Center of Excellence in Ocean Energy Technology

Florida‘s cleanest and most abundant source of renewable energy is its oceans. The Gulf Stream is the strongest current in the world, it flows northward past the southern and eastern shores of Florida, funneling through the Florida Straits with a mass transport greater than 30 times the total freshwater river flows of the world – over eight billion gallons per minute. The warm, surface water of the Gulf Stream overlays much colder deep water that flows through the depths of the ocean and into the Florida Straits from the Arctic regions, yielding an energy-rich and stable source of ocean thermal power. The cold, deep ocean water also has enormous potential for cold water air-conditioning (up to 45% of Florida’s residential electricity consumption is used for air conditioning) and environmental mitigation. These energy sources can supply all of Florida’s energy needs. The kinetic energy of the Gulf Stream has significant potential to supply Florida with much of its needed consumer electricity, provided that technically-feasible and environmentally-friendly harvesting technology can be developed. (more…)

Arizona’s Sun-Powered Bullet Train

Bullet trains are already considered a greener mode of transport that greatly curbs greenhouse emissions while cutting down on our reliance on pollution belching cars and airplanes, not to mention reducing the choke-hold OPEC and big oil have on everybody on this planet and the planet itself. (more…)

Texas consumes almost 12 percent of all energy used in the United States. In 2005, Texas’ energy consumption of over 11,500 trillion BTUs exceeded that of California (8,400 trillion BTUs), the US’s second largest energy consumer, by 38 percent. A number of factors contribute to Texas’ leadership in energy use with a big one, the hot and humid climate that dominates much of the state, being responsible for a high demand for summer air conditioning.

Historically, Texas has been a national leader in the production of petroleum products, crude oil and natural gas, and in the generation of electricity. But in the early 1990s, consumption overtook production, forcing the state to increasingly rely on outside sources of energy to meet that demand. (more…)