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How does biomass production impact food prices, and how does the value of bioproducts impact the decision making of organizations as they weigh options of commercial profit or societal well-being?

The third in the series on biofuel and biomass energy provides a discourse on an exceptionally important concern of biofuel and biomass production — that of land availability, conversion and deforestation.

Debate over biofuel usage is heating up. This article, the first in a series of six articles on the most contentious issues surrounding biofuels, provides an introduction to the basics of the major biofuels.

Never before has IEEE held a conference with a singular focus on green technology, sustainability, and/or renewable energy. While many IEEE conferences have included sections on sustainability, the IEEE Green Technology Conference is special in that it fills a need within IEEE for sustainability-oriented conferences and study.

Today, energy is enjoying a renaissance of sorts. The issue dominates political, economic and social debate—garnering the kind of attention not seen since the energy crises of the 1970s. The economic emergence of China, Brazil, Russia and other large players in world markets have pushed energy prices to unprecedented levels, having widespread impact on global economies, and forcing governments to take action.

In November 2008, hundreds of engineers, economists, public policy experts, and citizens gathered in Atlanta for the IEEE Energy2030 Conference on Global Sustainable Energy Infrastructure.

Smart grid will bring tremendous energy, efficiency and environmental benefits … but consumers are not yet onboard.

Smart grid initiatives are almost entirely industry-driven. People based in academia will be hard-pressed to find an institution from which they can learn all there is to learn about smart grid in one single helping.

The history of initiatives to conserve energy use is as long as the history of energy use itself. Humans have always attempted to do more with less. But it was not until the energy crises of the 1970s that the desire to conserve became great enough to infiltrate federal-level policy. Where do we stand today, and what can we do in our own homes to help?

The nation's elderly are wealthier, healthier and more numerous than ever before. However, the positive population and financial trends among the elderly population are contrasted by negative trends in the their transportation options.

According to some, engineering is the most essential profession in the world. Engineers mold the very foundations of almost every device, mechanism, system and substance on which the world's population relies. So, if the United States is suffering from an "engineering gap," where will the nation's future engineers come from?

Historically, American transportation systems have been plagued with problems of congestion, pollution and safety. Should transportation systems give people what they want or what they need?

On 19 September, experts from a vast array of industries and sectors converged to discuss one of the most promising technologies for the future of the American automobile industry: plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV). The primary take-home message: PHEVs are coming.

Patrick Meyer reviews 15 reliable resources for students studying energy policy or environmental policy…

Earlier this year, a diverse bipartisan group of senators introduced the National Energy and Environment Security Act of 2007 (S. 6), which seeks to reduce national dependence on foreign oil and expand non-petroleum transportation options. Shouldn't the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct) have included such measures?

In his fourth and final installment of the series, Patrick Meyer divulges his lessons-learned and offers some insight as to what can be done to manufacture a communication bridge between engineers and policy makers.

A flow of information between engineers and policy-makers exists, but in many cases the information flows from engineers in “engineer-speak” and is received by policy-makers who are accustomed only to “political-speak.” This absence of a common lexicon can result in differing interpretations. How can we engineer a solution?

During the summer of 2005, RIT graduate student Patrick Meyer interned with IEEE-USA's Energy Policy Committee, analyzing the progress of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. As Student's Voice editor for Today's Engineer, Meyer hopes to help bridge the divide between engineers and policy-makers.

The Energy Policy Act of 2005 mandates full implementation of the IEEE Interconnection Standard (IEEE 1547), increasing electricity supply diversity and ensuring the reliability and safety of the American electric power system.

In his 2003 State of the Union speech, President Bush announced the creation of a new Hydrogen Fuel Initiative. Two years later, what progress has been made toward implementation of the Hydrogen Economy?

With the unrelenting flow of energy-related information coming from Capitol Hill, many engineers, policy-makers and ordinary citizens are wondering how the Energy Policy Act of 2005 will change the way things work. In this case, confusion may be warranted: FERC is given unprecedented authority; PUHCA is repealed despite warnings that consumers will face higher energy prices; and a Renewable Portfolio Standard is implemented in states in which it may be technically impossible to meet such requirements.