Are We Measuring Energy Use All Wrong?

We measure energy use with a commodity-based approach -- monitoring electrons, therms and gallons. But is there a better way to gauge the efficiency of the economy? Energy Economist Skip Laitner has been exploring a new method based on measuring "exergy," which shows that America's economy is only 14 percent efficient. And he says it's getting less efficient every year. In this week's show, we'll talk with Laitner about why measuring usable energy is better for understanding economic productivity. And we'll ask: how do we apply it to the real world? Later in the program, we'll discuss the state of the storage industry. And we'll look at why America's flagship clean coal project in Kemper, Mississippi is so delayed and over budget. This podcast is sponsored by ReneSola, a Tier 1 solar cell and module manufacturer with a decade of experience in the cleantech industry. The Energy Gang is produced by Greentechmedia.com. The show features weekly discussions between energy futurist Jigar Shah, energy policy expert Katherine Hamilton and Greentech Media Editor Stephen Lacey.