U.S.A.

General energy system and GHG emissions

The Second National Communication provides a report on the United States' progress towards meeting all its commitments under the UNFCC.

The Alternative Fuels Data Center (AFDC) is a one-stop shop for all your alternative fuel and vehicle information needs. This site has more than 3,000 documents in its database, an interactive fuel station mapping system, listings of available alternative fuel vehicles, links to related Web sites, and much more.

The Renewable Resource Data Center (RReDC) is supported by the National Center for Photovoltaics (NCPV) and managed by the Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. The RReDC is maintained by the Distributed Energy Resources Center of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. The RReDC provides information on several types of renewable energy resources in the United States, in the form of publications, data, and maps. An extensive dictionary of renewable energy related terms is also provided. The News section announces new products on the RReDC.

The Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) is a multi-purpose national laboratory delivering science and engineering solutions to the world's environmental, energy, and security challenges. INEEL is investigating and developing methods to overcome the key barriers to cost-effective utilization of crop residuals and forest residues for energy, fuels and chemistry production.
INEEL Bioenergy Initiative

An overview of energy in the U.S. is given by the United States Country Analysis Brief of the U.S. Energy Information Administration - Office of Energy Markets and End Use.

"National Energy Policy", a report of the National Energy Policy Development Group (May 2001) provides information on the energy challenges facing the US, impacts of high energy prices, sustaining the national health etc.

The US Global Change Research Information Office (GCRIO) provides access to data and information on global change research, adaptation/mitigation strategies and technologies, and global change-related educational resources on behalf of the various US Federal Agencies and Organizations that are involved in the US Global Change Research Program (USGCRP). GCRIO offers the following products and services to its users:

GCRIO acts as a clearinghouse for selected key documents and reports that are either generated or sponsored by the US Government or by specific Federal Agencies. Links to other relevant documents and bibliographic systems are also maintained. GCRIO can respond to requests for copies of these documents either directly or indirectly by forwarding the request or the user to the proper Government/Agency contact. Selected documents are available on-line in their entirety.
GCRIO provides high-level User Services for the interagency Global Change Data and Information System (GCDIS). The function is designed to complement the existing User Support functions already in place at the various Federal Agencies. Requests for data and information from GCDIS are processed by GCRIO User Services staff and forwarded to the appropriate Agency contact, as appropriate.
GCRIO performs outreach services to both domestic (Federal, state, and local) and international target audiences (including governments, institutions, researchers, educators, students, and the general public) in an effort to showcase relevant activities and results of the US Global Change Research Program and to help increase the awareness of the availability of data and information resources of the participating Federal Agencies.
The GCRIO Web site (http://www.gcrio.org/) provides access to selected bibliographic data bases; web sites at the participating Federal Agencies; relevant environmental data, catalog, and library systems; and a section that deals with environmental education.
In 1990, Congress passed and the President signed Public Law 101-606, The Global Change Research Act of 1990.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provides leadership in the nation's environmental science, research, education and assessment efforts. EPA works closely with other federal agencies, state and local governments, and Indian tribes to develop and enforce regulations under existing environmental laws. EPA is responsible for researching and setting national standards for a variety of environmental programs and delegates to states and tribes responsibility for issuing permits, and monitoring and enforcing compliance. Where national standards are not met, EPA can issue sanctions and take other steps to assist the states and tribes in reaching the desired levels of environmental quality. The Agency also works with industries and all levels of government in a wide variety of voluntary pollution prevention programs and energy conservation efforts.

EPA´s Global Warming Site provides information on Global Warming and National emissions, impacts and actions. Several U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventories are available as well.

General description of bioenergy systems

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (U.S. Department of Energy) provides a Strategic plan of "Clean Energy for the 21th Century".

Land use, land use change, and forestry

National policies and measures

Energy Policies of IEA Countries -- USA The Bush Administration's long-awaited 2001 National Energy Policy has important implications for the rest of the world.
Further information is available at IEA Publications Bookshop

Global Climate Change Policy Book The Bush Administration announced a new approach to the challenge of global climate change. climate change is a long-term challenge that will require a sustained effort over many generations. There is the President's plan...
Further information is available at Global Climate Change Policy Book

Regional and local policies and measures

Implementation projects

Research programms

As a leading center for renewable energy and energy efficiency research, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is developing new energy technologies to benefit both the environment and the economy.
Strategic Plan of the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

The Northeast Regional Biomass Program (NRBP) is one of five Regional Biomass Energy Programs established and funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The Northeast region consists of eleven states including: Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont. The NRBP is administered for DOE by the CONEG Policy Research Center, Inc. The program's mission is to evaluate biomass technologies and fuels and to provide objective, reliable information to consumers and policy leaders. The NRBP carries out its mission through an extensive network of local, state, and national government organizations, and partnerships with private industry. Biomass in the context of this program is defined as renewable organic materials including: forestry and agricultural crops and residues; wood and food processing wastes; and municipal solid waste (MSW).

The Biomass Research & Development Initiative is a multi-agency effort to coordinate and accelerate all Federal bio-based products and bioenergy research and development.
The Initiative is guided by two principle documents:

The Biomass Research and Development Act of 2000, passed in June of 2000 (Title III if the Agricultural Risk Protection Act of 2000, P.L.106-224)
Executive Order 13134: DEVELOPING AND PROMOTING BIOBASED PRODUCTS AND BIOENERGY, issued in August of 1999 with the accompanying Executive Memorandum

The U.S. Department of Energy's Bioenergy Feedstock Development Programs (BFDP) are mission-oriented programs of research and analysis whose goals are to develop and demonstrate environmentally acceptable crops and cropping systems for producing large quantities of low-cost, high-quality biomass feedstocks.