When it comes to saving energy, IDT Energy is on top of what the latest methods and ideas are.

If a surprisingly simple idea was implemented by 100,000 people each day we could save as much as 2,680 kilowatt hours, which is the equivalent of 1,6000 kilograms of carbon emissions every single day.

What is this new and clever idea?

Turning off the computer at the end of the day. Now imagine how much energy could be saved, and how much carbon emissions would be reduced by, if every computer user all over the world just turned off their computer when they were done using it for the day.

Hewlett-Packard, the well-know n computer maker, said that those 100,000 users turning off their computer is equal to 105 cars taken off the road in a day.

Now that we know what is meant by the carbon footprint, we can learn a lot about the effects different types of technologies, industries and even populations have on the environment, at least as far as the production of GHG is concerned.

In a Swedish study it was found that the overall amount of GHG emissions was minimal in the production of electricity via hydroelectric and nuclear power production of electricity. Wind power was a close runner-up. Even though no GHG is produced by wind power during operation, there is a small carbon footprint caused by construction of the infrastructure needed for wind production.

In another study, groups of people of varying ages were studied to see which age group had the largest carbon footprint. In a study conducted in the UK by the Stockholm Environment Institute it was found that people between the ages of 50 and 65 years old have a higher carbon footprint than any other age group. The overall average carbon footprint for people of all ages is 12 tonnes/capita per year, while the 50-65 group had about 13.5 tonnes per person per year.

Lately we hear a lot about green energy and a resource’s “carbon footprint.” IDT Energy would like you to know what this “footprint” is.

The carbon footprint is the measure of total greenhouse gas emissions which are directly or indirectly caused by the use of a resource or other actions that have the ability or potential ability to release GHG.

The carbon footprint is just one type of “footprint.” There is a  broader idea of an “ecological footprint”, which refers to a more all-encompassing measure of the effect an action or process as on the environment as a whole. The carbon footprint measures only GHG, but other footprints measure other by-products and their overall effect on the environment.

IDT Energy wants the public to be informed about the effect energy use has on the environment, and to truly understand what is behind the modern usage of descriptive terms like “green” and “clean” when it comes to energy production and consumption.

First, it is important to note that “clean” and “green” are not synonymous. Energy might be “clean” if it produces little or no air pollution at the power plant or refinery, or other chemicals which are harmful to the environment, like mercury, lead, carcinogens or others. But what about the harmful products or processing resulting from the extraction of the resource from nature, transportation of that resource, energy used to produce it into a usable product, resources and energy used for creating infrastructure to produce that energy. Lastly, is there any waste that needs disposal when the energy has been exhausted from the resource?

When considered globally, it is clear that saying that energy is “clean” or not does not tell the whole story, and that is why it is more precise to say we are interested in reducing the “carbon footprint” that a particular energy source leaves behind, and that is what is meant by “green energy.”

In order to achieve the two pronged goals  of increased development of urban and rural communities as well as achieving increased independence from foreign sources of energy the Departments of Treasury and Energy are creating a system of application for funds to develop alternative energy sources which should be smooth and easy.

It is hoped that businesses will avail themselves of the on-line help in order to successfully prepare in advance their applications for these funds even before the official web-based application becomes available. Terms, conditions and guidance on how to apply has already been made available so that when the official applications are ready, so will the companies that want the funds. There is an expectation that in this way the flow of funds will be timely and the project can get underway quickly and successfully.

In an effort to stimulate the development of clean sources of energy, the Treasury and Energy Department will be providing direct payments of funding rather than the tax credits of past years.
The tax credit approach was successful and widely used in previous years. In the year 2006 about $550 million in tax credits were provided to over 450 separate businesses.  Since the recent economic downturn rate of the development of new renewable energy installations has fallen considerably and projects are finding it difficult to get funding. The energy and treasury departments expect a renewed interest and increased development as funds are made available for these projects, rather than tax credits.

Good news for IDT Energy customers. As renewable sources of energy develop and expand, it is expected that the cost of these alternative energy sources will decrease.  This should lower the cost to people choosing the “green” option at IDT Energy.

Achieving two important aims at once, the U.S. Department of Energy in partnership with the Department of the Treasury has announced that they will make available over $3 Billion from Recovery Act funds to stimulate development in urban and rural communities around the country while at the same time increasing U.S. independence from foreign sources of energy, particularly fossil fuel suppliers.
“The renewable energy program provides another important avenue for the Recovery Act to contribute to economic development in communities around the country,” said Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner. “It will provide additional stimulus to economies in urban and rural America by helping to develop domestic sources of clean energy. This partnership between Treasury and Energy will enable both large companies and small businesses to invest in our long-term energy needs, protect our environment, and revitalize our nation’s economy.”

IDT Energy is continuing the thread from last time. The NREL is working diligently on improving hybrid automobile performance. The goal is to get millions of commuters to switch from using fully gasoline powered cars to automobiles which use electricity for a large percentage of its fuel needs. One issue that needs addressing is increasing the cars range to at least 100 mpg, making the cars more reliable, and of course reducing costs. In addition all this must be achieved while reducing tailpipe emissions to acceptable levels.

IDT Energy New York wants you to know about the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL.) This laboratory

was first established as the Solar Energy Research Institute in 1974 by an Act of Congress known as the Solar Energy Research Development and Demonstration Act. In 1977 the NREL began operations and was designated to be a national laboratory of the United States Department of Energy (DOE) in September of 1991. Among the varied and abundant work being done at the NREL is research into improving the performance of hybrid cars, which are cars that run on electricity as well as fossil fuel (gasoline.) If performance could be made efficient enough hybrid cars will become more attractive and more people will join those who own the newest technology to reduce fossil fuel consumption.

As IDT Energy in New York continues to offer to its customers the choice of getting some of their electricity produced by alternative energy sources, politicians also continue to create legislation to encourage the switch to renewable energy as a source of electric power.

As reality settles in in Washington much of the far reaching goals set by candidate Barak Obama are being whittled down by Congress to more realistic and manageable goals.

During his campaign and early presidency Obama was enthusiastically calling for 25% of the United States’ electricity to come from renewable sources such as solar, wind and other alternatives to coal and oil, by the year 2025.

Tempering this enthusiasm is a strong whiff of reality from congress brought on by compromises made with utilities to exempt them in some cases and to meet some of these goals with increased efficiency rather than an actual switch to increased use of green energy.

The large climate bill which will be considered by Congress in the coming weeks would require 20% of electricity production to come from renewables by the year 2020. Even this more modest amount won’t be reached due to compromises and exemptions.

Compared to the original goals set by Obama of 10% renewable energy use by utilities by the year 2012 and 25% by 2025, this is a disappointment for the president indeed.