> home
> About
> Contact Us
> Editorial Info
> IEEE-USA

10.07

15 Web Sites Every Energy/Environmental Student Should Bookmark
And they're relevant to you engineers, too!

By Patrick E. Meyer

Researching energy and environmental issues online can be a daunting task, which reinforces the notion that the Internet can be an overwhelming place. In most cases, it isn't that information is hard to come by — rather, too much information is out there. Consider that a Google search for “renewable energy” pulls up more than 27 million references; a search for “wind power” pulls up almost 8 million; even a search for “the future of oil” pulls up almost 70,000. Then, combine the information overload with the fact that energy and environmental issues are among the most controversial, hotly-debated, and pressing issues facing the United States and world today. This brew yields a practical guarantee that many of the sources will be biased, slanted, argumentative, contradictory, and, in one case, the imaginative fabrications of an angry ex-oil company executive who’s found a new best friend in the form of blogging.

If Googling “energy” pulls up almost a half-billion references, how on Earth does one even know where to start? Where can a researcher — student or otherwise — go to get reliable and citable data, trends, information and commentary? The 15 Web sites reviewed here are, I believe, among the most reliable, unbiased (with exception of the blogs, which are often biased by their very nature), widely accepted sources on the Net. The list is by no means comprehensive; hundreds of other sites are worthy of being among the “Top 15.” Rather than an exhaustive list, the following sites are a handful of reliable sources for students studying energy policy or environmental policy. Even if you're a policy wonk in the making, take some time to explore each site to see what they offer — you may want to bookmark them for future reference.

The Data Sources:

1. The Energy Information Administration
   The Energy Information Administration (EIA), created by Congress in 1977, is a statistical agency of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Its mission is to provide policy-independent data, forecasts, and analyses to promote sound policy making, efficient energy markets, and public understanding regarding energy and its interaction with the economy and the environment. EIA is recognized by many as the premier U.S.-based source of unbiased energy data, analysis and forecasting. EIA's Web site provides a wealth of information organized by energy or fuel type.
    

2. The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy and Alternative Fuels Data Center
   The US DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) seeks to enhance energy efficiency and productivity, and bring clean, reliable and affordable energy technologies to the marketplace. EERE’s priorities specifically focus on reducing or completely eliminating dependence on foreign oil; reducing the burden of energy process on the disadvantaged; increasing the viability of renewable energy; and increasing reliability and efficiency of electricity generation and applications. The Alternative Fuels Data Center, a subset of EERE, provides the most extensive information on alternative fuels and vehicles available on the Net.
    

3. The Bureau of Transportation Statistics
   Although many energy and environmental students do not focus on the transportation industry, it must be recognized that transportation plays a vitally important role in energy and environmental issues. The Bureau of Transportation Statistics provides extremely detailed information, data and statistics on everything related to transportation — including aviation, maritime, highway, transit, rail, pipelines, and bikes and pedestrians.
    

4. Clean Edge
   Clean Edge (CE) was launched in 2001 by self-proclaimed environmental and high-tech business pioneers. According to their site, CE is a leading clean-tech research and consulting firm with offices in the San Francisco Bay Area and Portland, Oregon. They provide a variety of services, including research and publishing (their Web site has numerous reports for download), strategic consulting, and co-producing the annual Clean-Tech Investor Summit. CE tracks and analyzes clean-tech markets, trends and opportunities, and offers insight and intelligence to its customers through an extensive network of partners and affiliates.

International Data:

5. The International Energy Agency
   The International Energy Agency (IEA) acts as energy policy advisor to 26 Member countries to aid in their effort to ensure reliable, affordable and clean energy for their citizens. IEA’s mandate has evolved over the decades, broadening to incorporate the “Three E’s” of balanced energy policy making: energy security, economic development and environmental protection. Current work focuses on climate change policies, market reform, energy technology collaboration and outreach to the rest of the world, especially major producers and consumers of energy like China, India, Russia and the OPEC countries. The agency’s member and non-member country profiles are particularly informative.
    

6. The World Energy Council
   Established in 1923, the World Energy Council (WEC) covers all types of energy, including coal, oil, natural gas, nuclear, hydro, and renewables, and is UN-accredited, non-governmental, non-commercial and non-aligned. Partly due to its age, WEC has become one of the foremost multi-energy organizations in the world today. WEC has Member Committees in 94 countries, including most of the largest energy-producing and energy-consuming countries. Although WEC has a lot of useful information available, note that WEC information is available to members only.
    

7. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
   The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was established in 1988 by two United Nations organizations, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), to evaluate the risk of climate change brought on by humans. The IPCC released its first assessment on climate change in 1990, and instantly became recognized as a leading source of climate change information. This year, the IPCC will release their fourth assessment report (the reports of the first three "working groups", among many other excellent reports, are already available for download). It was announced on 12 October 2007 that the IPCC has won the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize (shared with Al Gore) for its effort to build up and disseminate information about man-made climate change, further enforcing the notion that man-made climate change is among the most pressing environmental issues facing the world today.
    

8. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
   The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is an international organization of developed countries that accept the principles of representative democracy and a free market economy. The organization provides a setting where governments can compare policy experiences, seek answers to common problems, identify good practice and coordinate domestic and international policies. The mandate of the OECD is very broad, covering diverse economic, environmental and social issues. The sections on energy and the environment provide detailed statistics, reports and information. (Some reports such as the Annual Report of the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency are free; others are pay-per-download.)

Renewable Energy:

9. The Solar Energy Industries Association
   The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) is a national trade association representing some 500 companies in the U.S. solar energy industry, including solar energy manufacturers, dealers, distributors, contractors, installers, architects, consultants and marketers. Established in 1975, SEIA works to expand the use of solar technologies in the global marketplace. Their Web site provides detailed information on state solar technology incentives, federal tax incentives, and roadmaps for mainstreaming solar technologies.
    

10. The American Wind Energy Association
    The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) is a national trade association representing about 1,100 members, which advocates and promotes wind energy as a clean source of electricity for consumers around the world. The association represents wind power project developers, equipment suppliers, services providers, parts manufacturers, utilities, researchers, and others involved in the wind industry. AWEA provides information on wind energy projects, new projects in various stages of development, companies working in the wind energy field, technology development, and policy developments related to wind and other renewable energy development.
     

11. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory
    The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is the nation's primary laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development. NREL’s mission and strategy are focused on advancing the U.S. Department of Energy's and the nation’s energy goals. The Laboratory’s Web site provides an extensive array of reports and publications, as well as background and trend information on renewable energy technologies.
    

Electricity & Efficiency:

12. The Electric Power Research Institute
    The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) conducts research on issues of interest to the electric power industry in the United States. EPRI is an independent, non-profit organization funded by the electric utility industry. Although EPRI is primarily a U.S. organization, they have international participation. EPRI's focus covers most aspects of electric power generation, delivery and use. Their Web site provides detailed information on an array of electricity issues, including coal power, efficiency, global climate change, nuclear energy, and electricity and the environment.

Blogs:

13. The Oil Drum
    The Oil Drum is written and edited by an array of academics who hold degrees in social sciences, physics, finance, natural resources, remote sensing, chemical engineering, mathematics, psychology, law, economics, engineering, geology, informatics and computer engineering, and public policy. The diverse backgrounds allow for diverse content, but there is an overall focus on the concept of peak oil and the usage and future of fossil fuels.
     

14. Watthead
    Watthead is written by a Portland, Ore.-based renewable energy advocate, research and activist. The content focuses primarily on sustainability, renewable energy (solar, wind, biomass, biofuels), alternative transportation and fuels, energy efficiency, conservation, climate change, global warming, peak oil, and green-living.
     

15. Clean Break
    Clean Break is written by a technology reporter and columnist for the Toronto Star. Clean Break focuses on the realms of clean technologies, green policies, and trends in sustainable development, with a major focus on Canadian companies, technologies and clean technology leaders.

Patrick E. Meyer is IEEE-USA Today's Engineer Students' Voice Editor, and a doctoral student at the University of Delaware. Comments may be submitted to todaysengineer@ieee.org. Opinions expressed are the author's.