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February 19, 2016
USDA: Energy Efficiency of Corn-Ethanol Production Has Improved Significantly
A new report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, “2015 Energy Balance for the Corn-Ethanol Industry,” examines the energy efficiency of corn ethanol production. According to the findings, the energy balance of ethanol has improved significantly over the past two decades. It has made a “transition from an energy sink to a moderate net energy gain in the 1990s, to a substantial net energy gain in the present.” In some areas of the Midwest, ethanol production creates more energy than it consumes by a factor of 4 to 1. Nationally, the average ratio of energy outputs to inputs for ethanol production is 2 to 1.
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Headlines
1. Despite Lawsuits, EPA Investigation, Renewable Fuel Standard ‘Not Doomed’
2. McCarthy Addresses RFS, Role of Biomass in CPP During Hearing
3. Putting Corn in Your Car Isn’t as Crazy as it Sounds
4. CA Group Exploring Water Weed as Potential Biogas Feedstock
5. One-Third of Oil Companies Could Go Bankrupt this Year
Briefing Re-Cap:
What’s in the Paris Climate Deal?
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) held a briefing discussing the climate deal that came out of the 2015 Paris climate change conference, as well as what lies ahead for the 185 countries that pledged to reduce their emissions. The agreement set an ambitious goal of keeping warming significantly below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit), in line with the international consensus that any warming above that level could lead to very serious consequences for the planet. Check the briefing summary for video, speaker powerpoints and event highlights.
Upcoming Briefings:
Environmental Justice in the Clean Power Plan
Monday, February 22 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm
2168 Rayburn House Office Building C Street and South Capitol Street, SE
Please RSVP to expedite check-in
A live webcast will be streamed at 11:00 AM EST at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing discussing how environmental justice (EJ) is addressed through the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s Clean Power Plan, the nation’s first-ever rules limiting carbon pollution from power plants (which are the largest source of carbon dioxide emissions in the United States). The Clean Power Plan will not only cut millions of tons of carbon dioxide emissions, but also hundreds of thousands of tons of particulate pollution that becomes soot and smog. Cutting these emissions will help prevent thousands of premature deaths, heart attacks, asthma attacks, and missed work days. Minority and low-income communities, which are more likely to be located in areas burdened with pollution, will particularly benefit from these emission reductions.
For questions or comments, contact Laura Small at [email protected].
Geothermal Energy: Heating Up
Wednesday, March 16 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm
212-10 Capitol Visitor Center (Senate-Side) East Capitol Street and 1st Street, NE
A live webcast will be streamed at 2:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and Geothermal Energy Association (GEA) invite you to a briefing highlighting the state of the geothermal energy industry and its near-term prospects in the United States and in more than 80 other countries working to expand its use. With demand for clean energy accelerating around the globe, geothermal energy has major potential as a renewable resource that can provide power around-the-clock, complementing intermittent renewable power technologies. The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) launched the Global Geothermal Alliance at COP-21 in Paris this past December to achieve a 500 percent increase in global installed capacity for geothermal power generation and a 200 percent increase in geothermal heating by 2030.
To Contact the Editor: Jessie Stolark at [email protected]
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