Sustainable Energy Transition

Since this summer, Sustainable Energy Transition has informed citizens on how to "free themselves from an economically and environmentally crippling dependence on oil for our energy". Leonardo ENERGY interviewed Dennis Markatos-Soriano, the blogger behind the project.

The concept

Sustainable Energy Transition (SET) is a non-profit organisation dedicated to giving decision-makers and the public updated, comprehensive energy information so that they can make informed decisions that help restore balance in the climate and lower their energy bills. I've been following the oil markets closely, noting the supply stagnation in non-OPEC countries and the resulting upward price pressure that tightness puts on the market.

SET hopes to communicate a new energy order that net oil importers must increase efficiency to power sustainable economic growth in the future. We have a number of individual projects developing, from a climate awareness campaign among alumni at my graduate alma mater, Princeton University, and the development of a long-term sustainable energy plan for my native state of North Carolina. SET hopes to work together with other institutions who do great work on climate and energy policy.

SET's offering

SET's daily blog offers a daily recap on the major trends in energy markets, especially in the US, with an eye toward their impact on climate change and the imminent decline of non-OPEC oil production. While there are some blogs that talk about climate change and others that talk about peak oil production, the SET daily recap bridges these two communities with concise information that aims to be useful for a range of people from average consumers to policymakers.

The experience so far

It has been a great experience starting the blog over the last few months. The readership has grown, and I've gotten some positive feedback from many people. I aim to connect with more peers in the energy community and further develop my niche as an energy observer that can provide useful information that will help lower greenhouse gas emissions and provide reliable, secure energy simultaneously.

The future ahead

I hope SET will grow as a voice in the energy community that encourages sound, bold climate progress and helps to tackle the inevitable challenges along the way. We hope to have completed successful projects like the Princeton Alumni for Climate Excellence initiative to help University operations achieve climate neutrality by 2030, and to take on a number of other projects in communities around the US and beyond.

Get involved

I would love to have active discussions with SET readers on issues like the maximum rate of growth for wind power over the next seven years, the minimum level of oil consumption the US economy can utilize without lowering our standard of living, and the best designs for bicycle share programs from Paris to NYC to small towns. Together, we can find solutions for global warming and energy insecurity that can be applied from the local to the international level.

---------------------------------------------

Good luck to Dennis in his blogging project.