The New U.S. Energy Policy

With economic conditions improving as the U.S. moves past the Recession, energy analysts predict that the amount of energy consumed is on the rise.  Among the energy challenges that the U.S. must face is order to continue working towards a self-sustaining fuel-efficient economy, according to the press release, is to shift the focus from smarter energy consumption with government buildings on to commercial buildings. Also, there is a need to perpetuate awareness of environmental harm that is caused as a result of energy abuse. President Obama has recently begun a tour where he will address energy consumption issues that are unique to various locations across the U.S.

Frost and Sullivan’s New Energy Challenges for 2020 was just released and in it are the top “mega trends” that need to be addressed in order for the U.S. to continue its strive towards energy independence for 2020. Also just released, is the analysis of the Wastewater Treatment Equipment Market, a “noteworthy companion market research report” that Frost and Sullivan drafted and covers wastewater treatment used in shale gas among other things.

On March 21st, President Obama began a tour that will address energy consumption needs across various locations in the U.S. beginning with Boulder City, Nevada. Boulder City has the largest solar plant in the U.S.  Obama opened his speech by thanking the mayor of Boulder City for his investment in solar energy production. He stated, “That's worth applauding. (Applause.) Every year, you produce enough clean energy to power around 17,000 homes. And that’s just the beginning. Things are going so well that another plant is already under construction down the road that will eventually power another 45,000 homes. And a third plant is in development that will be, one day, able to power around 66,000 homes. Now, this is an area that was hit hard by the recession -- and that's true of the whole state. You guys have been through a lot. But you haven’t given up. You looked around at this flat, beautiful land and all this sun -- I just -- I asked the question, how many days of sun do you get a year -- 320 -- that's pretty good -- and decided that Boulder City was the perfect place to generate solar power.”

Many of the energy consumption strategies address large businesses, as industry tends to be the biggest consumer of resources, but advancement in energy technology has made it easier for Americans to monitor energy consumption within their individual households. Companies such as Alcatel-Lucent, have designed smart-grid monitors for rural cities in Alabama, that run off fiber optic networks. Not only do the residents of these areas enjoy faster internet service, but they also have the tools to save money by monitoring the amount of energy consumed by their families on a monthly basis.