Energy

Preempting Possibility: Critical Assessment of the IEA's World Energy Outlook 2010

by Mazen Labban

Development and Change 43(1), pp. 375–393

email me if you'd like a pdf copy

Energy-Aware Scheduling of Distributed Systems Using Cellular Automata

by Shrisha Rao

6th Annual IEEE International Systems Conference (IEEE SysCon 2012), Vancouver, Canada, March 2012.

In today’s world of large distributed systems, the need for energy efficiency of individual components is comple-... more In today’s world of large distributed systems, the need for energy efficiency of individual components is comple- mented by the need for energy awareness of the complete system. Hence, energy-aware scheduling of tasks on systems has become very important. Our work addresses the problem of finding an energy-aware schedule for a given system which also satisfies the precedence constraints between tasks to be performed by the system. We present a method which uses cellular automata to find a near-optimal schedule for the system. The rules for cellular automata are learned using a genetic algorithm. Though the work presented in this paper is not limited to scheduling in computing environments only, the work is validated with a sample simulation on distributed computing systems, and tested with some standard program graphs.

Carbon Lock-Out: Advancing Renewable Energy Policy in Europe

by Melf-Hinrich Ehlers

co-authored with Paul Lehmann, Felix Creutzig, Nele Friedrichsen, Clemens Heuson, Lion Hirth and Robert Pietzcker

As part of its climate strategy, the EU aims at increasing the share of electricity from renewable energy sources... more As part of its climate strategy, the EU aims at increasing the share of electricity from renewable energy sources (RES-E) in overall electricity generation. Attaining this target poses a considerable challenge as the electricity sector is “locked” into a carbon-intensive system, which hampers the adoption of RES-E technologies. Electricity generation, transmission and distribution grids as well as storage and demand response are subject to important path dependences, which put existing, non-renewable energy sources at an advantage. This paper examines how an EU framework for RES-E support policies should be designed to facilitate a carbon lock-out. For this purpose, we specify the major technological, economic and institutional barriers to RES-E. For each of the barriers, a policy review is carried out which assesses the performance of existing policy instruments and identifies needs for reform. The review reveals several shortcomings: while policies targeting generation are widely in place, measures to address barriers associated with electricity grids, storage and demand are still in their infancy and have to be extended. Moreover, the implementation of policies has been fragmented across EU Member States. In this respect, national policies should be embedded into an integrated EU-wide planning of the RES-E system with overarching energy scenarios and partially harmonized policy rules.

An investigation into energy efficiency of data centre virtualisation

by Maria Pretorius

Interview: Iraq Ramping up its Oil Production (Arabic)

by Justin Dargin

An interview with AMEinfo about whether Iraq would be able to successfully increase its oil production to compete with Saudi Arabia within the decade.

“Antitrust Cases and the Commitment Decision in the Energy Sector”, ROEC, Petroleum Industry Review Magazine, October 2011.

by Valentina-Andreea Dimulescu

In Romanian and English (see attached document)

Working hard and staying safe: Drilling rig hands in Alberta

by Dan Houser

The Impact of Energy Resources on Nation- and State-Building: The Contrasting Cases of Azerbaijan and Georgia

by Murad Ismayilov

Ismayilov, Murad (2012). "The Impact of Energy Resources on Nation- and State-Building: The Contrasting Cases of Azerbaijan and Georgia", in Shaffer, Brenda & Taleh Ziyadov (2012) Beyond the Resource Curse, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: University of Pennsylvania Press.

Chapter conclusion: As the analysis evinced, although the two regional states—Azerbaijan and Georgia—displayed... more Chapter conclusion: As the analysis evinced, although the two regional states—Azerbaijan and Georgia—displayed behavioural patterns that fit well under the explanatory notion of the ‘struggle for recognition,’ what recognition is, how its end-state is understood, and what its dynamics and ultimate effects on collective identity formation have been is different in each of the two cases; a variation conditioned by, and contingent upon, ‘brute material’ influences that the pipeline/energy politics had to bear upon the states in the region.

Analysis of the Consolidated Fuel Treatment Center Nuclear Reprocessing Initiative

by Kyle Gracey

Biris, Octavia, Kyle Gracey, Katy Huff, Wai Keong Ng; for the course Energy and Energy Policy, University of Chicago; June 2008

Social Implications of Nova Scotia Renewable Energy Scenarios

by Brendan Haley

Energy Sector Reforms: People’s Experiences

by shiju sam varughese

in Perspectives on Energy: Illuminations on Energy Issues at World Social Forum 2004, Eye to the World Papers: 01, Heinrich Boll Foundation-India, June, pp. 9-20, 2004

Food and energy prices, government subsidies and fiscal balances in south Mediterranean countries

by Marga Peeters

Just before the global crisis soaring commodity prices pushed up inflation significantly, not least in EU neighbour... more Just before the global crisis soaring commodity prices pushed up inflation significantly, not least in EU neighbour countries at the Mediterranean. These price shocks affected public finances in the southern Mediterranean region, notably via government subsidies. Partly due to lags in the transmission of commodity prices into prices for final users the subsidies burden continued to be felt, despite the price falls registered in the wake of the credit crisis. We show that downward price rigidities play a role. Recently, commodity price pressures have reemerged. We focus on food prices and analyse recent developments in food inflation in Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, the occupied Palestinian territories, Syria and Tunisia in comparison with other middle income economies. Subsidies on food and fuel
are quantified per country for the period 2002-2010. The incremental government subsidies entail an estimated deterioration of the government balances of up to more than 2% of GDP in 2008 and, for most countries only slight improvements in the global recession year 2009. Ensuing longer-term challenges for public finances remain as inflation rises on the back of higher global economic growth. As recent events in Tunisia illustrate, these can have important political implications. Finally, the paper discusses some options that can lead to
more efficient government spending, even in the event of sharp swings in prices of basic necessities.

A Usina Hidrelétrica de Belo Monte em pauta

by Philip Fearnside

Fearnside, P.M. 2011. A Usina Hidrelétrica de Belo Monte em pauta. Política Ambiental. No. 7, pp. 4-20. ISSN 1809-8185. [http://www.conservation.org.br/publicacoes/index.php?t=5]

Emissões: Os impactos mais renegados das hidrelétricas.

by Philip Fearnside

Fearnside, P.M. 2011. Emissões: Os impactos mais renegados das hidrelétricas. Contra Corrente, No. 3: 27-30.

Belo Monte: Resposta a Rogério Cezar de Cerqueira Leite

by Philip Fearnside

Fearnside, P.M. 2010. Belo Monte: Resposta a Rogério Cezar de Cerqueira Leite. Site Globoamazonia 07/06/10 http://colunas.globoamazonia.com/philipfearnside/

See Amazon Controversies:
http://philip.inpa.gov.br/publ_livres/AMAZONIAN CONTROVERSIES.htm

Hidrelétricas amazônicas e a política energética

by Philip Fearnside

Fearnside, P.M. 2011. Hidrelétricas amazônicas e a política energética –. Globoamazonia. http://g1.globo.com/platb/natureza-philipfearnside

Will the Belo Monte Dam’s benefits outweigh the costs?

by Philip Fearnside

Fearnside, P.M. 2011. Will the Belo Monte Dam’s benefits outweigh the costs? Latin America Energy Advisor, 21-25 Feb. 2011, p. 6.  [http://www.thedialogue.org]

Emissões: Os impactos mais renegados das hidrelétricas.

by Philip Fearnside

Fearnside, P.M. 2011. Emissões: Os impactos mais renegados das hidrelétricas. Contra Corrente, No. 3: 27-30.

Belo Monte: Resposta a Rogério Cezar de Cerqueira Leite

by Philip Fearnside

Fearnside, P.M. 2010. Belo Monte: Resposta a Rogério Cezar de Cerqueira Leite. Site Globoamazonia 07/06/10 http://colunas.globoamazonia.com/philipfearnside/

See Amazon Controversies:
http://philip.inpa.gov.br/publ_livres/AMAZONIAN CONTROVERSIES.htm

Living off the Grid in BC: Clayoquot Sound

by Phillip Vannini

A magazine article, rather than a paper, on people living off grids.