Oil, Gas, and Energy Commons^™

Creating A Legal Framework For Regulation Of Natural Gas Extraction From The Marcellus Shale Formation, Laura C. Reeder

William & Mary Environmental Law and Policy Review

No abstract provided.

Gasoline: The Achilles' Heel Of U. S. Energy Security, Robert W. Weaver

United States Department of Energy: Publications

The United States must balance securing our energy future with protecting our environment from climate change. A holistic approach is required to solve this complex problem. We must reduce demand for petroleum, improve energy efficiency, and develop feasible alternative energy solutions to include emission capture technologies.

The United States remains the largest consumer of energy products in the world and is the second leading producer of green house gas (GHG) emissions. Our dependence on imported petroleum is undermining our control of our national security interests. Petroleum comprises 63% of the United States’ energy consumption, with the transportation sector accounting for …

Environmental Life Cycle Assessment Of Coal-Biomass To Liquid Jet Fuel Compared To Petroleum-Derived Jp-8 Jet Fuel, Wayne C. Kinsel

Theses and Dissertations

The United States (U.S.) imported 57% of the petroleum products that it consumed in 2008. The Department of Defense (DOD) and in particular, the United States Air Force (USAF), consumes a large amount of oil to support the mission of defending the U.S. According to the USAF energy policy, by 2016, the Air Force (AF) must be prepared to cost competitively acquire 50% of its domestic aviation fuel requirement via an alternative fuel blend in which the alternative component is derived from domestic sources produced in a manner that is “greener” than fuels produced from conventional petroleum. This study employed …

Fuel Savings Opportunities From Air Refueling, Murat Toydas

Theses and Dissertations

Fuel is a critical strategic asset for military aviation operations, yet is increasingly expensive. Air refueling offers both the opportunity to extend aircraft range and the potential to save fuel by enabling a transport aircraft to depart with less fuel in exchange for additional cargo. We evaluate the practicality of air refueling in terms of fuel savings versus distance and cargo quantity, by introducing two non-linear optimization models that examine the tradeoff between departure fuel weight and loaded cargo for given origin, destination, and tanker base positions and freight quantities to be moved. We use various numerical example scenarios to …

Security Vulnerability Trends Related To Electric Power Supplied At Military Installations, Peter A. Sabatowski

Theses and Dissertations

The United States (U.S.) electric grid is considered one of the greatest inventions of the twentieth century, yet it become apparent over the past few decades that it is not without its own set of problems. The deregulation of the U.S. electric system in the late 1990s eliminated monopolies and resulted in the nation's generation, transmission, and distribution systems becoming separate entities owned and operated by multiple companies. This created a market economy in which many electric companies failed to plan for the future, did not invest in maintenance and upgrades, and began to push the aggregate system to its …

Algal Biofuel, Mar. 5, 2010, Harry Reid Center, University Of Nevada, Las Vegas

Biofuels

News in Brief

1. State Renewable Portfolio Standards, and Nevada 25% by 2025, (March 5, 2010).

2. Energy & Environmental Research Center, University of North Dakota conduct algal biofuel project

3. Renewable Energy Market Update by Element Markets

4. Can Western Renewable Portfolio Standards be Met? - Black & Veatch

Status And Trends Fact Sheet - March 2010, Erik Edward Nordman

Technical Reports

The West Michigan Wind Assessment project team is comprehensively analyzing the benefits and challenges of wind energy development in coastal West Michigan, including Oceana, Muskegon, Ottawa, and Allegan counties. This fact sheet summarizes the findings of their first report, Status and Trends of Wind Energy Development in West Michigan. Additional reports will examine potential impacts from a variety of perspectives and evaluate policy options for minimizing conflicts. For more information or to access the full report, please visit the project web site: www.gvsu.edu/wind.

Barrier Coatings For Thin Film Solar Cells: Final Subcontract Report, L. C. Olsen

Publications (E)

This program has involved investigations of the stability of CdTe and copper-indium-gallium-diselenide (CIGS) solar cells under damp heat conditions and effects of barrier coatings. CdTe and CIGS cells were subjected to environmental conditions characterized by 60ºC and 90% relative humidity (60/90), and to some extent 85ºC and 85 % relative humidity (85/85). Barrier coating technology developed at PNNL for OLEDs was used to investigate approaches to encapsulation of the two types of thin film solar cells. Moisture barriers consisting of multi-layer coatings involving alternating layers of polymer and aluminum oxide were deposited directly onto the front surface of CIGS cells …

Development Of Regional Wind Resource And Wind Plant Output Datasets: Final Subcontract Report, 3tier

Publications (E)

This is the Final Report for the project “Development of Regional Wind Resource and Wind Plant Output Datasets“(NREL subcontract number: AAM-8-77556-01 under prime contract number: DE-AC36-99GO10337). The report covers the period of the contract from October 15, 2007 through March 15, 2009. The final delivered outcomes of this project include:

• This report detailing the work produced.

• 30 validation reports for the purpose of tuning the mesoscale models.

• The numerical weather prediction (NWP) simulations for 2004-2006 in NetCDF format with a spatial resolution of one arc-minute and a temporal resolution of ten minutes.

• 30,544 original sites and …

Solar Power And The Electric Grid, Energy Analysis, Nrel Energy Analysis

Publications (E)

In today’s electricity generation system, different resources make different contributions to the electricity grid. This fact sheet illustrates the roles of distributed and centralized renewable energy technologies, particularly solar power, and how they will contribute to the future electricity system. The advantages of a diversified mix of power generation systems are highlighted.

Consortia Focused On Photovoltaic R&D, Manufacturing, And Testing: A Review Of Existing Models And Structures, Charlie Coggeshall, Robert M. Margolis

Publications (E)

As the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) Solar Energy Technologies Program prepares to initiate a new cost-shared research and development (R&D) effort on photovoltaic (PV) manufacturing, it is useful to review the experience to date with consortia focused on PV R&D, manufacturing, and testing. Information was gathered for this report by conducting interviews and accessing Web sites of 14 U.S. consortia and four European consortia, each with either a primary focus on or an emerging interest in PV technology R&D, manufacturing, or testing. Additional input was collected from several workshops held by the DOE and National Academy of Sciences (NAS) …

Preliminary Investigation Of Methods For Correcting For Variations In Solar Spectrum Under Clear Skies, B. Marion

Publications (E)

Two types of methods were evaluated for correcting the short-circuit current of photovoltaic (PV) modules for variations in the solar spectrum under clear skies: (1) empirical relationships based on air mass, and (2) use of spectral irradiance models and PV module spectral response data. Methods of the first type were the Sandia absolute air-mass function, or f(AM(a)), and the CREST air-mass function, or f(AM). The second type used SEDES2 and SMARTS spectral irradiance models. The methods were evaluated using data recorded during June, September, and December 2008 at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and during June 2008 at the Florida …

Solar Eclipse Monitoring For Solar Energy Applications Using The Solar And Moon Position Algorithms, Ibrahim Reda

Publications (E)

This report includes a procedure for implementing an algorithm (described by Jean Meeus [1]) to calculate the Moon’s zenith angle with uncertainty of ±0.001° and azimuth angle with uncertainty of ±0.003°. The step-by-step format presented here simplifies the complicated steps Meeus describes to calculate the Moon’s position, and focuses on the Moon instead of the planets and stars. It also introduces some changes to accommodate for solar radiation applications. These include changing the direction of measuring azimuth angles from north and eastward instead of from south and eastward, and the direction of measuring the observer’s geographical longitude to be measured …

What Is Clean Cities?, U.S. Department Of Energy

Publications (T)

Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Vehicle Technologies Program (VTP), Clean Cities is a government- industry partnership designed to reduce petroleum consumption in the transportation sector. Clean Cities contributes to the energy, environmental, and economic security of the United States by supporting local decisions to reduce our dependence on imported petroleum. Established in 1993 in response to the Energy Policy Act (EPAct) of 1992, the partnership provides tools and resources for voluntary, communitycentered programs to reduce consumption of petroleum-based fuels.

Battle For The Arctic/The Tipping Point, Thomas A. Ipri

Library Faculty Research

Although The Tipping Point: Global Warming at the Arctic Circle and The Battle for the Arctic come from different filmmakers and different distributors, they work well together as companion films. Both films are under 50 minutes each, making them a good fit for many classroom settings.

Slides: Energy Development Water Needs Assessment And Water Supply Alternatives And Analysis, Benjamin Harding

The Promise and Peril of Oil Shale Development (February 5)

Presenter: Benjamin Harding, Principal Engineer, AMEC Earth and Environmental

15 slides

Slides: Promise Or Peril: Shale Oil, Energy, And The Region, Chase Huntley

The Promise and Peril of Oil Shale Development (February 5)

Presenter: Chase Huntley, Policy Adviser for Energy & Climate Change, The Wilderness Society

8 slides

Agenda: The Promise And Peril Of Oil Shale Development, University Of Colorado Boulder. Natural Resources Law Center

The Promise and Peril of Oil Shale Development (February 5)

The largest known oil shale deposits in the world are in the Green River Formation, which covers portions of Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming. Fully one-half of the world’s oil shale lies within 150 miles of Grand Junction, Colorado, and about 80% of these reserves are on federal land. Estimates of recoverable reserves in the Green River Formation range from 500 billion to 1.53 trillion barrels. At present consumption rates, this is enough oil to satisfy 100% of U.S. demand for well over 100 years.

Development of oil shale could cause significant impacts on the Colorado Plateau. It would provide for …

Slides: Costs And Benefits Of Oil Shale Development, James T. Bartis

The Promise and Peril of Oil Shale Development (February 5)

Presenter: James T. Bartis, Senior Policy Researcher, Rand Corporation

21 slides

Slides: The Promise And Peril Of Oil Shale: Federal Law And Policy, David Bernhardt

The Promise and Peril of Oil Shale Development (February 5)

Presenter: David Bernhardt, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, Denver, CO

13 slides