Clean Tech Business Policy Update (January 28)

News Summary

New Congress & the State of the Union

• Obama— U.S. Must Compete, Wall Street Journal
• Clean Tech Reactions Met With Questions About Meeting the Goals, LA Times
• Clean Energy Standard Has Republican Roots, But That Might Not Guarantee Republican Congressional Support, The Hill

Government & Politics

• Administration Seeking Momentum for Clean Energy Standard,  New York Times
• Obama's State of the Union: Mum on Climate, Loud on a Clean Economy Future, Reuters
• White House Energy Czar Carol Browner to Leave, Wall Street Journal
• Get the Energy Sector off the Dole, Washington Monthly
• GOP Staff, Energy Lobby in Closed-Door Talks, Politico

Science, Jobs, & Investment

• Electricity Storage: Holy Grail of the Renewables Industry, Financial Times
• Green Jobs Growing Faster than Total California Employment, Reuters
• Growth of Green Jobs Offers a Ray of Hope, Sacramento Bee
• Clean Tech Arrives in Fremont, With Limited Payoff So Far, Wall Street Journal

The State of the Union & The New Congress

STATE of the UNION: The theme of President Barack Obama's State of the Union Address Tuesday night was "winning the future." It also could have been labeled, "winning the center."  With its talk of investing in education, basic research and new technologies, the address marked a conscious effort to end the phase of his presidency focused on getting the country out of its economic mess, and to move on to a search for what is beyond the mess. He asked the nation to meet the challenges of a global economy, framing what he called a competitiveness agenda.  He laid down a series of goals: By 2035, he said 80% of America's electricity should come from clean energy sources. Obama— U.S. Must Compete / Wall Street Journal, January 27

STATE of the INDUSTRY: A day after getting a surprisingly extensive shout-out in the State of the Union address — Obama sees clean tech as the country's best chance to seize its "Sputnik moment" — industry officials were less than enthused and questioned whether the ambitious targets were even attainable.  "It's a lofty goal, but it's like the race to the moon in that it's generally achievable," said John Cheney, chief executive of solar project developer Silverado Power. "The issue is whether we have the political will and ability to pull together and actually do it."  Denise Bode, president of the American Wind Energy Assn., said it isn't fast enough. "We don't need to wait nearly three decades."  And other clean-tech industry executives are grumbling that Obama has grouped "clean coal" and nuclear power along with solar panels, wind turbines and biofuels as green power sources. And then there is the big money question. Before aiming for such a high clean-energy threshold, companies first need to feel more secure about financing, executives said. Clean Tech Reactions Met With Questions About Meeting the Goals / LA Times, January 26

STATE of PLAY: “Sen. Lindsey Graham’s (R-S.C.) plans to work on energy this year are coming slightly into focus,” reports Ben Gemen and Andrew Restuccia.  “Graham said Thursday that he intends to float a “clean energy standard” – the same concept that President Obama promoted in the State of the Union speech – while also pushing for expanded U.S. oil-and-gas development.” Clean Energy Standard Has Republican Roots, But That Might Not Guarantee Republican Congressional Support / The Hill, January 26

MORE NEWS

Government & Politics

Administration Seeking Momentum for Clean Energy Standard / New York Times, January 27

President Obama and key members of the administration fanned the nation this week to promote his plans to expand clean energy initiatives, moving quickly to build momentum behind a key agenda item pitched to a national audience on Tuesday.

Obama's Speech: Mum on Climate, Loud on a Clean Economy Future / Reuters, January 27

Obama adopted a more centrist tone during his State of the Union, avoiding any mention of climate change but embracing the promise of clean technology.

White House Energy 'Czar' Carol Browner to Exit / Wall Street Journal, January 25

Carol Browner is leaving her position as White House "energy czar," and a staff shake-up is likely to eliminate her post altogether, according to Democrats familiar with events.

The czar position, and Ms. Browner herself, have been lightning rods for critics of the president's environmental-policy agenda and a reassurance to its supporters, who liked having a top official in the White House devoted to their priorities.

Get the Energy Sector off the Dole / Washington Monthly, January 2011

Today, the president might seem to stand a better chance of refreezing the melting Arctic ice caps. After all, he’s up against a House Republican majority rife with members who openly deny that humans contribute to global warming, as well as members of his own party who are beholden to domestic fossil fuel industries. In November, West Virginia’s new Democratic senator, Joe Manchin, boasted to his constituents that he had secured Harry Reid’s assurance “that cap and trade is dead.”

GOP Staff, Energy Lobby in Closed-Door Talks / Politico, January 20

Top staff members for key House and Senate Republicans met in a closed-door session Tuesday with energy industry interests to work on strategy to handcuff the Obama administration’s climate change agenda.

Business, Science, & Investment

Electricity Storage: Holy Grail of the Renewables Industry / Financial Times, January 14

“Vast amounts of energy – and money – are wasted in electricity grids the world over as suppliers struggle to keep the lights on while coping with the vagaries of demand,” REPORTS Fiona Harvey.  “If energy could be easily stored, this waste would stop and renewable energy sources such as wind power – that are intermittent by nature – would find a surer place in the electricity mix.”

Green Jobs Growing Faster than Total California Employment / Reuters, January 21

From January 2008 to 2009, the most recent observable year, jobs in the green sector grew more than three times faster (3 percent) than total employment in California (1 percent). And the rate of growth of green jobs has been similar to that of software jobs since 2005, according to new statistics released by Next 10.

Growth of Green Jobs Offers a Ray of Hope / Sacramento Bee, January 21

Amid the gloom of the state's sputtering economy, it is hard to find many rays of sunshine. One bright light is the continuing growth of California's green economy, detailed in a report this week from the San Francisco-based group, Next 10. The green economy encompasses a range of activities – clean energy generation, energy efficiency, recycling, business services, green building research and manufacturing, to name a few. While just a small part of the state's overall employment base, green tech jobs have grown 56 percent since 1995. By contrast, biotech jobs have grown just 7 percent and total employment has grown just 18 percent.

Clean Tech Arrives in Fremont, With Limited Payoff So Far / Wall Street Journal, January 20

Overall, there were 20 clean-tech firms in Fremont in 2010, up from 12 in 2008 and six in 2006, according to Fremont's economic-development department. The city occupies a sweet spot for clean-tech companies because of its relatively low rents and abundance of buildings that combine offices, manufacturing and research-and-development, thanks to the city's manufacturing and high-tech legacy. That mix is rare in the costly Bay Area, where many clean-tech firms like to set up shop because of the proximity to engineering talent and venture-capital funds. One drawback is Fremont's location outside the heart of Silicon Valley.