With the Clean Power Plan on hold, the Obama Administration is pushing on other fronts to curb greenhouse gas emissions. One of the most important strategies is increasing energy efficiency, especially in retrofitting buildings with better compressors and tighter insulation. Buildings consume about 40 percent of energy in the United States and the majority of structures standing today will still be around for decades.
Conscious Decoupling
A new report from the International Energy Agency has found that global carbon emissions from energy have stayed flat while economies have grown. Some analysts take this to mean that economic growth and carbon pollution are no longer linked.
However, others note that energy is not the only source of greenhouse gases -- agriculture and transportation are major emitters -- and that low natural gas prices in the United States have displaced dirtier coal, a feat other countries cannot replicate as easily.
A coal barge on the Rhine River in Bonn, Germany
ENERGY APARTHEID
"Apartheid" is a loaded term, but it's how World Bank President Jim Kim described the growing gap between industrial economies and countries lacking energy and resources to develop.
He made this point to scientists and engineers gathered at the ARPA-E summit, arguing that technology advances need to provide ladders out of poverty for the billions that are struggling.
General Electric's full-scale supercritical CO2 turbine on display at the ARPA-E summit
Inventing the future
This week, I attended the Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy's annual summit. The initiative is the Department of Energy's take on the military's legendary research firm, DARPA.
While engineers have made some really cool new energy devices, some of the speakers at the conference cautioned that bad policy could stifle innovation.
A researcher demonstrates a fluid that can store thermal energy
Double Down
The Obama Administration has proposed doubling clean energy research and development spending. The move is part of an agreement forged between 20 countries in November 2015 during the Paris climate change negotiations.
Only wind and sunshine
There's a growing cadre of researchers who say that the United States could switch to 100 percent renewable energy. They say that it's not just feasible, but that it may be the best option for fighting climate change.
Blossoming Solar
The technology for solar energy has improved drastically over the past decade, but scientists think it can still do better. While there are fundamental limitations, there are loopholes that can make solar panels more efficient and cheap.
However, solar energy companies and market analysts say red tape is the main hurdle holding the industry back. Permitting costs and local regulations often prove costly for rooftop solar installations and make utility installations less attractive for investors.