We assess different policies for reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and promoting the innovation and diffusion of CO2-reducing power technologies: (1) emissions price, (2) tax on fossil power, (3) tradable emissions performance standard, (4) market share requirement for renewables, (5)...

This paper looks at the status and prospects of renewables-with particular emphasis on windpower-in the electric power sector. Although renewables account for a steadily rising share of electricity generation in various countries, their role remains small in absolute terms. In part, this is...

A grande necessidade de diminuir a dependência em relação ao petróleo devido aos seus preços em constante elevação, a preocupação com o meio ambiente (protocolo de kyoto) e a crescente demanda por carros flex tem colocado o etanol - uma energia totalmente renovável - em papel de...

Within the United States, Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) programs have become a popular public policy initiative for states to enact in order to encourage the use of renewable resources for meeting state energy demand. As more states have adopted RPS programs, the design of these programs...

The most attractive markets for renewable energy investment are shifting from the developed world to emerging economies. Among the most prominent emerging economies, China, India, and Brazil have become three of the most important global investment markets, and the role of renewable energy in...

Lawmakers want to know the returns on their investment. The difficulties in measuring benefits and costs, and attributing some portion of those to specific research and technology development (R&D) programs, has meant that many such studies are not seen as credible by those lawmakers. This paper...

Nearly ninety percent of people in rural northern Ghana are without electricity. Many off-grid projects undertaken by the Ghanaian Government to provide electricity to this region have been largely unsuccessful due to the fiscal burdens that prevent the coverage of operational and maintenance...

The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) of the Kyoto Protocol offers developing countries the opportunity to participate in the effort to reduce global greenhouse gas levels while also benefitting from sustainable development opportunities. To date, the majority of CDM investments have gone to...

Driven by a variety of factors including falling costs, environmental impacts, and state mandates, the integration of renewable energy on the U. S. electrical grid is increasing. While studies have shown that the existing electric grid system can absorb this load with the addition of...