CHENNAI: Energy security issues are likely to become more important than ever before in these times of great uncertainty caused by the global recession, Reinhold Babel, representative of the Hanns Seidel Foundation, a Munich-based agency that seeks to promote peace, democracy and development.

democracy Zimbabwe

An ambitious plan to lower municipal electricity bills THE Centre will monitor electricity consumption pattern of municipalities from March. This is to reduce the 10 per cent power deficit and 16 per cent peak power deficit in the country.

Standards in six months likely THE Bureau of Energy Efficiency (bee) is preparing new labeling standards for cfls (compact fluorescent lamps) based on light output. Like other consumer electronics such as refrigerators, air-conditioners and fans, cfls would also be given star ratings

Wrapping up an elaborate energy audit, the City of Knoxville, Tennessee, is about to find out which of 99 city buildings are wasting the most energy. It hopes to begin repairs this summer, just in time to catch a tsunami of federal stimulus money earmarked for such unglamorous tasks as replacing light bulbs and fixing leaky insulation.