Alternative Energy - Related

China—Leader or Laggard on the Path to a Secure, Low-Carbon Energy Future?

jdunton — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400

There has been a great deal of talk about whether and how China will manage its need to provide enough energy to ensure continued economic growth while avoiding the local and global environmental impacts of its energy production and use. To listen to the political discourse, China is either a global leader on clean energy technologies and transformation or the largest source of emissions with serious, systemic local environmental degradation. How can it at once be a low-carbon leader and a laggard?

Blue Ribbon Commission on America's Nuclear Future Issues a Final Report

sherry — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500

On January 26, the Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future delivered its final report to the U.S. secretary of energy. The commission was formed at the request of President Barack Obama two years ago after he announced that his administration would no longer pursue the Yucca Mountain, Nevada, nuclear waste site. Led by former U.S. representative Lee Hamilton and former U.S.

NRC Approves Construction and Operating License for Vogtle Nuclear Power Plant

sherry — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Q1: What does the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s approval of the Combined Construction and Operating License for the Vogtle nuclear power plant in Burke County, Georgia, mean?

Energy in the State of the Union: Not a Bad Place to Start

ecurran — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Last night, President Barack Obama delivered the State of the Union address to Congress. The speech is being characterized by many in the media as many things: populist in tone, a campaign year positioning speech, and a mild tongue-lashing for Congress.

Critical Questions for 2012

ian — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

From international security and regional study to global challenges, CSIS experts will address many of the world's most difficult policy concerns and critical questions in 2012. To kick off the new year, we asked 25 of our scholars to identity what worries them most and what are the biggest opportunities in their respective areas of study.

Energy and Development Trends

jdunton — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500

One of the least understood but potentially important trends in the energy field is how emerging economies’ development priorities are shaping energy markets.

Nonproliferation, Congress, and Nuclear Trade: Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose

jwoo — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500

The Fukushima nuclear accident earlier this year undoubtedly has dampened the appetite of a few countries for nuclear power, but there are still many more that still seek to build nuclear power plants. Competition for this new business, given the relatively moribund growth of the last few decades, is fierce.

Hemisphere Insider Volume I, Issue 5- September 2011

cwatson — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400

UP CLOSE: Venezuela's Midas Moves, Post 9/11 U.S.-Hemispheric Relations

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS: Security and Democracy in Central America, Disaster Response in the Dominican Republic

IN BRIEF: Mexico, Colombia, Oil and Trade Updates

Nuclear Safety and Security

ian — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400

UN secretary general Ban-Ki Moon will host a High-Level Ministerial on Nuclear Safety and Security on September 22, 2011, in New York. This meeting is intended to “bridge the gap” between the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Nuclear Safety Ministerial and the upcoming Nuclear Security Summit in 2012 in Seoul.

A New Narrative for Mexico

cwatson — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0400

UP CLOSE: A New Narrative for Mexico

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS: Returning Government to Colombia's Post-conflict Zones

IN BRIEF: Canada, Mexico, Peru, Brazil, Chile updates

The Future of Low Carbon Growth

ian — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0400

In the wake of the economic crisis, the conversation about global cooperation to deal with climate change has shifted almost entirely to a discussion about the competitive economic advantage to be gained from leading in socalled clean energy technologies.

Nuclear Power after Fukushima

ian — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Japan’s tragic March 11 earthquake and tsunami have triggered the most serious nuclear emergency in 25 years and have raised questions about the future viability of nuclear power in the energy system around the world.

U.S. Spent Nuclear Fuel

jdunton — Wed, 25 May 2011 00:00:00 -0400

The central planning approach to U.S. spent nuclear fuel management has been a glaring and unsuccessful exception to the trend toward a market-driven energy sector. This report envisions a market-driven approach, which would include eight components:

Bridging Knowledge Gaps in Water Management

jdunton — Wed, 25 May 2011 00:00:00 -0400

On October 27, 2010, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and the federal Subcommittee on Water Availability and Quality (SWAQ) cohosted a participatory workshop on domestic and international water issues entitled “Bridging Knowledge Gaps in Water Management.” The event convened federal agency experts and influential thinkers from academia, nonprofit organizatio

Hemisphere Insider Volume I, Issue 2 - April/May 2011

cwatson — Tue, 17 May 2011 00:00:00 -0400

In Brief:

US Oil and Gas Import Dependence: Department of Energy Projections in 2011

sherry — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0400

It is far easier to talk about energy independence than it is to achieve it. Ever since the oil embargo of 1973 and the sudden rise in prices that followed, US political leaders have called for such independence.

Japan's Energy Supply and Security since the March 11 Earthquake

ian — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0400

A 9.0-magnitude earthquake and a powerful tsunami struck Japan on March 11, 2011. In its wake, in addition to a mounting death toll and a trail of devastation, significant energy-related infrastructure was also rendered inoperable.

Hemisphere Highlights Volume X Issue 1 - February 2011

cwatson — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0500

HEADLINES

Presidential contests in five countries promise excitement this year, the first taking place in Haiti next month. All mix familiar candidates with fresh faces. Though there are early leaders in each race, the possibility of close contests or upsets should not be discounted.

Potential Secure, Low Carbon Growth Pathways for the Chinese Economy

lhyland — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0500

The CSIS Energy and National Security Program commissioned this paper as part of its ongoing work focused on the implications of secure, low carbon pathways. The following paper, prepared by Jiang Kejun of the Energy Research institute, part of the National Development and Reform Commission, outlines the possible pathways that China could follow to reach its energy and climate goals

Energy and Climate Change Implications of the QDDR

mentman — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0500

The QDDR included three relevant sections on energy and climate change, each of which elevates the importance of the energy and climate agenda in U.S. foreign and development policy.

Developing America's Unconventional Gas Resources

jdunton — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Access, higher prices, and advances in technology have made it possible to commercially develop unconventional gas resources. The magnitude and potential impact of this resource has attracted a great deal of public- and private-sector interest, as well as increasing scrutiny.

Issues & Insights Vol. 10 - No. 25

bMizuno — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0500

On July 3-4, 2010, members of the Pacific Forum CSIS Young Leaders program attended the Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia Pacific (CSCAP) Study Group on Countering the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction in the Asia Pacific.

Hemisphere Highlights Volume IX Issue 8 - November 2010

cwatson — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Lawmakers in Panama repeal a controversial law affecting labor codes and environmental considerations. Mexican president Felipe Calderón submits to Congress a proposal to overhaul and unify the Mexico’s disparate police forces.

CSIS-EKEM Policy Report Number Three

bbocka — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Despite the fact that the EU and the West Balkan states face the common challenges of increasing energy efficiency, reducing import dependency, and expanding renewable energy sources (RES), the current state of affairs in the region is inadequate or sub-standard, with the sole exception of Croatia, which has advanced significantly in aligning its legislation and policies with the EU acquis comm

Asia's Response to Climate Change and Natural Disasters

jdunton — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400

This new report by energy, regional, and humanitarian disaster specialists at CSIS examines the politics of climate change in Asia, the region’s response to natural disasters, and the implications for the future geometry of Asia’s institutions and U.S. policy in the region. The assessment looks broadly at two areas of nontraditional security cooperation in Asia: (1) climate change, including the domestic political factors in Asia and the regional strategies for securing low-carbon pathways; and (2) regional approaches to disaster management. The volume draws on case studies to assess the utility of existing and emerging institutions—the promises as well as the problems—as the United States and the region seek greater cooperation on both traditional and nontraditional security challenges. The authors discuss the problems related to lack of coordination at different levels, the uncertain role of the military, and continuing gaps in resources and expertise in key organizations.

ASEAN Going for Nuclear Power

ian — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Anyone near the corner of 18th & K Streets today would immediately align themselves with remarks attributed to Singaporean leader Lee Kuan Yew regarding air conditioning’s role as the breakthrough technology that helped transform Southeast Asia’s post-colonial commodity-dominated economies into some of the world’s fastest-growing financial and industrial markets.

The Gulf Oil Spill and Efforts to Cap the Well

ian — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Third in a series of Critical Questions on the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig and the Gulf oil spill.

Q1: What is the status of BP’s latest attempt to cap the Gulf oil well?

Adapting for Future Resource Challenges

mentman — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0400

To date, efforts to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere to slow and eventually reverse the negative impacts of a changing climate have received most of the political and popular attention afforded to the issue of climate change.

Understanding “Green Jobs”

ian — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0500

The U.S. economy has lost over 7 million jobs in the past two years and has a 9.7 percent unemployment rate.1 Despite signs of economic recovery, job creation has been slow going and it will probably take many years for the United States to return to previous employment levels.

Next Steps for the Transatlantic Climate Change Partnership

jdunton — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0500

For much of the last two years the international community has worked toward developing an international agreement to lay out the basic framework of a new climate change regime. The slow progress to date does not result from a lack of effort or opportunity. The European Union has set forth ambitious goals and continues to urge all developed countries to follow suit.

The Day after Copenhagen

ian — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0500

As the international negotiations on climate change in Copenhagen draw nearer, negotiators and political leaders are struggling to combat the growing public perception that the talks are destined for failure.

Issues in International Political Economy - November 2009 - Number 119 - The Cost of Questionable Policies

adyne — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Until Barack Obama won the 2008 presidential election, it was taken for granted that no African-American could become president of the United States. Any great talent in that population group, about 13.5 percent of Americans, was discarded for the top position in the country. The situation has changed, and the United States is surely better for it.

Alternative Transportation Fuels and Vehicle Technologies

jdunton — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0400

The global energy system is changing. New demand centers are emerging, and there are numerous challenges to expanding the transportation fuels infrastructure. It has become clear that without significant changes in policy or the introduction of new technologies, the world will continue on an unsustainable path with respect to how it produces, delivers, and uses its energy resources.

A U.S.-Canada Clean Energy Dialogue

Wed, 25 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0500

A central topic of the meeting between President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Stephen Harper of Canada on February 19 was how to approach the climate change challenge and, in particular, how to

Managing the Transition to a Secure, Low-Carbon Energy Future

Mon, 04 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0500

In the years to come, the world must meet the energy needs of a growing and developing world population while mitigating the impacts of global climate change.

Natural Gas, Energy Policy, and Regional Integration

Mon, 30 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Given the dramatic shifts in energy policy in key producing countries of the region with the wave of economic liberalization that swept through Latin America during the 1990s, the Americas Program of the Center for Strategic and International Studies held a conference in Washington, D.C.

PacNet #20 - Energy Diplomacy with Attitude

Mon, 16 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0400

The United States doesn’t have an energy policy, and we never will. Neither does China, despite decades of a planned economy. China didn’t even have an energy minister to serve as a counterpart for Secretary Bodman when he and Treasury Secretary Paulson led a U.S. delegation to Beijing last year to inaugurate the Strategic Economic Dialogue.

Issues in International Political Economy: Promising Ethanol Developments

Thu, 15 Mar 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Brazil, for some time, has been advocating a cooperative arrangement with the United States and other countries for the production of ethanol.

Issues in International Political Economy: Bolivia's Natural Gas Nationalization

Mon, 15 May 2006 00:00:00 -0400

The Bolivian government, led by President Evo Morales, nationalized the country’s independent natural gas companies on May 1 in a most dramatic fashion.