With California's rolling blackouts and increasing concern over the rising costs of power, energy was a frequent topic in the news this past summer. The Web is a wonderful resource for both information and opinions about energy production and consumption. Many sites provide tips for energy conservation, including recommendations for energy-efficient products.

The federal government's Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Network site http://www.eren.doe.gov is an excellent starting point for energy information. This well-designed gateway leads to clearly distinguished government and non-government energy-related sources, including the National Energy Plan and the Web site of the Department of Energy (DOE) http://www.energy.gov/sources/index.html. There are sections related to industry and consumer information, as well as an interesting feature—a phone/Web link to an "energy expert."

The Internet offers access to sites on alternative energy sources, including topics on biomass, geothermal energy and solar power. The DOE Web site covers and is organized by major energy types. The Renewable Resource Data Center http://rredc.nrel.gov/, a component of the DOE, links to publications, data and maps about renewable energy resources in the United States. Included are an extensive dictionary of renewable energy-related terms and a Renewable Resource Data Center News section that announces new energy-saving products. For those seeking energy statistics, there is the Energy Information Administration Web site, http://www.eia.doe.gov/, which offers current and historical data about the supply, consumption, distribution and price of energy in the U.S.

The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy http://www.aceee.org is a nonprofit organization with both governmental and nongovernmental ties. Its Web site includes tips on energy conservation, as well as information on energy policy issues. Click on "Energy Policy" to find helpful fact sheets on energy, in addition to responses to the National Energy Policy. The "Consumer Guide to Home Energy Savings" is designed for consumers and links to information on energy-saving appliances, including estimated costs and a useful Home Energy Checklist.

For more information on debates/issues surrounding the National Energy Plan and California's energy crisis, see the position papers collected at The Energy Foundation site, http://www.ef.org. For opposing views/arguments, see The Cato Institute site at http://www.cato.org/electricity. Those particularly interested in the California energy crisis will want to visit the Public Broadcasting System's Web site designed to accompany the "Frontline" documentary "Blackout," broadcast June 5, 2001, at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/blackout.

The Web offers children a great deal of readily accessible information on renewable and non-renewable energy sources. The best starting places for younger children interested in energy are the children's section of the Department of Energy Web site, http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids and the California Energy Commission's kid site, http://www.energy.ca.gov/education/index.html, which allows children to navigate information along an "energy quest" highway.

Additional information on energy, including policy issues, technical information and international data, is available on the University Libraries Government Documents Web site section on energy http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/units/lml/govdocsubj/energy.html. Interesting resources on standards http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/units/sel/collections/standard.html and global climate change http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/units/sel/bio/ecochange.html also can be found on the University Libraries Web site.