EGR240: (EGR199) Global Energy Issues
Homework – Due Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Your reading assignment is citation [1] – [3] below. Answer the questions below and be prepared to
discuss in class. (Citations 4-6 are extra, and are just listed for reference.)
[1] [Portugal]
“Portugal Gives Itself a Clean-Energy Makeover”
By ELISABETH ROSENTHAL, The New York Times, August 9, 2010
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/10/science/earth/10portugal.html
[2] [Scotland]
“Vast Potential in the Discomfort of Howling Winds”, by Louise Loftus, The New York Times, September
29, 2010
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/30/business/energy-environment/30iht-renscot.html
[3] [Offshore wind]
“Offshore Wind Turbines Keep Growing in Size: Mammoth wind turbines may soon dot the shallow
coastal seas of the world”
Scientific American, ClimateWire, September 19, 2011,
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=offshore-wind-turbines-keep
Optional: Articles:
[4-optional] [Google]
“Google helps finance 'superhighway' for wind power”. By Juliet Eilperin, Washington Post
Tuesday, October 12, 2010;
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/12/AR2010101202271.html
(New York Times had a similar article, at
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/12/science/earth/12wind.html )
[5-optional] [United Kingdom]
I.H.T. Special Report: Global Clean Energy
“U.K. Focuses on Wind to Improve Energy Profile”
By JULIA WERDIGIER, The New York Times, September 29, 2010
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/30/business/global/30iht-renukwind.html
[6-optional] [NYTimes Wind Summary]
“Wind Power” Topic Summary, NYTimes
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/business/energy-environment/wind-power/index.html
The following questions refer to citation [Portugal]
1. The IEA has, for the first time this year, declared land-based wind power as “potentially
competitive” with fossil fuels. In the last five years, wind has grown how much worldwide?
2. How much of Portugal’s power comes from renewable energy excluding hydropower? (You may
need to see the graphic for this data.)?
3. In comparison, according to the article, how much of the US electric power in 2009 came from
renewable energy (excluding hydropower)?
4. What was the motivation for Portugal to significantly increase its wind generation?
5.
How does the price of electricity in Portugal now compare to power rates in Europe, China, and
the US?
6. Wind energy is highly variable. How does Portugal handle this variation?
7. What infrastructure was required in order for Portugal’s wind program to succeed?
8. The city of Moura is the site of Portugal’s largest solar plant. How did this facility affect the
economy and jobs of Moura?
The following questions refer to citation [Scotland]. [I have been examining the numbers in this article,
and some of the figures do not seem to make sense, although I am still looking. Thus, my interest in this
article for you is more on the broader issues and the comparisons made in the article.]
1. Britain is looking at generating significant energy from wind. Two items are listed that may
make achieving this problematic. What are these?
2. Explain some strategies for addressing each of these issues.
The following questions refer to citation [Offshore Wind].
1.
According to the article, how much offshore wind capacity is the U.K. government planning to
offer in its licensing round from 2015-2025?
2. What is the generation capacity of the biggest offshore turbines today? What about some of
the generation capacities of the proposed new turbines?
3. What countries are the manufacturers Vestas and Siemens from? (You may need to look these
up).
4. What country currently makes more electricity from wind than any other country?