Malaysian locals, environmentalists, and RAEL Director Dan Kammen have won the battle against a controversial coal plant in the Malaysian state of Sabah in northern Borneo. The Malaysian State and Federal government finally announced after a long struggle that they would "pursue other alternative sources of energy, namely gas, to meet Sabah's power supply needs." Proposed for an undeveloped beach on the north-eastern coast of Borneo, the coal plant, according to critics, would have threatened the Coral Triangle, one of the world's most biodiverse marine ecosystems, and Tabin Wildlife Reserve, home to Critically Endangered Sumatran rhinos and Bornean orangutans. Local fishermen feared that discharges from the plant would have imperiled their livelihood.

The Renewable and Appropriate Energy Laboratory (RAEL) seeks an experienced graduate student researcher (GSR) to assist in the development of a greenhouse gas emissions factor database for electric utilities throughout the U.S. The final product will be an online and handheld tool that evaluates emissions profiles of electricity purchased at fine geographic scales. The qualified candidate will enhance and expand existing RAEL datasets and analysis.

Requirements: 

• Strong quantitative skills and proficiency with MS Excel or similar software 
• Comfortable explaining and discussing technical issues with supervisors & colleagues 

Preferred: 

• GIS 
• Graphic & UI design skills a plus 

Details: 

• Schedule: up to 40 hours per week during summer 
• Location: Sutardja Hall 

To apply send C.V. and brief cover letter to RAEL program manager, Chris Jones: cmjones@berkeley.edu

Dan Kammen's PV talk at the event sponsored by the Berkeley Energy and Resources Collaborative (BERC)

A press release by "The Clean Coalition" quotes findings of Dan Kammen's clean energy study, which emphasizes greater economic benefits for the state from a thriving clean energy sector. The comparative advantages include higher private investments, more local and state revenue and a stronger job growth than under a business as usual scenario: 

California Leaders Praise Effort to Help Secure California’s World Leadership in Clean Energy