart grid backers say the protests represent a small minority acting on unfounded fears.
Photo by Portland General Electric via Creative Commons

By Frank Jossi . 24 January 2012
ENN

Energy storage creates many winners, so who pays?

The benefits of energy storage projects are far reaching, from reduced maintenance costs at power plants to less price volatility for electricity customers. That raises a tricky market question for pumped-hydro, compressed air and other types of energy storage projects: Who should pay for them?

23 January 2012