News & Notes

 

Energy IQ Quiz from the American Petroleum Institute

Focuses on oil and gas issues mainly, but some of the answers might be surprising!

 

Primer on Natural Gas (from Sam Z. - thanks!)

Currently, natural gas accounts for roughly one-quarter of the United States energy consumption.  While recent high oil prices make natural gas and other alternative energy sources attractive, coal remains the cheapest form of energy. Though the most economical, coal is also the most intense emitter of carbon dioxide (CO2), the most important of the greenhouse gases.  Government regulation of industry’s greenhouse gas emissions and carbon capture and sequestration technologies might provide the added incentives for energy production via natural gas that utilities have been waiting for.

Want to see how the cost of natural gas stacks up against other sources of energy production on the personal level? Visit the Online Energy Calculator.

Come and join the UW eHub after the WPUI Natural Gas Symposium at the Memorial Union Terrace to discuss the future of natural gas and other energy topics.  We'll be there at 4pm - look for the Tiki Pole and eHub Flamingo!

General Information on Natural Gas:
http://www.naturalgas.org/overview/overview.asp

Natural Gas Compared to Coal & Fuel Oil
http://www.economist.com/business/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10145492

Coal Gasification
http://www.nature.com/climate/2008/0803/full/climate.2008.18.html   

Carbon Capture and Sequestration
http://www.fossil.energy.gov/programs/sequestration/capture/

Personal Energy Cost Converter 
http://www.exeloncorp.com/peco/html/electric.htm
 

 

WPUI Natural Gas Symposium (+social) Tuesday, July 22 - eHub members invited to attend!

eHub members and other UW-students are invited and encouraged to attend - see the event listing for more information, and how to register for the conference (Free for students).

After the Symposium, eHub will be heading to the Memorial Union Terrace to talk Natural Gas and Energy with conference attendees.  We'll be there at 4pm - look for the Tiki Pole and eHub Flamingo!

+ = eHub Social Meeting

 

eHub Social Planned for Thursday, June 26th at the Terrace, 5:30PM:  "Renew" your Love of Wind and Sun

Currently, wind and solar power make up 5% and 1% of our annual renewable energy consumption, respectively.  Recent legislation, such as the Lieberman-Warner bill, has called for large increases in renewable energy technologies like wind and solar, but have been met with little success.

Do you agree with the Senator, or are renewables a waste?  Join e-Hub at the Memorial Union Terrace, Thursday June 25th at 5:30 p.m. for a stimulating discussion on wind, solar, and any energy topic we find interesting. (Look for the inflatable totem pole and pink flamingo).   Below are some links you might find interesting.


General Information: http://www.eia.doe.gov/fuelrenewable.html

NJ weighs bill encouraging alternative farm energy
Utility finds foes to renewable energy line plan
Germany Debates Subsidies for Solar Industry 

Thanks, Sam Z. for compiling these articles.

 

Check out our Resources page for some new links to summer job opportunities ($$$)

 

June 5, 2008 News: Job Opportunity at Focus on Energy, Link to AAPG group at UW-Madison

Check our Resources page for information on a new job opportunity for eHub members and other recent grads with experience in energy at Wisconsin's Focus on Energy.

Also, Jen Walker from the UW-Madison Student Chapter of the AAPG sent us a link to their website.  Check out what other UW student energy groups are working on, and get involved!

 

May 26, 2008:  eHub is Looking for Leaders, Web Design Experts, and Graphic Designers

If you are a talented webmaster, artist, or motivated student leader, eHub wants to hear from you. 

We're looking for people to help out with planning and promotion for our fall conference "Energizing the Midwest: Energy Technology, Policy and You".  We need to add dynamic features to our website and propel the eHub organization to the forefront of collegiate energy groups. 

We'll also need talented graphic designers to help us style our publications and promotional materials for the conference and future eHub events. 

We're always looking for motivated volunteers who want to get involved with Energy (and add a great leadership experience to their resume).  It's time to get serious about our energy future - help us spread the word with eHub!

Contact us by email at info@uwehub.org

 

May 23, 2008:  Oil Prices Skyrocketing, First eHub Social at the Terrace

The first monthly eHub Social Meeting will take place:

Thursday, May 29 at 5:30pm at the Memorial Union Terrace. 

Anyone/everyone is welcome to attend.  Look for the pink flamingo!

The purpose of the meeting is to stimulate discussion of current events and energy issues.  This month we'll discuss Petroleum Prices and Politics, since oil is trading at over $130/bbl and the summer-vacation gasoline crunch is just beginning.  Sam Zenobia has compiled a few articles that serve as a primer on the current state of world oil markets:

New York Times: “Economic toll mounts from high oil prices”

National Review:  “Kingdom Done”

Associated Press:  “Gas roars higher, pressuring holiday travelers”

This is a casual networking event open to anyone interested in talking about energy issues, and the discussion isn't limited to oil politics.   We'll have information available for new visitors who might like to learn more about eHub's mission and how to get involved. 

 

April 22, 2008: MyPower Demo Puts Students in CEO's Shoes

eHub hosted the MyPower energy industry simulator in Engineering Hall. Tyler Giles lured students to the table with free cookies, then asked them to take the reins as an Electric Utility CEO with the interactive energy planning simulation developed by the UW Energy Institute. The goal is to maximize power plant efficiency and reliability while keeping tabs on utility costs, emissions and environmental concerns. Students choose from coal, nuclear, wind, natural gas, or renewable energy sources to create a reliable and affordable energy plan for the future.

Above: Tyler Giles demonstrates the MyPower Energy Industry Simulator for students in Engineering Hall.

April 21, 2008: Meeting w/ Prof. Kirk Smith of UC-Berkeley

Before his public talk as part of the Global Sustainability Lecture Series, Professor Kirk Smith of UC-Berkeley met with the eHub executive committee for a chat about energy policy and tech issues. Prof. Smith is a world expert on environmental health issues, especially health and climate effects of biomass fuel burning in the developing world. Prof. Smith had some sound advice for eHub members about how to get the energy message out to a wide audience. His method must work - his talk was packed!

Listen to the talk, delivered from Engineering Hall on the UW-Madison Campus.

April 12, 2008: eHub Now Part of CEA!

eHub was invited to join the newly-formed College Energy Association (CEA). This group includes undergraduate and graduate student organizations from around the world committed to the scientific, policy, commercial, legal, and/or social considerations surrounding energy technology, infrastructure, and implementation. Other members include energy organizations from MIT, Harvard, Yale, UC Berkeley UC Santa Barbara, Notre Dame and others around the country and around the world.

Collegiate Energy Association: "A global forum to address the energy challenge"

April 11, 2008: eHub Members Attend MIT Energy Conference

eHub members David Donovan and Rachel Slaybaugh traveled to Massachusetts for the 2008 MIT Energy Conference: "Solutions that Scale to Meet the Energy Challenge".

In addition to spreading the word about eHub, David and Rachel networked with other energy organizations and learned from the best about how to put together a 'wicked' energy conference.

The Energy Hub provides an interface for students, researchers, and campus organizations at the University of Wisconsin-Madison interested in energy.