BERC Blog
Electric cars on a dirty grid: clean or not?
While reducing the use of gasoline by buying an electric vehicle is a great way to cut one’s carbon footprint in the short-term, a report finds, simply replacing that gasoline with electricity from a coal-fired power plant may not cause a net decrease in carbon output.
Kammen: Controversial coal project in Kosovo may proceed with U.S. support
Kosovo’s growing economy has experienced a surge in energy demand, and many at the World Bank contend that yet another new large coal-fired power plant will be the “least cost” option to meet this demand. UC Berkeley professor Dan Kammen disagrees.
BERC and BECI highlighted in Berkeley Science Review article
The Spring 2012 edition of the Berkeley Science Review, released this week in print and online, highlights BERC in the article "Building BECI" by Anna Zaniewski.
Utility-scale renewables projects face permitting challenges on Native American lands
Native American groups begun lodging their complaints at some utility-scale renewable energy projects, saying that they would cause irreparable harm to sacred sites and ancient graves.
Republican candidates spar with Obama over high gas prices
Republican candidates call out the Obama administration for raising gas prices through policies that reduce domestic oil production. However, experts say the correlation between the price of gas and domestic oil production is minimal.
Island of opportunity: Microgrid technology comes to the Bay Area
Thanks to islanding functionality, microgrid systems can provide continuous power to critical facilities when the main grid goes down. A local microgrid project recently launched at the Santa Rita Jail in Dublin, CA.
Shortcuts in solar siting decisions take a toll on the environment
Making hasty siting decisions in an effort to use stimulus money to build solar plants in the Mojave Desert is backfiring. Investigations have uncovered negative environmental impacts that ultimately harm both desert creatures and investor's wallets.
Arizona drafts plan to to site solar projects on degraded land
Some environmental groups claim that the environmental impact of solar arrays outweigh the environmental benefits of easing reliance on fossil fuels. A promising solution may be to site projects on degraded land.latest from the blog
Got something to say?
If you want to blog for BERC or simply want to share an announcement or story with thousands of members in the BERC community, reach us at blog@berc.berkeley.edu
Receive the Weekly BERC
By creating an account on this website, you can join the our distribution list and get the latest and greatest UCB energy and environmental information - from VIP lectures and case competitions to career fairs and conferences.
Post Jobs & Get Linked
If you have a great job or internship opportunity for BERC members, send it to blog@berc.berkeley.edu with the subject line: "JOB: Title of the job" and we will post it here. Also, be sure to connect with BERC on LinkedIn.
Topic Categories
air pollution
alternative fuel
ARPA - E
BERC Expo & Symposium
BERCshops
berkeley sustainability
Biofuels
BIS
campus
carbon
Carbon Capture & Storage
China
China Focus
Clean Coal
Cleantech Financing
Climate change
Climaterials
competition
Conference
Department Spotlight
Electric Vehicles
energy
energy efficiency
event
Grants/Internships
Green Building
Green IT
Green Transportation
Health & the Environment
jobs
LBNL
Marie Mayer
Microgrid
Nuclear
Oil
Plastics.
policy
Recommended Reading
recycling
SEED
Seminar
Solar
solar finance
Solar PV
Speaker Series
summer internship
UCB & LBNL in the News
vehicles
Volunteer
water
wind
Workshop