Weekly Clean Energy Roundup: May 19, 2010

U.S. Energy-Related C02 Emissions Declined 7% in 2009 U.S. Solar Industry Reports Strong Growth in 2009 Cape Wind Sets Power Agreement with National Grid Scientists Find Photosynthesis Depends on Quantum Entanglement EPA Helps Partners Find Commercial Energy Efficiency Savings U.S. Energy-Related CO2 Emissions Declined 7% in 2009 A new analysis from DOE’s Energy Information Administration (EIA) demonstrates that an economic downturn is good for one thing, at least: reducing GHG emissions. Energy-related carbon dioxide emissions in the US declined by a record 7% in 2009, partly due to a 2.4% decline in U.S. gross domestic product (GDP). The record drop in emissions, totaling 405 million metric tons, was also caused by the ongoing trend toward a less energy-intensive economy and a decrease in the carbon-intensity of the energy supply. The carbon intensity of the U.S. energy supply, that is, the amount of carbon dioxide generated per unit of energy consumed, declined 2.3%, thanks in part to the greater use of renewable energy, but also because of fuel switching from coal to natural gas. And despite the drop in GDP, the energy intensity of the economy, expressed as the energy consumed per dollar of GDP, declined by 2.4%. A key factor […]

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