In Eastern Europe and Central Asia there are significant pressures for residential energy tariffs to rise, as government budgets are increasingly stretched and cannot afford to pay large energy subsidies. Further pressures for tariffs to rise come from environmental concerns, as the tariff levels that households now face do not cover the social costs of energy production. Because reforms that would increase energy tariffs are likely to affect significantly the poor and the middle class, their political feasibility may be questioned unless appropriate ways of cushioning the impacts can be devised. Balancing these competing claims-fiscal and environmental concerns on the one hand, affordability and political economy concerns on the other-is a task that policy makers in the region are increasingly unable to put off. While challenging, the reforms needed for this balancing act can build on much that has been learned in the last decade in terms of improving the effectiveness of social assistance systems and increasing energy efficiency. This report suggests that a policy agenda that focuses on cutting subsidies to the energy sector, while investing in energy efficiency and supporting households at the bottom of the distribution, amounts to a new wave of policy reforms for the energy sector in transition countries. The feasibility of such an integrated policy agenda and the ability of these policies to balance the competing claims of fi scal responsibility and social concerns are explored through different policy scenarios, which, in their simplicity, help clarify the parameters of the policy choices many countries ECA are facing. This report is a part of a series of 3 regional reports. The series includes 'Growing green: The economic benefits of climate action in Europe and Central Asia', 'Balancing act: Cutting energy subsidies and protecting affordability' and 'Lessons learned from energy efficiency success cases'.

The Department of Energy (DOE) prepared this Environmental Assessment (EA) to evaluate the potential environmental impacts of providing a financial assistance grant under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) in a cooperative agreement with the Public Service Company of New Mexico (PNM) as part of the Smart Grid Demonstrations Program. If PNM received the funding, the company would install a 2- to 4-megawatt-hour advanced absorbed valve-regulated lead acid battery, an access road, a parking lot, and a 3,000-foot underground electrical tie-in to the existing power distribution system (the proposed project). PNM would also install separately a collocated utility-scale solar photovoltaic array with an output of about 500 kilowatts at its own expense. The goal would be to use the battery, along with a sophisticated control system, to turn solar energy into reliable dispatchable generation resource. This EA analyzes the potential environmental impacts of DOE's proposed action of providing Recovery Act funding and of the No-Action Alternative. DOE's proposed action is to provide about $1.8 million in financial assistance in a cost-sharing arrangement to PNM. The cost of the proposed project would be about $5.9 million. In this EA, DOE evaluates the impacts to air quality, noise, aesthetics, soils, geology, water resources, biological resources, and cultural resources from DOE's proposed action and PNM's proposed project.

Tajikistan suffers severe energy shortages in winter, caused by a combination of low hydropower output during winter, when river fl ows are low, and high demand driven by heating needs. Shortages affect some 70 percent of the population, costing about 3 percent of annual GDP. This fi gure excludes human and environmental costs, as well as the serious negative effect on the business investment climate. If no measures are undertaken to address this problem, then current electricity shortages, estimated at about one-quarter of winter demand (2,700 GWh), could increase to more than one-third of winter demand (4,500 GWh) by 2016. The Government of Tajikistan recognizes both the importance and challenges of energy security and has therefore introduced various measures to help meet demand. Tajikistan s Winter Energy Crisis explores a range of supply and demand alternatives including thermal, run-of-river hydro, other renewables, energy effi ciency, and demand management to further inform its development partners on the country s efforts to meet its winter energy demand. The study recommends that the Government of Tajikistan accelerate its efforts in energy effi ciency and demand management, including tariff reform; add new dual-fi red thermal power supply to complement the existing hydropower supply during winter; and pursue energy imports and rebuild regional energy trade routes to leverage surplus electricity supply in neighboring countries. Energy conservation and demand-side management, effective resource management, and reduction alone could address 40 percent of the shortages, including a signifi cant package of economic measures at the main aluminum smelting plant. The study suggests that by following these recommended actions shortages could be signifi cantly reduced within 4 5 years and a solid base for long-term energy established."

The Department of Energy (DOE) prepared this Environmental Assessment (EA) to assess the potential for impacts to the human and natural environment of its Proposed Action-providing financial assistance to FutureFuel under a cooperative agreement. DOE's objective is to support the development of the EDV industry in an effort to substantially reduce the United States' consumption of petroleum, in addition to stimulating the United States' economy. More specifically, DOE's objective is to accelerate the development and production of various EDV systems by building or increasing domestic manufacturing capacity for advanced automotive batteries, their components, recycling facilities, and EDV components. This work will enable market introduction of various electric vehicle technologies by lowering the cost of battery packs, batteries, and electric propulsion systems for EDVs through high-volume manufacturing. Under the terms of the cooperative agreement, DOE would provide approximately 50 percent of the funding to FutureFuel to partially fund the retrofitting of an existing manufacturing building to a commercial-scale plant to produce intermediate anode material for high-performance Li-ion batteries (referred to as the "Proposed Project" within this EA). An existing FutureFuel manufacturing building (48,000 square feet, 5 stories) would be retrofitted to accommodate the proposed plant. The existing building that would be reconfigured currently includes over half of the major process equipment and pumps required to produce intermediate anode material. The goal would be to increase the product supply from the current 1,000,000 pounds per year at an off-site plant to 10,000,000 pounds per year, which would be sufficient for supplying over 2,000,000 HEVs. Additionally, the project would create approximately 33 permanent jobs. The environmental analysis identified that the most notable changes, although minor, to result from FutureFuel's Proposed Project would occur in the following areas: air quality and greenhouse gas, surface water and groundwater, transportation and traffic, solid and hazardous wastes, and human health and safety. No significant environmental effects were identified in analyzing the potential consequences of these changes.

The Department of Energy (DOE) prepared this Environmental Assessment (EA) to evaluate the potential environmental consequences of providing a financial assistance grant under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to Texas A&M University (Texas A&M) for installation of a combined heat and power (CHP) system at its campus in College Station, Texas. DOE's proposed action is to provide $10 million in financial assistance in a cost-sharing arrangement with the project proponent, Texas A&M. The cost of the proposed project would be about $70.3 million. Texas A&M's proposed project is to install and operate a high-efficiency CHP system that would produce steam for heating and cooling as well as generate electricity. This EA evaluates commonly addressed environmental resource areas and identifies no significant adverse environmental impacts for the proposed project. The proposed project would upgrade the Central Utility Plant and campus electrical distribution system to serve Texas A&M expansion. The proposed CHP system would result in substantial energy savings, reduce carbon dioxide emissions, and reduce the amount of electricity Texas A&M would purchase from carbon-producing plants such coal-fired power generators.

The Department of Energy (DOE) prepared this Environmental Assessment (EA) to evaluate the potential environmental consequences of providing a financial assistance grant under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) (Recovery Act; Public Law 111-5, 123 Stat. 115) to Battelle Memorial Institute to facilitate the installation of 540 additional solar panels, 10 solar concentrating modules, and 8 small wind energy systems at the City of Ellensburg's Renewable Energy Park located in Ellensburg, Kittitas County, Washington. This EA analyzes the potential environmental impacts of DOE's proposed action of providing the Recovery Act funding and of the No-Action Alternative. In this EA, DOE evaluated impacts to air quality, noise, aesthetics and visual resources, soils and geology, water resources, biological resources, and cultural resources. After performing a screening analysis of other environmental resource areas, DOE concluded that impacts to some aspects of the environment would not be likely to occur or would be negligible. The proposed project would be designed in compliance with federal and state air quality regulations, would reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and would have a net beneficial impact on air quality in the region. Operation of the concentrating solar modules and eight small wind systems would cause a negligible increase in noise outdoors near the adjacent interstate and Recreation Park. The aesthetics of the City of Ellensburg's Renewable Energy Park would change with the addition of ten 18-foot diameter solar concentrating modules and eight wind towers ranging from 40 to 100 feet in height; however, these changes would be in compliance with the City and County proposed regulations for wind turbines. Adverse impacts to visual resources would be minimal. There would be no adverse impacts to the 100-year floodplain profiles associated with Reecer Creek, and no increase in risk to lives or property in the area from the project. Developing 3 acres for further construction of the Renewable Energy Park would not adversely impact any plant or animal species because the project site is small and isolated from larger tracks of undisturbed land, and because plant and animal species found there are common and widespread in the region. The risk of collisions between the wind turbines and migratory birds and bats is not likely due to the configuration of the turbines (parallel to bird movements toward the wetlands and grouped configuration), the relatively short height of the turbines, and placement in previously disturbed habitat. In support of this EA, a cultural resources inventory was conducted for the area of potential effect (project site). No archaeological resources were identified, and DOE determined that no historic properties would be affected by Battelle's project. In summary, expanding the Renewable Energy Park with additional solar panels, solar concentrating modules, and small wind turbines would not likely result in significant adverse environmental impacts, particularly considering the other existing surrounding uses.

This book provides insights into infrastructure sector performance by focusing on the links between key indicators for utilities, and changes in ownership, regulatory agency governance, and corporate governance, among other dimensions. By linking inputs and outputs over the last 15 years, the analysis is able to uncover key determinants that have impacted performance and address why the effects of such dimensions resulted in significant changes in the performance of infrastructure service provision.

Publisher's Note: Products purchased from Third Party sellers are not guaranteed by the publisher for quality, authenticity, or access to any online entitlements included with the product. The Latest Tools and Techniques for Managing Infrastructure AssetsFully updated throughout, this practical resource provides a proven, cost-effective infrastructureasset management framework that integrates planning, design, construction, maintenance, rehabilitation, and renovation. Public Infrastructure Asset Management,Second Edition, describes the most current methodologies for effectively managing roads, bridges, airports, utility services, water and waste facilities, parks, public buildings, and sports complexes. This comprehensive guide covers information management and decision support systems, including proprietary solutions and new technological developments such ascloud storage. The book discusses total quality management, economics, life-cycle analysis, and maintenance, rehabilitation, and reconstruction programming. Up-to-date examples and real-world case studies illustrate the practical applications of the concepts presented in this thoroughly revised reference. This new edition features: Planning, needs assessment, and performance indicators Database management, data needs, and analysis Inventory, historical, and environmental data In-service monitoring and evaluation data Performance modeling and failure analysis Design for infrastructure service life Construction Maintenance, rehabilitation, and reconstruction strategies, policies, and treatment alternatives Dealing with new or alternate concepts Prioritization, optimization, and work programs Integrated infrastructure asset management systems Visual IMS: an illustrative infrastructure management system and applications Available asset management system and commercial off-the-shelf providers Benefits of implementing an asset management system Sustainability, environmental stewardship, and asset management Future directions for infrastructure asset management

This EA presents information on the potential impacts associated with the distribution of a grant to Conergy for the construction of a solar facility in Philadelphia. This EA was prepared in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA; 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.); the National Environmental Policy Act, Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations 40 CFR Parts 1500-1508; and DOE NEPA Implementation Procedures 10 CFR 1021. This EA analyzes the following resource areas: Natural Resources - including water resources, geology, topography and soils, vegetation and wildlife, air quality, and noise; Historic Resources - including visual, and historical resources; Infrastructure - including roadways and traffic, potable water, storm water management, sanitary sewer, energy systems, solid waste, and hazardous material; Socioeconomic Resources - including land use, planning policies, demographics and environmental justice, and human health and safety. DOE's purpose and need is to ensure that SEP funds are used for activities that meet Congress's statutory aims to improve energy efficiency, reduce dependence on imported oil, decrease energy consumption, or promote renewable energy. However, it is not DOE's role to dictate to Pennsylvania how to allocate its funds among these objectives or to prescribe the projects it should pursue. PEDA's purpose and need is to take action to help fulfill its mission to finance clean, advanced energy projects in Pennsylvania, including solar energy projects. Applications are evaluated using criteria including but not limited to technical and financial feasibility of the project, number and quality of jobs created or preserved, and other economic benefits for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Projects must show financial commitment from at least one source other than PEDA and demonstrate a net environmental benefit to Pennsylvania. Conergy's purpose and need is to facilitate green job creation, economic development and growth and improve and drive the solar market place in Pennsylvania.

The Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010, which was included in the final legislation (H.R. 3183, Public Law 111-85), directed the U. S. Department of Energy (DOE) to develop this report outlining domestic unconventional fossil energy resource opportunities and associated technology applications, in support of overall research, development, and deployment (RD&D) strategy for the further development of these resources. While the strategy report is prepared by DOE, the scope of the RD&D opportunities and associated technology application is nationwide. Based on the current state of ongoing private and public research efforts, the report summarizes: the potential magnitude of the resource base for each of the unconventional fossil energy sources; the technical, safety, and environmental challenges that have been identified in connection with each of the unconventional resources; and the current status of research activity, both public and private, focused on these resources. From this review of past research activity, the report identifies the following principal remaining technological and environmental challenges: production of residual oil that remains in large domestic oil reservoirs while simultaneously storing carbon dioxide (CO2) in those same reservoirs; potential development of the nation's unmineable coal resource via underground coal gasification; the producibility of natural gas from methane hydrate and the potential for simultaneously sequestering CO2; development of gas shale and tight gas sands; application of advance computational methods for evaluating cumulative environmental and socioeconomic impacts of simultaneous development of conventional and unconventional resources on a regional basis; collection and archiving of historical baseline data related to unconventional fossil fuel resources that may facilitate collaborative efforts among researchers; and quantifying the environmental and safety impacts of unconventional resource development and identifying ways to reduce and/or mitigate these impacts, thereby improving environmentally sustainable production of the resources.

The United States Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory (DOE NETL) prepared this Environmental Assessment (EA) to analyze the potential environmental impacts of providing funding for the proposed Pope/Douglas Third Combustor Expansion Project in Alexandria, Minnesota. The Proposed Action is for DOE to provide $927,514 of cost-shared funding for this project, or 5% of the overall total project cost of $19,400,000. The proposed project is a Congressionally Directed Project selected by the DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) to advance research and the development and demonstration of energy efficiency or renewable energy technologies or programs. The proposed project would construct and operate a third Municipal Waste Combustor (MWC) to complement the two existing MWCs at the Pope/Douglas Solid Waste Management (PDSWM) waste-to-energy facility. The proposed project would be consistent with DOE's goal to increase the use and amount of renewable energy generation projects. The third MWC would have a nominal capacity of 120 tons of waste per day and would double the facility's overall capacity. Expansion of the facility would enable PDSWM to manage the solid waste of five counties and provide steam to three customers. Excess steam produced at the facility would be used to produce electricity for in-house use or would possibly be sold to the local energy grid. The proposed third MWC unit would be designed and operated similarly to the two existing MWC units, and would be constructed on an already paved surface, immediately south of the existing MWCs. The proposed project would require a construction permit and a Major Amendment to the facility's existing air emissions operating permit. However, no other permits are anticipated to be required. No significant adverse impacts are anticipated to result from implementation of this proposed project.

DOE prepared this EA to evaluate the potential environmental consequences of providing a financial assistance grant under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act; Public Law 111-5, 123 Stat. 115) to the Center for Commercialization of Electric Technology (CCET) to facilitate the development and demonstration of a multi-faceted, synergistic approach to managing fluctuations in wind power within the Electric Reliability Council of Texas transmission grid. This EA analyzes the potential environmental impacts of DOE's proposed action of providing the Recovery Act funding and of the No-Action Alternative. In this EA, DOE evaluated potential environmental consequences from a portion of the overall project that would involve land disturbance. Other portions are described as significant elements of the project, but because they involve only installation of equipment in existing facilities, they do not involve potential for significant environmental impact and are not evaluated further. With regard to the land disturbing actions considered in this EA, DOE evaluated impacts to air quality, noise, aesthetics and visual resources, surface water resources, and biological resources. After performing a screening analysis of other environmental resource areas, DOE concluded that impacts to some aspects of the environment would not be likely to occur or would be negligible. The proposed project would be designed in compliance with federal and state air quality regulations, would reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and would have a net beneficial impact on air quality in the region. New construction would involve a 500-kilowatt solar farm with an array of solar panels, a storage battery with capacity to hold at least 250 kilowatts, and other green technologies. Operation of the solar farm would not result in any increase in noise in the vicinity. The aesthetics of the Discovery at Spring Trails community would change with the addition of the solar photovoltaic panels, which would be housed on rows of metal framework designed to allow the panels to be sloped toward the south for optimal exposure to the sun. The top edge of the modules would be 10 to 11 feet above the ground and the bottom edge would be about 2 feet above the ground. Developing 4 acres for the solar farm on the Discovery at Spring Trails site would not significantly impact any population of plant or animal species because the project site is small and isolated from larger tracts of undisturbed land, and because plant and animal species found there are expected to be widespread in the region or, for sensitive species, the area is not unique habitat. The red-cockaded woodpecker, which is an endangered species under the federal Endangered Species Act, occurs in Montgomery County. However, forest habitat in the project vicinity is second growth due to past development of the area, and it is unlikely that this species would occur there.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) proposes to issue A123 Systems, Inc. (A123), loan and grant funding to retrofit several existing facilities and construct and equip a new facility to support lithium-ion phosphate battery manufacturing operations for hybrid electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. All facilities associated with the Proposed Action would be in the Detroit metropolitan area of southeastern Michigan. DOE prepared this Environmental Assessment (EA) in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), Council on Environmental Quality NEPA implementing regulations (40 Code of Federal Regulations CFR] Parts 1500-1508), and DOE NEPA implementing procedures (10 CFR 1021). The EA examines the potential environmental effects associated with the Proposed Action and the No-Action Alternative. Using the targeted benchmark of 2012 for production, the incorporation of 1 year's output of A123 lithium-ion phosphate batteries into plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles would be expected to reduce national fuel consumption by more than 1 billion gallons of gasoline and reduce emissions of carbon dioxide by approximately 12 million tons over a 10-year period. Therefore, the A123 project would help avoid and reduce emissions of air pollutants and human-caused greenhouse gases, as mandated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for passenger cars and trucks pursuant to federal emissions requirements under the Clean Air Act (65 Federal Register 6698, February 10, 2000). The analysis did not identify adverse impacts to land use (zoned use), visual resources, water resources, biological resources, cultural resources, noise, or public health and safety from implementing the Proposed Action. The analysis identified small adverse impacts to air quality and traffic. The analysis identified small short- and long-term beneficial impacts to socioeconomics in the region of influence from job creation associated with the proposed project. The No-Action Alternative would not impact the environmental resources evaluated in the EA. If DOE did not issue A123 loan and grant funding, A123 would not proceed with the project. Without the financial assistance a DOE loan and grant would provide, A123 would not pursue creation of lithium-ion phosphate battery manufacturing centers in the United States. This would not be consistent with DOE Incentive Program and Vehicle Technologies Program goals.

U. S. Department of Energy (DOE) prepared this draft Environmental Assessment (EA) to evaluate the potential environmental consequences of providing financial assistance in a cooperative agreement with Big Sky Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership (BSCSP). If DOE decides to provide funding, in accordance with the terms of the cooperative agreement, BSCSP plans to test the injection of 1 million metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) over a four year project injection period into the Duperow formation in Kevin Dome. BSCSP would drill up to five production wells, one injection well, and four wells for monitoring. The project would also involve construction of a compressor station, five miles of roads, and six to ten miles of stainless steel pipeline, as well as various monitoring activities. Two activities, a three dimensional, nine-component seismic survey and some air and water baseline sampling, were allowed to proceed before this document was completed under an interim action request. However, the seismic survey work ceased after the seismic crews caused inadvertent adverse effects to cultural resources, and inclement weather caused postponement of the environmental monitoring. Under the terms of the financial assistance agreement, BSCSP has also initiated some desktop studies and administrative work that would have no effect on the environment (BSCSP, 2012a). DOE's proposed action evaluated in this draft EA is to provide approximately $63.8 million in financial assistance in a cost-sharing arrangement to BSCSP. The total cost of the proposed project would be approximately $81.4 million. This EA evaluates the environmental resource areas DOE commonly addresses in its EAs and identifies no significant adverse environmental impacts for the proposed project after mitigation.

The "Top 25 Oil and Gas KPIs of 2011-2012" report provides insights into the state of oil and gas performance measurement today by listing and analyzing the most visited KPIs for this industry on smartKPIs.com in 2011. In addition to KPI names, it contains a detailed description of each KPI, in the standard smartKPIs.com KPI documentation format, that includes fields such as: definition, purpose, calculation, limitation, overall notes and additional resources. This product is part of the "Top KPIs of 2011-2012" series of reports and a result of the research program conducted by the analysts of smartKPIs.com in the area of integrated performance management and measurement. SmartKPIs.com hosts the largest catalogue of thoroughly documented KPI examples, representing an excellent platform for research and dissemination of insights on KPIs and related topics. The hundreds of thousands of visits to smartKPIs.com and the thousands of KPIs visited, bookmarked and rated by members of this online community in 2011 provided a rich data set, which combined with further analysis from the editorial team, formed the basis of these research reports.

The DOE National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) prepared this Environmental Assessment (EA) to analyze the potential environmental impacts of providing funding to Norwich Public Utilities (NPU) for its proposed Norwich Cogeneration Initiative in Norwich, New London County, Connecticut. DOE's proposed action is to provide a financial assistance grant of about $718,000. The total project cost would be about $1.47 million, with NPU providing the balance of the funding. The proposed funding is based on a Congressional earmark. DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy believes this project will advance research and development and demonstrate energy efficiency technology. NPU would construct and operate a high-efficiency natural-gas-fired reciprocating engine cogeneration facility on property leased from and adjoining Atlantic City Linen Supply New England (ACLS). ACLS operates an industrial laundry service at this location. The proposed project would install a natural-gas-fired reciprocating engine to generate 540 kilowatts of electricity and use the thermal energy, in the form of a closed-loop hot water heat exchanger, to produce hot water for ACLS's operations. The electricity generated by the unit would be transmitted to NPU's distribution system and offset electricity purchases, potentially reducing costs to all customers.

In support of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Advanced Research Program, conceptual systems and cost analyses were developed by the Parsons Corporation for coal processing plants to produce hydrogen while recovering carbon dioxide (CO2) for offsite processing or sequestration. These plants had been referred to as decarbonized fuel plants, but are now called hydrogen fuel plants. The scope of work for this analysis entailed the following: Identifying alternative processes and technologies utilized for production of hydrogen from coal; Reviewing the technical and economic characteristics of developmental materials and technologies for separating hydrogen and oxygen from gas mixtures; Conceptualizing process plant designs that utilize developing technologies and materials, resulting in costs of product and CO2 sequestration significantly lower than with conventional approaches; Comparing the costs of a hydrogen fuel plant with plants designed to produce hydrogen from coal utilizing conventional technology; Performing sensitivity analyses on the baseline conceptual hydrogen fuel plants to determine the effect of modifying plant design on cost of product; Presenting data and results on this study at periodic conferences and workshops. An alternative plant was conceived for producing hydrogen from coal utilizing a hydrogen separation device (HSD) being developed by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The HSD is based on a high-temperature membrane separation concept that can be designed to selectively separate hydrogen from other gases. By utilizing the HSD, it should be possible to separate hydrogen from CO2 passively and economically. This report is a compilation of a series of letter reports issued between 1999 and 2001 to document the activity and results from this investigation. It includes the following: An establishment of a baseline plant design for hydrogen production based on the ORNL membrane concept, A comparison of this design to the conventional methods of producing hydrogen from natural gas and coal, and An evaluation of the HSD based on gasifying a mixture of Wyodak coal and biomass.

DOE prepared this EA to evaluate the potential environmental impacts of providing three types of financial assistance to EnerDel, Inc. (EnerDel) to expand its domestic manufacturing of lithium-ion batteries: (1) a grant under Funding Opportunity Announcement DE-FOA 0000026, Recovery Act - Electric Drive Vehicle Battery and Component Manufacturing Initiative; (2) a loan under Funding Opportunity Announcement DE-FOA 0000052, State Energy Program Formula Grants - American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA); and (3) a loan pursuant to Section 136 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (Energy Act) as an automotive component supplier promoting improved fuel economy in light-duty vehicles. As the names of the Funding Opportunity Announcements indicate, these two methods of assistance would derive from funds appropriated by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act; Public Law 111-5, 123 Stat. 115). Alternatively, the loan under the State Energy Program funding opportunity would be provided by the State of Indiana from the formula grant it received from DOE under that funding opportunity. This EA analyzes the potential environmental impacts of EnerDel's proposed project to expand its manufacture of lithium-ion batteries, the three proposed federal actions (two loans and one grant), and the alternatives to each of these proposed actions. EnerDel, an Indiana-based company, currently provides system integration from cell to battery in a mass production-scale operation. It operates two facilities in central Indiana: one in the northeast section of Indianapolis and one in the southern part of Noblesville, which is about 20 miles northeast of the center of Indianapolis. Under its proposed project, EnerDel would add cell manufacturing and pack assembly capacity by obtaining and outfitting a new third facility located near Greenfield, Indiana. This EA evaluates 14 resource areas and identifies no significant adverse impacts from EnerDel's proposed project. Beneficial impacts to the nation's air quality and transportation could be realized from implementation of the proposed project, as it could lead to increased use of electric vehicles. In addition, minor beneficial socioeconomic impacts would occur from increased employment opportunities and spending in the local economy.

Launched to tie-in with the United Nations Climate Change Summit in Copenhagen (COP15), Dr Steffen Bohm and Siddhartha Dabhi's new book, Upsetting the Offset: The Political Economy of Carbon Markets, challenges the environmental claims made about carbon markets and carbon offsetting schemes. The book - which collates contributions from more than 30 leading experts - is another voice in the growing criticism about the business of carbon and how it has failed to deliver promised reductions in greenhouse gases. The book contributes to a growing field of critics of carbon markets by highlighting several up-to-date examples of where the system has failed and often led to negative social, economic and environmental impacts in deprived countries. http: //mayflybooks.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/9781906948078UpsettingtheOffset.pdf"

For a century, almost all light-duty vehicles (LDVs) have been powered by internal combustion engines operating on petroleum fuels. Energy security concerns about petroleum imports and the effect of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions on global climate are driving interest in alternatives. Transitions to Alternative Vehicles and Fuels assesses the potential for reducing petroleum consumption and GHG emissions by 80 percent across the U.S. LDV fleet by 2050, relative to 2005. This report examines the current capability and estimated future performance and costs for each vehicle type and non-petroleum-based fuel technology as options that could significantly contribute to these goals. By analyzing scenarios that combine various fuel and vehicle pathways, the report also identifies barriers to implementation of these technologies and suggests policies to achieve the desired reductions. Several scenarios are promising, but strong, and effective policies such as research and development, subsidies, energy taxes, or regulations will be necessary to overcome barriers, such as cost and consumer choice. Table of Contents Front Matter Overview Summary 1 Introduction 2 Alternative Vehicle Technologies: Status, Potential, and Barriers 3 Alternative Fuels 4 Consumer Attitudes and Barriers 5 Modeling the Transition to Alternative Vehicles and Fuels 6 Policies for Reducing GHG Emissions from and Petroleum Use by Light-Duty Vehicles 7 Policy Options Appendixes Appendix A: Statement of Task Appendix B: Committee Biographies Appendix C: Meetings and Presentations Appendix D: Reports on Transportation Greenhouse Gas Emissions Projections to 2050 Appendix E: Glossary, Conversion Factors, and Acronyms and Abbreviations Appendix F: Vehicles Appendix G: Fuels Appendix H: Modeling

ASEAN has a goal to create an economic community by 2015. To achieve the goal, connectivity among the member states needs to be given due importance. In 2010, ASEAN adopted the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity (MPAC), which looked at physical, institutional and people-to-people connectivity. It pinned down fifteen priority projects which can potentially transform the ASEAN region, providing the conditions for a single market and production base. But MPAC is an expensive initiative, and funding remains a major challenge. The private sector needs to be actively involved as a number of infrastructure projects identified in the MPAC are lacking substantial investment. This book looks at the current state of ASEAN's physical connectivity and challenges in building better infrastructure. It contains a collection of papers that discuss specific issues pertaining to each kind of physical connectivity - transportation infrastructure, telecom connectivity, ICT and energy infrastructure. The book concludes with the steps needed to be taken for implementation of the various plans, and policy recommendations.

Energy efficiency is an important factor in an economy, since it helps meet energy needs, decrease costs, and lower environmental impacts. A review of the evolution of energy intensity in European and Former Soviet Union countries indicates a positive trend: high-energy-intensity countries have now reached the level of medium-energy-intensity economies 15 years earlier, and in the same period, medium-energy-intensity ones had similarly evolved to levels of low-energy-intensity. At the same time, the fast transitioning economies of Central Europe converged towards similar levels of energy intensities, in line with EU Directives, while successful EU-15 countries managed to maintain economic growth while keeping energy use flat. This report looks at how countries effect the transition from high- to medium- to low-energy-intensity, exploring whether leapfrogging is possible (it s not) and what policies can be particularly helpful. Some of the lessons include: energy prices tend to evolve from subsidized levels to full-cost-recovery to full-cost-recovery-plus environmental externalities; industrial energy efficiency is often the starting point, with privatization and competition driving companies to reduce production costs, including energy; successful countries excell at governance (setting targets, building institutional capacity, creating and improving the legal and regulatory framework, and monitoring and evaluating); households tended to be the last, and most difficult, area of reform, starting with pricing improvements, outreach campaigns, financing programs, and building certificates programs."

The basic question underlying our energy policy debates is this: Should we be free to generate more and more energy using fossil fuels? Or should we restrict and progressively outlaw fossil fuels as "dirty energy"? I believe that if we look at the big picture, the facts are clear. If we want a healthy, livable environment, then we must be free to use fossil fuels. Why? Because for the foreseeable future, fossil fuels provide the key to a great environment: abundant, affordable, reliable energy.