News Summary

Top Stories

• Green Tech Venture Investments Jumped 23% in Q3 / Forbes
• In Clean Tech, Venture Capital Looks for Problem-Solvers / New York Times
• Where Did Global Warming Go? / New York Times Editorial
• Clean Energy in California: Cap-and-Trade Moves Forward / The Economist

Government & Politics

• How Global Warming Fell Off the National Agenda / Time Magazine
• Romney Flips To Denial: ‘We Don’t Know What’s Causing Climate Change’ / Think Progress
• Solyndra Aftermath: Top Ten Reasons Why Clean Energy Wins (OpEd)/ Greentech Media
• The Right Lessons From Solyndra (OpEd) / Politico
• Solyndra in the Public’s Mind / FM3 & POS Bipartisan Polling Team
• Why the U.S. Should Not Abandon Its Clean Energy Lending Programs / Brookings
• Dems, GOP Sort of Agree on Chinese Solar / Politico
• GOP 2012 agenda: What Energy Debate? / Politico
• GOP Enviro Group Seeks To Put Conservation Back On Conservative Agenda/ Huffington Post
• Maine Clean Energy Coalition Launches 20-BY-2020 Ballot Initiative / Think Progress
• Steve Jobs’ Advice for Obama / Wall Street Journal

Science, Jobs, & Investment

• New Technologies Redraw the World’s Energy Picture / New York Times
• Solar Power Industry Falls Short of Hopes in Job Creation / New York Times
• U.S. Solar Panel Makers Say China Violated Trade Rules / New York Times
• Solyndra not the Only Photovoltaic Firm on the Rocks / MarketWatch

Articles

Top Stories

Green Tech Venture Investments Jumped 23% in Q3/ Forbes, October 5
Investors doled out $2.23 billion for 189 green tech venture deals worldwide in the third quarter and counted energy storage, solar and energy efficiency as their top three picks, according to preliminary data from the Cleantech Group.

In Clean Tech, Venture Capital Looks for Problem-Solvers/ New York Times, October 26
In Silicon Valley, where venture capital dollars nurture fledgling technology companies, clean tech is getting a makeover. Many investors are shying away from the high risks and costs of creating new forms of energy. Instead, they are doing what they do best — using software to cope with problems, in this case caused by climate change ... Investors, accustomed to financing low-cost Web start-ups, had grown wary of spending the money needed to pay for basic research and build factories to produce energy. Adding to their caution is uncertainty over whether Congress will exact a carbon tax, an increase in natural gas production in the United States and the difficulty of competing with the established energy industry.

Where Did Global Warming Go?/ New York Times Editorial, October 15
In 2008, both the Democratic and Republican candidates for president, Barack Obama and John McCain, warned about man-made global warming and supported legislation to curb emissions … But two years later, now that nearly every other nation accepts climate change as a pressing problem, America has turned agnostic on the issue … The number of Americans who believe the earth is warming dropped to 59 percent last year from 79 percent in 2006 … This fading of global warming from the political agenda is a mostly American phenomenon … Conservatives, rather than posing an obstacle, are directing aggressive climate policies in much of the world … In the United States, the right wing of the Republican Party has managed to turn skepticism about man-made global warming into a requirement for electability, forming an unlikely triad with antiabortion and gun-rights beliefs.

Clean Energy in California: Cap-and-Trade Moves Forward/ The Economist, October 29
The European Union already has a emissions-trading market, and a carbon tax is now wending its way through the Australian legislature. Even India and China have adopted versions of carbon taxes or emissions trading. But California is in America, which has taken a sharp turn in the opposite direction. Congress debated a cap-and-trade system in 2009, but then allowed it to die. Republicans attacked it as “cap-and-tax”, and increasingly deny that climate change is a problem at all. Some even point to the bankruptcy of Solyndra, a Californian maker of solar panels which had received lots of federal money, as proof that renewable energy is a wasteful pinko pipe-dream. But California is staying its course.

Government & Politics

Romney Flips To Denial: ‘We Don’t Know What’s Causing Climate Change’/ Think Progress, October 28
Speaking at the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney reversed his earlier stance on climate change pollution and rejected man-made global warming. Because “we don’t know what’s causing climate change,” Romney said, the United States should not reduce carbon dioxide emissions. In a early 2011 book positioning his run for the presidency, Romney wrote, “I believe that climate change is occurring — the reduction in the size of global ice caps is hard to ignore. I also believe that human activity is a contributing factor. … Scientists are nearly unanimous in laying the blame for rising temperatures on greenhouse gas emissions.”

How Global Warming Fell Off the National Agenda/ Time Magazine, October 20
We know exactly why climate chaos has fallen off the national agenda. We’ve let it happen. And by “we” I mean everyone from environmentalists to doctors to scientists to teachers to politicians to parents. There’s no one else to blame.

Solyndra Aftermath: Top Ten Reasons Why Clean Energy Wins / Greentech Media & Huffington Post, Sept. 28
(OpEd by Payne, Fowler, Kennedy, Harvey, McCalmont, & Shah)
10. A job is a job is a job. Solar jobs grew 6.8% this past year.
9. Fastest growing sector of the economy. Growth is a good for everyone.
8. The voters are ahead of the politicians and the media.
7. It is about prices and solar prices are dropping.
6. Follow the (private) money.
5. Existing policies will make solar energy affordable for millions Americans by 2015. 
4. A truly competitive free market favors solar over the oil and coal welfare queens.
3. Our military loves it.
2 . Solar in a box … off the shelf and right to your home.
1. Solar will win because we love our own nuclear power plant:
the one, the only, the original … 93 million miles away.

The Right Lessons From Solyndra (OpEd by Carl Guardino)/ Politico, October 16
In defiance of Occam’s razor, everyone’s missing the simplest point: Solyndra is one of many government clean-technology investments. Like any investment portfolio, some projects succeed and others fail. Solyndra failed.

Solyndra in the Public’s Mind / FM3 & POS Bipartisan Polling Team, September 26

• Thus far, Solyndra is still news junkie fodder and not dinner table conversation.
• We have seen nothing to indicate an impact on views of clean energy broadly, or solar specifically.
• When presented with arguments that attempt to use Solyndra to indict public investments in clean energy more broadly, voters reject them.
• Descriptions of the successes of the American solar industry offer a strong rebuttal to criticisms of Solyndra.
• Solyndra does pose a potential problem for future public investments in clean energy, since it further fuels general skepticism about government’s fiscal decisions.
• While we have thus far found great consistency around the country in reactions to this issue, opinions are likely to shift as the issue unfolds, and may vary among subgroups of the electorate and by geographic location.

Dems, GOP Sort of Agree on Chinese Solar/ Politico, October 28
In an unusual showing of bipartisan harmony, House Democrats and Republicans agree on the need to investigate the massive subsidies China is using to dominate the global solar industry while hurting U.S. manufacturers. Of course, the next step is a matter of debate. Republican Chairman Cliff Stearns recommends taking it right up to the World Trade Organization. But Senior Democrat Rep. Henry Waxman said a direct conflict could lead to tariffs and ultimately a trade war. "The best way to win trade wars is to out-compete.' [Yes, you did  read that right. The Republican wants to turn to an international government organization and the Democrat wants to compete to win in the market.]

GOP 2012 agenda: What Energy Debate?/ Politico, October 18
“All of the above” — a phrase left over from John McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign — is the exact phrase that six of this year’s eight major Republican candidates have used to describe their energy proposals. As a running line, “all of the above” emphasizes oil, coal and natural gas for near-term energy generation and positions clean energy technology such as solar and wind power as potential future sources … And despite industry reports that the solar business is booming, Solyndra has proven to be a talking point for Republicans when they argue that the government should stay out of clean energy investment.

Republican Environmental Group Seeks To Put Conservation Back On The Conservative Agenda/ Huffington Post, October 20
Many in the G.O.P. long ago rejected environmental protection no matter where or how it is applied -- and they have done so to the dismay of Sisson and like-minded Republican voters. They often point to Russell Kirk, the conservative political theorist, who famously quipped "Nothing is more conservative than conservation."  Sisson says too many Republicans today are willing to turn their backs on sensible conservation measures -- even measuresthey once supported -- if it's politically expedient. "It's an unfortunate symptom of our times, how politicized and how polarized the politics has become," he said.

Maine Clean Energy Coalition Launches 20-BY-2020 Ballot Initiative/ Think Progress, October 27
Maine Citizens for Clean Energy, a new coalition of businesses, environmental groups, and public health advocates, has launched a petition drive to get a 2012 ballot initiative for a renewable electricity standard in the state of 20 percent by 2020. “The status quo threatens our health and environment, burdens our economy, and is an enormous risk to Maine’s prosperity,” the coalition warns.

Why the U.S. Should Not Abandon Its Clean Energy Lending Programs / Brookings, September 27
With the bankruptcy of the California solar-gear manufacturer Solyndra, the Department of Energy (DOE)’s loan program has been excoriated for wasting tax payer money under suspicious circumstances. The program’s website refers to 63,000 jobs created with $38.6 billion of loans. Some, like those at the Washington Post, see this number and incorrectly conclude that the government has spent $600,000 per job. Others cite the size of the loan guarantee to Solyndra—$535 million—and mistakenly equate it with the taxpayer bill for one company’s failed enterprise.

Steve Jobs’ Advice for Obama/ Wall Street Journal, October 30
Apple's founder on Obama: "The president is very smart, but he kept explaining to us reasons why things can't get done. It infuriates me." The culture of Silicon Valley is defined by engineers who approach problems logically, searching for the most elegant solution. Washington is different. Members of both parties prefer scoring political points on immigration even though this delays smarter approaches. It's no wonder that people like Jobs who value innovation find Washington so infuriating.

Business, Science, & Investment

New Technologies Redraw the World’s Energy Picture/ New York Times, October 26
Unconventional fossil fuels extracted by new technologies should shift geopolitical and economic calculations around the world in the coming decades. The United States may now have the means to reduce its half century of dependence on the Middle East. China and India may have the means to fuel the development of their growing middle classes. Japan and much of Europe may have the chance to reduce dependence on nuclear power. And, at least theoretically, poor African countries might be able to lift themselves out of poverty.  But giving new life to fossil fuels is a devil’s bargain, probably making solutions to climate change, and the development of renewable energy, even more difficult.

Solar Power Industry Falls Short of Hopes in Job Creation/ New York Times, October 25
Government help for solar power was supposed to be a triple play: jobs at a time of dire short-term need; incubation of an American industry sure to be important on a global scale in the next few years; and a long-term reduction in climate-changing pollution … Renewable energy is recognized as representing a hedge against future shifts in the prices of fuels and the strictness of pollution regulations. But the effect on jobs is murkier. “Net jobs” is seldom mentioned.

U.S. Solar Panel Makers Say China Violated Trade Rules/ New York Times, Oct. 19
Seven American makers of solar panels filed a broad trade case in Washington against the Chinese solar industry on Wednesday, accusing it of using billions of dollars in government subsidies to help gain sales in the American market.  The companies also accused China of dumping solar panels in the United States for less than it costs to manufacture and ship them.  The trade case, filed at the Commerce Department, seeks tariffs of more than 100 percent of the wholesale price of solar panels from China ... “This had nothing to do with any input from either side of the aisle” in Congress, nor was it influenced by the Obama administration," SolarWorld's president stated ... SolarWorld said it was representing a newly formed trade association, the Coalition for American Solar Manufacturing. An existing trade group, Solar Energy Industries Association, is deeply split over trade actions against China, because it includes American subsidiaries of Chinese solar manufacturers and American companies that sell raw materials and factory equipment to Chinese makers of solar panels.  See also, Six of Seven Companies Stay Anonymous in Solar Trade Case, NYTimes < http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/20/business/global/six-complainants-in-solar-trade-case-are-unnamed.html?src=recg >

Solyndra not the Only Photovoltaic Firm on the Rocks / MarketWatch, September 15
While Solyndra remains in the spotlight because of its bankruptcy filing after a $535 million federal loan guarantee, it’s not the only manufacturer of solar power modules to go belly up as prices of photovoltaics continue to drop.

Congressional Agenda for Fall 2011 Politico, 9/6/11

• Reps. and senators returned to the halls of Capitol Hill last week with Democrats and Republicans alike preparing familiar energy plans for the months ahead.
• Senate Democrats plan to push energy bills as part of larger jobs bills, with a focus on Senate Energy and Natural Resources measures such as a Home Star energy efficiency plan and billions in tax credits for advanced manufacturing and renewable energy.
• House Republicans will continue to hammer away at EPA regulations, including hearings on Soyndra’s bankruptcy and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor's plans to hold votes this fall to repeal the administration's '10 most harmful job-destroying regulations" - a list that will likely have plenty of space allotted to EPA actions.
• As the prospects for continued stalemate seem likely, however, the legislative maneuverings are less policy initiatives than marketing tools heading into the 2012 election.

News Summary

Solyndra Fallout & A Way Forward

• Republicans Suggest White House Rushed Solar Company’s Loans, NYTimes
• Another of Obama’s Green Energy Scams, Rush Limbaugh
• Dept of Energy In Hot Seat, San Jose Mercury News
• Crystal Clear Lessons From Solyndra, Arno Harris, CEO of Recurrent Energy
• Will Opponents Celebrate or Will We Learn Lessons? Ctr. for Am. Progress
• China’s Commitment to Clean Energy, Greentech Media Chart
• Gates, Doerr Push Congress for Energy Innovation, American Energy Innovation
• Hope Shines Through Bankruptcy Clouds For US Solar Sector, AOL Energy
• US Solar Industry a Net Exporter, SEIA & Greentech Media
• Solaria Seeks a Second Solar Factory Site / Oakland Tribune, August 31
• Our Economy Can't Win a Thrown Fight, Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins, Green for All
• Not Just Dems: GOP Also Has Solyndra Ties, National Journal

Government & Politics

• Stung by the President on Air Quality, Environmentalists Weigh Their Options, NY Times
• Bring Residential PACE Program Back to Life, The New Republic
• PACE: Energy Projects Generate Jobs, The Hill
• SolarCity Plans 160,000 Solar Energy Systems on Military Bases, Los Angeles Times
• Patent Reform Passed by Congress, Signed by President, asdf, Sept
• Cities Begin Planning for a Very Different Future, Marketplace Radio
• Obama Decides Against Change in Ozone Standards, USA Today

Science, Jobs, & Investment

• Where the Jobs Aren’t, New York Times
• Green Jobs Reality Check, Center for American Progress
• Shocker: Power Demand From US Homes is Falling, Associated Press

Solyndra’s Bankruptcy Dogpatch Strategies, 9/14/11

There are many views on why Solyndra’s bankruptcy happened and its impact on the political and business agenda of the clean energy sector. The company's records are under investigation by Congress and the FBI while its failure has become fodder for continued anti-clean tech attacks from legacy energy companies and politicians with various agendas. Clean tech must come to its own defense in blogs, op-eds, and on talking head TV as the public relations mess grows and the industry’s usual political and environmental allies are distracted by other things like their own 2012 election prospects and “higher priority” agenda items like a defense of the EPA and halting the tar sands pipeline across the Rocky Mountain West.  As Green Tech Media wrote on August 31^st, “[M]ost coverage of the Solyndra news is likely to gloss over the market’s subtleties … the image of the U.S. solar industry is likely to be affected negatively in the minds of both policymakers and the general public in this post-Solyndra world.”

Articles

Republicans Suggest White House Rushed Solar Company’s Loans / NYTimes, Sept 14^th

The collapse has turned what was once portrayed by some as a shining example of the promise of federal subsidies to stimulate economic growth through green jobs into a grim lesson in what others call the futility of federal meddling in the marketplace.  The US House Energy & Commerce subcommittee’s Republican staff members, in a memorandum issued at the hearing, said that e-mails among White House staff “raise questions as to whether the Solyndra loan guarantee was pushed to approval before it was ready in order for the Administration to highlight the stimulus.”

Democrats did not come to Solyndra’s defense but they did defend the idea of government help for the solar industry, arguing that China is doing so on a large scale and that the United States must compete.   Officials of the Energy Department’s loan office and the White House defended their decisions, which they said were carefully reviewed and not politically inspired.  A DoE officials said that Chinese companies had “flooded” the market, pushing down the price of solar equipment. A factor in Solyndra’s failure was relatively high production costs, but another was a surplus of solar panels, brought on by new Chinese production, and slack demand in Europe, which had been a fast-growing market. “This isn’t picking winners and losers — it is helping ensure that we have winners here at all,” he said.  See also, Los Angeles Times, Sept 12^th and Wall Street Journal, Sept 9^th

Another of Obama’s Green Energy Scams, Rush Limbaugh, Aug 31

The sun is still putting out much as it ever did, just like in Las Vegas, and yet they can't harness it. It's there every day. It doesn't cost anything. It's just there … you ask why can't we compete. We can. My question is (and I think this is the important one): How much are we taxpayers losing from all these so-called investments, as the libs call it? Because every one of these cockamamie ideas is one of theirs. They're all bombing out. They're all leading and contributing to deficits and debt, and it's all political. There's not one business reason to do any of this! There is no solar energy business out there. There is no wind energy business. This is all being done to be simply prop up an incompetent, man-child president … You know, I'm not a solar or wind expert, but when your primary source is still up there, and there's not a damn thing anybody can do to it, and you still can't make money? We're not there yet, is what tells me. We haven't figured out how to harness it yet.

Solyndra Puts Dept of Energy in Hot Seat, San Jose Mercury News, Sept 14

The Republican National Committee and other conservative critics have seized on Solyndra's implosion -- the term "Solargate" is already being used -- as evidence that President Barack Obama's original stimulus plan and the administration's support for clean technology are failed policies. "With taxpayers potentially on the hook for this half-billion dollar bust, it's time to sound the alarm about the remaining $10 billion in loan guarantees set to expire Sept. 30," Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton, R-Mich., and Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Chairman Cliff Stearns, R-Fla., said in a joint statement Tuesday.

Crystal Clear Lessons From Solyndra, Arno Harris, CEO of Recurrent Energy, August 31^st

It would be a mistake to generalize from Solyndra's failure to indict the solar industry and solar policy as a whole. First, this is about one company failing in a market that has exceeded all expectations on cost reduction. Second, not all solar policy faces the same kinds of risks as the DOE loan guarantee program (LGP) … [T]he Investment Tax Credit, 1603 treasury grant program, and state-level renewable standards are much less risky. Solyndra's failure underscores just how successful the PV industry has been at cost reduction--and highlights the risks when governments try to pick winners and losers in highly competitive markets.

Will Opponents Celebrate Solyndra or Will We Learn Lessons? / Ctr. for Am. Progress, Sept 1^st

The U.S. solar industry had $1.8 billion in net exports last year.  But it faces daunting challenges from both Chinese competitors and … budget cutters.  Not every U.S. company will survive global industry consolidation.  But the PV segment as a whole has seen more than 10% annual job growth since 2003 and is certain to continue being a big job creator — if the U.S. government doesn’t let the playing field tilt to foreign companies … [W]ith a glut of solar panels on the market today, depressed silicon prices, and the Chinese government lavishing huge amounts of subsidies on domestic manufacturers — 30 times the amount of loans as the U.S. in 2010 — Solyndra’s cost structure simply couldn’t compete.

China’s Commitment to Clean Energy, Greentech Media Chart, August 31^st

Gates, Doerr Push for Energy Innovation Before Congress, Politico, Sept 14

Bill Gates, John Doerr, and several other formidable technology industry leaders brought a simple message to Capitol Hill on Tuesday: Invest in a more expansive energy and technology policy, especially ARPA-E. At a briefing hosted by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Gates and other captains of industry unveiled a new report that highlights the need for an active government role in energy innovation, recommends ways to improve the effectiveness of government innovation programs, and highlights options to pay for energy innovation investments.

Hope Shines Through Bankruptcy Clouds For US Solar Sector, AOL Energy, Sept 6^th

The August bankruptcy announcements by three solar companies is not a sign of imminent industry collapse, but the inevitable result of competition in a new and evolving market, according to industry representatives. [T]his is just part of the inevitable weeding out of firms that are unable to compete as the market landscape changes. Solyndra's bankruptcy was an anomaly. That's one of the gazillion technologies out there for solar. Some are going to make it, and some aren't.

US a Net Exporter of Solar Photovoltaics / SEIA & Greentech Media, Aug 29

With all the stories about China dominating the solar photovoltaics (PV) manufacturing sector, you might not think that America is a net exporter of solar products. But it is — to the tune of $1.8 billion. That’s a $1 billion increase over net exports documented in the solar sector last year.  See also, Center for American Progress

Solaria Seeks a Second Solar Factory Site / Oakland Tribune, August 31

California's regulatory and business climate -- criticized by some manufacturers as hostile to companies -- may have opened the door for Solaria to expand, both in Fremont and with its second factory.

Our Economy Can't Win a Thrown Fight, Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins, Green for All, Sept 1^st

Capitalism's survival of the fittest only works on a level playing field. Solyndra -- like many other clean energy companies -- are competing evenly in the United States, but on an extremely slanted field globally. Solyndra was facing, in particular, Chinese companies that received massive subsidies from the Chinese government. The investment our government made in Solyndra wasn't a hand-out; it was an attempt to help balance the playing field. But that attempt was one-tenth, one-twentieth what its Chinese competition saw. That Solyndra competed at all is remarkable and laudable.

Not Just Dems: GOP Also Has Solyndra Ties, National Journal, Sept 12^th
The Republican Party is claiming the company is a "prime example of stimulus failure" and "taxpayer-funded cronyism" because one of the investors, George Kaiser, is an Obama fundraiser. However, Solyndra's top investors also include the Republican Walton family, and the CEO, Brian Harris, is a Republican.

Government & Politics

Stung by the President on Air Quality, Enviros Weigh Options / NY Times, September 3

In late August, the State Department gave a crucial go-ahead on a controversial pipeline to bring tar sands oil from Canada to the Gulf Coast. Then on Friday, leading into the holiday weekend, the Obama administration announced without warning that it was walking away from stricter ozone pollution standards that it had been promising for three years and instead sticking with Bush-era standards.

Patent Reform Passed by Congress, Supported by President, Boston Globe, Sept 9^th

The Senate delivered an overhaul of the US patent system that President Obama has long endorsed as a way to promote innovation and put Americans back to work. Proving that Congress can, on occasion, put aside partisan differences, the Senate voted 89-9 for legislation that supporters say will streamline the patent process, reduce costly legal battles, and give the US Patent and Trademark Office the money it needs to process patent applications in a timely fashion.

SolarCity Plans 160,000 Solar Energy Systems on Military Bases / LATimes, September 8

The company's $1-billion SolarStrong project would add rooftop solar installations at 124 military housing developments in 33 states. It would double the number of sun-powered systems in the U.S.

Bring Residential PACE Program Back to Life / The New Republic, August 30

The newly introduced PACE Assessment Protection Act (H.R. 2599), which already has bipartisan support and endorsement from many organizations, provides at least a ray of hope that there might be a chance that PACE can become an important tool to boost job creation and economic growth in the residential clean energy market.

PACE: Energy Projects Generate Jobs / The Hill, September 6

A bipartisan bill to help both our economy and environment is emerging in Congress — in these days of hyper-gridlock, the effort deserves our full support. The bill restores a popular financing program, Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE), to improve energy efficiency in homes and businesses across the country.

Obama Decides Against Change in Ozone Standards / USA Today, September 2

President Obama decided Friday morning not to raise ozone standards favored by environmentalists but decried by business groups and Republicans.

Cities Begin Planning for a Very Different Future / Marketplace Radio, September 1

With rising sea levels and changing environments, some cities are beginning to plan for a different future than they expected.  A report not too long ago from the U.S. Conference of Mayors said almost a third of American cities have made provisions in their budgets for adapting to climate change. That is, potholes, police cars and getting ready for global warming. But with cities strapped these days just to fill potholes and pay teachers, climate adaptation gets short shrift at city hall.

Business, Jobs, & Science

Where the Jobs Aren’t / New York Times, September 5

With the economy stagnating and unemployment high, where are the jobs of the future going to come from? A few years ago, it seemed as though the Green Economy could be a big part of the answer ... An important distinction between government efforts to set the table for entrepreneurial activity and government efforts to create jobs directly. Setting the table means building an underlying context for innovation: funding academic research, establishing clear laws, improving immigration policies, building infrastructure and keeping capital gains tax rates low. Lerner notes that one of the most important government initiatives to encourage innovation was the Bayh-Dole Act of 1980, which gave universities automatic title to research paid by the federal government. These table-setting efforts work. The problem is the results are indirect, the jobs take a long time to emerge and the market may end up favoring old-energy sources instead of shiny new ones. So politicians invariably go for the instant rush. They try to use taxpayer money to create private jobs now. But they end up wasting billions. We should pursue green innovation. We just shouldn’t imagine these efforts will create the jobs we need.

Green Jobs Reality Check, Center for American Progress, August 29

A lot of bogus numbers are flying around about green jobs these days.  It’s time to set the record straight:  Clean energy is a bright spot in the economic recovery, already creating large numbers of high quality U.S. jobs in emerging industries.  Cleantech (primarily clean energy) has seen “torrid growth” from 2003 to 2010, 8.3% per year — almost double the growth rate of the  overall economy during that time.

Large-Scale Solar Sector Surges in U.S. as Panel Costs Drop, Clean Techies, Sept 14

The number of new, industrial-scale solar projects being planned has increased to 24 gigawatts of solar capacity, up from 17 gigawatts just two months ago.

Shocker: Power Demand From US Homes is Falling / Associated Press, September 7

Over the next decade, experts expect residential power use to fall, reversing an upward trend that has been almost uninterrupted since Thomas Edison invented the modern light bulb.

###

Michelle Bachmann (Congresswoman from Minnesota)[i]

Asked about the “man-made climate change myth” and “green jobs” in an August campaign event, Bachmann said, “I think all these issues have to be settled on the base of real science, not manufactured science.”  In a 2009 House floor speech, the Congresswoman challenged the idea that carbon dioxide is harmful to humans, "Carbon dioxide is not a harmful gas, it is a harmless gas ... And yet we’re being told that we have to reduce this natural substance and reduce the American standard of living to create an arbitrary reduction in something that is naturally occurring in the earth."

Bachmann has opposed raising fuel-efficiency standards and objected to requirements for energy-efficient light bulbs.  She has called for the EPA to be abolished, labeling it the “job-killing organization of America”  and pledging to have the EPA’s “doors locked and lights turned off.”  She has also promised more domestic oil production while committing that, "Under President Bachmann, you will see gasoline come down below $2 a gallon again. That will happen."

Herman Cain (Fmr. CEO of Godfather’s Pizza) [ii]

While speaking in Iowa in April, Mr. Cain stated that “There’s a … study that said that if we did all the solar, all the wind in every wind corridor of this country that we could, it might do 5% of our energy needs.  All of this alternative stuff is a joke.” Regarding the EPA, Mr. Cain has promised if elected that he would “create a panel of oil and gas officials to instruct the agency in overhauling its permitting program” and says that eliminating its permitting programs “would be an option.”

Newt Gingrich (Fmr. Speaker of the House)[iii]

Mr. Gingrich has in the past said that the nation must do something to address climate change and has resisted calls to pull back on that.  In a 2008 TV ad with Nancy Pelosi sponsored by Al Gore’s Alliance for Climate Protection, the former House speaker said, “We do agree our country must take action to address climate change.”  His campaign website offers a “mostly everything” path: “Today's high gas and energy prices are entirely a function of bad government policies. Newt has an American Energy Plan that would maximize energy production from all sources -- oil, natural gas, wind, biofuels, nuclear, clean coal, and more -- and would encourage clean energy innovation without discouraging overall energy production.”  There is no mention of solar energy.

In a mid-August Republican debate, Gingrich called the EPA a “fundamental threat to freedom in this country” and accused it of being “anti-American jobs, anti-American business, anti-state government, anti-local control.” Gingrich proposes deregulating fossil fuels, saying that we should rely on the inventiveness of the free market to solve our energy challenges.[iv]

Jon Hunstman (Fmr. Governor of Utah & Obama Ambassador to China)[v]

In a May 16 Time magazine interview, Governor Huntsman ripped a western cap-and-trade compact he helped create as governor, “Cap-and-trade ideas aren’t working; it hasn’t worked, and our economy’s in a different place than five years ago … [P]utting additional burdens on the pillars of growth right now is counter-productive.”

Nonetheless, Huntsman agreed that there is near-scientific consensus on the connection between climate change and human greenhouse gas emissions. “All I know is 90 percent of the scientists say climate change is occurring. If 90 percent of the oncological community said something was causing cancer we’d listen to them … though we can debate what that means for the energy and transportation sectors.” And in an August Tweet, following criticism from some conservatives, Huntsman re-affirmed his views, “To be clear. I believe in evolution and trust scientists on global warming. Call me crazy.”

Ron Paul (Congressman from Texas)[vi]

In Congress, Ron Paul has cosponsored bills that would offer tax breaks to Americans who commute by bicycle and use public transportation. His libertarian nature, though, results in a general view that, “my answer to energy is to let the market work. Let supply and demand make the decision. Let prices make the decision. That is completely different than the bureaucratic and cronyism approach.” He has explained his opposition to solution to climate change by arguing, “We're not going to be very good at regulating the weather.”

Paul strongly opposes requiring American automakers to increase fuel efficiency standards as well as providing incentives for alternative fuel vehicles.   He voted “no” on enforcing limits on CO2 global warming pollution, tax credits for renewable electricity, tax incentives for energy production and conservation, tax incentives for renewable energy, removing oil & gas exploration subsidies, keeping moratorium on drilling for oil offshore, raising CAFÉ standards, and prohibiting oil drilling & development in ANWAR.[vii] He has said that abolishing the EPA is not one of his higher priorities

Rick Perry (Governor of Texas)[viii]

Governor Perry told New Hampshire voters on August 17 that he does not believe in manmade global warming, calling it a scientific theory that has not been proven.  He wrote in his newest book that global warming is “all one contrived phony mess that is falling apart under its own weight,” and has said, “I think there are a substantial number of scientists who have manipulated data so that they will have dollars rolling into their projects. And I think we are seeing almost weekly, or even daily, scientists are coming forward and questioning the original idea that man-made global warming is what is causing the climate to change.”

To fend off accusations that he is only supportive of fossil-fuels, he often points out that Texas is a leader in wind energy, but credit for that largely goes to George W. Bush who passed a renewable portfolio standard in 1999 when he was governor.  A tougher version of it was passed in 2005 when Perry was governor, but according to Jim Marston, the regional director in Texas of the EDF, "Neither Governor Perry nor his people were involved in the writing or passage of that bill … He has done nothing significant to advance the course of wind energy in Texas – it was all done by others, and Perry has just taken credit for it."

Mitt Romney (Fmr. Governor of Massachusetts) [ix]

In a 2011 book positioning his run for the presidency, Governor Romney wrote, “I believe that climate change is occurring — the reduction in the size of global ice caps is hard to ignore. I also believe that human activity is a contributing factor. … Scientists are nearly unanimous in laying the blame for rising temperatures on greenhouse gas emissions.”  While reaffirming that in June, he appeared to backtrack on August 24th.  Asked at a New Hampshire town hall meeting whether he believed in global warming and if humans contribute to rising temperatures, Romney said: “Do I think the world's getting hotter? Yeah, I don't know that but I think that it is … I don't know if it's mostly caused by humans ... What I'm not willing to do is spend trillions of dollars on something I don't know the answer to” and "I do not believe in putting a carbon cap" on polluters.  Romney's campaign denies that the candidate's position has changed at all, citing his consistency on questioning exactly how much humans have contributed to global warming. Romney later added, “I think it's important for us to reduce our emissions of pollutants and greenhouse gases that may well be significant contributors to the climate change and global warming that you're seeing.”

On EPA regulation, Romney has both criticized the EPA for attempting to regulate greenhouse gas emissions while supporting other aspects of EPA’s mission.  He wants more efficient energy alternatives here in the U.S., fuel-efficient vehicles, and public-private R&D partnerships.   However, he did not support the Northeast’s Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative and has never supported cap-and-trade arguing that it will place the United States’ global competitiveness at a disadvantage.  In an interview with US News and World Report in December 2007, he called for an energy-focused “Apollo Project” to make America more innovative and competitive: “We are going to have to get ourselves independent of foreign oil, and that's going to require a substantial investment…I wish we could become energy independent for only $100 billion.”

DROPPED OUT

Tim Pawlenty (Fmr. Governor of Minnesota)[x]

Having once taken climate change seriously as governor, including support for cap-and-trade, Pawlenty apologized in an early presidential debate in 2011.  “Everybody in the race, at least the big names in the race, embraced climate change or cap-and-trade at one point or another, every one of us … It’s a bad idea … I was wrong.  It was a mistake.  And I’m sorry.”

# # #

[i] i. http://ecocentric.blogs.time.com/2011/08/18/why-michele-bachmanns-2-a-gallon-gas-promise-is-a-fantasy/#ixzz1VUQcAm1L; ii. http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/environmental_law/2011/08/michele-bachman-on-climate-change.html; iii. http://thinkprogress.org/green/2011/08/17/297902/michele-bachmann-man-made-climate-change-is-manufactured-science

[ii] http://www.therightscoop.com/herman-cain-green-energy-is-a-joke/

[iii] http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/environmental_law/2011/08/should-we-require-scrubbers-for-the-republican-candidates-positions-on-pollution-and-epa.html

[iv] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/andy-mannle/gingrichs-energy-solutions-lacking_b_864552.html

[v] http://swampland.time.com/2011/03/24/on-global-warming-no-clear-skies-for-most-2012-gop-contenders/

[vi] http://www.grist.org/article/paul1

[vii] http://www.ontheissues.org/tx/Ron_Paul_Energy_+_Oil.htm

[viii] http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/blogs/national-affairs/texas-gov-rick-perrys-answer-to-climate-change-start-prayin-20110428; http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/blogs/national-affairs/rick-perry-and-the-environment-three-things-you-need-to-know-20110817

[ix] http://reut.rs/oUJVj7.; http://www.cleaneconomycapitol.org/2011/04/2012-republican-presidential-hopefuls_12.html; http://money.usnews.com/money/business-economy/articles/2007/12/04/romney-talks-taxes-trade-and-energy-independence?s_cid=related-links:TOP

[x] http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/03/pawlenty-my-past-support-for-cap-and-trade-was-stupid-audio.php

News Summary

Top Stories

• Doerr Gives U.S. a ‘C’ for Alternative-Energy Development, Bloomberg
• Number of Green Jobs Fails to Live Up to Promises, New York Times
• Cleantech Investing Stagnates, But California Clings to Lead, Xconomy

Science, Jobs, & Investment

• Building the Green-Collar Economy, Discover Magazine
• Ford, SunPower Team Up on Alternative Energy, San Francisco Chronicle

Government & Politics

• U.S. Cities Prepare to Adapt to Climate Change, USA Today
• U.S. Jobs Expected from New Fuel Economy Standards, Reuters
• USA’s First Large-Scale Industrial Carbon Capture & Storage Facility, US DoE
• California: Law Aids State's Clean Tech Growth [Erceg & Hochschild], Sacramento Bee
• California: Offsets Could Make Up 85% of Calif.'s Cap and Trade, New York Times
• California Panel Reaffirms Carbon Trading Program, Los Angeles Times
• California: Gov. Brown Seeks to Extend Public Good Charge, Los Angeles Times
• California: Clean Energy Wants Public Goods Charge Extended, CapitalPublicRadio

Politics Extra: Presidential Candidates on Clean Energy & Climate

• Michelle Bachmann: Settle the issues on “real science, not manufactured science.”
• Herman Cain: “All of this alternative energy stuff is a joke.”
• Newt Gingrich: We “must take action to address climate change,” but EPA a “threat to freedom.”
• Jon Huntsman: “I believe in evolution & trust scientists on global warming. Call me crazy.”
• Ron Paul: “My answer to energy is to let the market work.”
• Rick Perry: Global warming is “all one contrived phony mess that is falling apart.”
• Mitt Romney: “I believe that climate change is occurring,” but “I don't know if it's mostly caused by humans,” and “What I'm not willing to do is spend trillions of dollars,” yet “it's important for us to reduce our emissions of pollutants and greenhouse gases.”

Articles

Top Stories

John Doerr Gives U.S. a ‘C’ for Alternative-Energy Development / Bloomberg, August 3

John Doerr, head of venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, said he would give the U.S. a ‘C’ grade for development of green technology, which trails innovation in Internet and biotechnology,” reports Ari Lev.  “His grade would have been a D or F without $20 billion in loan guarantees for clean-energy projects under President Barack Obama’s stimulus plan and collaborative work between the government and private sector, Doerr said yesterday at an event in Palo Alto, California. He and other members of the White House Council on Jobs and Competitiveness spoke on a panel about entrepreneurship.”

Number of Green Jobs Fails to Live Up to Promises / New York Times, August 18

In the Bay Area as in much of the country, the green economy is not proving to be the job-creation engine that many politicians envisioned. President Obama once pledged to create five million green jobs over 10 years. Gov. Jerry Brown promised 500,000 clean-technology jobs statewide by the end of the decade. But the results so far suggest such numbers are a pipe dream.

Cleantech Investing Stagnates, But California Clings to Lead / Xconomy, August 3

So far this year, venture investments in cleantech and alternative energy aren’t keeping up with the optimistic pace set in 2010. While total U.S. cleantech investments in the second quarter were up slightly from the quarter before—$1.093 billion, versus $1.014 billion—they’re lagging 44 percent behind the quarterly record set one year ago, in the second quarter of 2010 ($1.949 billion). At least, so says a report released today by the Ernst & Young accounting firm, based on data from Dow Jones VentureSource.

Business, Science, & Investment

Building the Green-Collar Economy / Discover Magazine, September 2011

The lure of renewable energy sources is that they help fight climate 
change. Four experts argue that the transition to a clean economy could also jump-start economic growth and put a new generation to work.

Ford, SunPower Team Up on Alternative Energy / San Francisco Chronicle, August 11

SunPower, based in San Jose, will offer discounted home solar systems to people who buy the all-electric Focus, which Ford plans to start selling in California late this year. The two companies announced the effort, called Drive Green for Life, in Richmond on Wednesday at a former Ford auto plant that now houses a SunPower office.

Government & Politics

U.S. Cities Prepare to Adapt to Climate Change / USA Today, August 15

An NRDC report says coastal cities such as New York and San Francisco anticipate "serious challenges" from sea-level rise, while Southwestern cities such as Phoenix will face water shortages and Midwestern cities, including Chicago and St. Louis, can expect more intense storms and flooding.

Green Jobs Expected from New Fuel Economy Standards / Reuters, August 16

A report released this week by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), automotive workers union (UAW), and the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) shows that vehicle emissions standards and clean vehicle R&D and production are already responsible for 155,000 jobs at 504 facilities in 43 states and the District of Columbia. 119,000 jobs have been created in this industry since 2009 alone. The NRDC has an interesting interactive map on its website now showing where all these facilities are and providing a bit more information on them.

Nation’s First Large-Scale Industrial Carbon Capture and Storage Facility

US Dept. of Energy, August 24

The U.S. Department of Energy issued the following statement in support of today’s groundbreaking for construction of the nation’s first large-scale industrial carbon capture and storage (ICCS) facility in Decatur, Illinois. Supported by the 2009 economic stimulus legislation – the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act – the ambitious project will capture and store one million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) per year produced as the result of processing corn into fuel-grade ethanol from the nearby Archer Daniels Midland biofuels plant. Since all of the captured CO2 will be produced from biologic fermentation, a significant feature of the facility is its “negative carbon footprint,” meaning that the storage results in a net reduction of atmospheric CO2.

California Panel Reaffirms Carbon Trading Program / Los Angeles Times, August 25

The California Air Resources Board voted to reaffirm its cap-and-trade plan Wednesday, a decision that puts the nation's first-ever state carbon trading program back on track, for now.  The on-again, off-again rules have been years in the making and are meant to complement AB 32, California's landmark climate change law that mandates a reduction in carbon pollution to 1990 levels by 2020. The air board adopted a preliminary carbon trading plan in late 2008 but was sued by environmental justice groups in 2009.

Greenhouse Gas Law Aids State's Clean Tech Growth [Erceg & Hochschild]

Sacramento Bee, August 21

We already are seeing hints of what AB 32 could mean for our economy. Since the bill became law, investment in California's clean technology sector has skyrocketed, with more than $11 billion in venture capital flowing into the state. The National Venture Capital Association estimates that each $100 million in venture capital funding will help create 2,700 jobs directly and support other jobs indirectly, while generating $500 million in annual revenue over two decades. It is clear that clean energy policies are propelling the state down a positive economic path.

Offsets Could Make Up 85% of Calif.'s Cap and Trade / New York Times, August 8, 2011

Starting in 2013, California's landmark cap and trade law will give companies the option of using offsets, investments in forest preservation and other efforts that pare carbon, instead of emissions reductions. California argues cap and trade needs offsets to keep costs low. Environmentalists warn the numbers stack up in a way that threatens the success of the plan. The Golden State plans to limit offsets to 8 percent of a business's total reported greenhouse gas emissions.  The 8 percent limit, green groups argue, translates to a much larger percentage of the carbon cuts mandated under the plan. Offsets will potentially make up 85 percent of all greenhouse gas reductions in the program from 2013 through 2020, a level some environmentalists see as perilous. The state agrees that hitting that 85 percent level for offsets is possible but said that it is an improbable worst-case event.

Gov. Brown Seeks to Extend California Energy Surcharge / Los Angeles Times, August 25

In a major effort to create more high-tech jobs, Gov. Jerry Brown is sponsoring legislation to extend a state program that collects about $400 million a year from utility customers and invests it in renewable energy and efficiency programs.

Clean Energy Backers Want Utility Fees Extended / Capital Public Radio, August 17

Every month, your electric bill has a one percent state surcharge - and your natural gas bill has a 0.7 percent surcharge.  Those fees are set to expire at the end of the year, and Tom Steyer with Californians for Clean Energy and Jobs says lawmakers should pass an extension.

# # #

News Summary

Top Stories

• Growth of Clean Economy Outpaces U.S. Overall (Brookings Report), Forbes
• Supreme Court Rejects State Lawsuits on Emissions, Atlanta Journal Constitution
• Public Attitudes Toward Climate Science & Policy, Science Progress

Government & Politics

• Climate Bill One Year Anniversary, Key Players Move On, Politico
• Climate of Denial: Gore Calls Out Obama, Media on Global Warming, Rolling Stone
• Word Choice Matters for Energy Policy, New York Times
• An Aggressive EPA Ruling on Smokestack Emissions, New York Times
• Top Senate Republican Says Eliminate Energy Tax Breaks to Reduce Debt, Washington Post
• In 2012 GOP Race, Climate Policy Is A Non-Issue, NPR
• Mayor Bloomberg Gives $50M to Sierra Club Anti-Coal Campaign, The Hill
• Wes Clark: Bringing It All Back Home, Washington Monthly
• California Delays Carbon-Trading from 2012 to 2013, LA Times
• California to Appoint 'Clean Energy Jobs' Czar, Reuters

Science, Jobs, & Investment

• Texas Vs. California... Myth Vs. Reality, Beacon Economics
• California Leads 'Clean Economy,' Study Finds, Los Angeles Times
• Southern Calif. Energy Hub Eyed for Clues to U.S. Green Economy, New York Times
• Traders and Experts Say Regional Cap-and-Trade Systems Will Proliferate, ClimateWire
• Google Creates $280-million Solar Power Fund, LA Times

Articles

Top Stories

Brookings Report: Clean Economy Growth Outpaces Overall U.S. Economy / Forbes, July 15

What’s in a name?  Brookings calls it “clean” and in Northeast Ohio we call it “advanced” but the real question is – Can the energy economy help guide the country towards a more globally competitive position?  While the energy topic has become a political issue, it should first and foremost be viewed as an economic driver that regions with strong energy assets can leverage to transition their economies.

Supreme Court Rejects State Lawsuits on Emissions, Favors Federal Clean Air Act / Atlanta Journal Constitution, June 30

Without taking sides in the climate change debate, a unanimous court rejected an attempt by California, New York and six other states to circumvent the authority of Congress to determine national energy policy and to force certain industries to cap their carbon dioxide emissions by judicial fiat.

Public Attitudes Toward Climate Science and Policy / Science Progress, June 29

Two related public polls have recently come out.  On the one hand, the polling shows that only 64 percent of Americans believe global warming is happening, with only 47 percent believing humans to be the main cause. Yet the other poll from the same month showed that 71 percent of Americans said addressing global warming should be a very high, high, or medium priority for Congress, and a whopping 91 percent of Americans—including 85 percent of Republicans—said developing clean energy should be a very high, high, or medium priority.  Further, 68 percent of Americans support requiring public utilities to produce a certain amount of renewable electricity, even if it would cost American families an average of $100 a year.

Government & Politics

Climate Bill One Year Anniversary, Key Players Move On / Politico, July 22

Since the death of cap and trade, careers built around that cause have shifted focus, the national political debate has moved on to debt limits and budget cutting, and dramatic changes envisioned for U.S. energy policy have slipped into a deep freeze. So where are Joe Lieberman, Lindsay Graham, Carol Browner, and Rick Boucher.

Gore: On Global Warming, Obama Has Changed Little / Rolling Stone, June 22

In a 7,000-word essay posted online Wednesday by Rolling Stone magazine, Gore says the president hasn't stood up for "bold action" on the problem and has done little to move the country forward since he replaced Republican President George W. Bush.  To read full text, click here.

Word Choice Matters for Energy Policy / New York Times, July 10

“At the “Twitter Town Hall” last week, where people asked the president questions via Twitter, Mr. Obama referred to “clean energy” five times,” reports Kate Galbraith.  “The only similar term he used was “alternative energy,” once. Other descriptors, like “renewable,” “sustainable” and “green,” were not mentioned.  All of these words may sound interchangeable, but experts say that they are not, quite. “Clean,” for example, can cover a broader array of energy sources than “renewable.” Mr. Obama, in a major speech on energy security this spring, called for 80 percent of the United States’ electricity in 2035 to come from “a wide range of clean energy sources,” in which he included natural gas, nuclear power and “clean coal.”

An Aggressive EPA Ruling on Clean Air / New York Times, July 10

The Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday issued a welcome and overdue rule compelling power plants in 27 states and the District of Columbia to reduce smokestack emissions that pollute the air and poison forests, lakes and streams across the eastern United States. The regulation reflects the E.P.A.’s determination to carry out its mandates under the Clean Air Act despite fierce Congressional opposition, and bodes well for progress on a host of other regulatory challenges the agency faces.

Top Senate Republican suggests eliminating energy tax breaks to reduce debt / Washington Post, June 15

One day after a majority of Republicans voted to do away with ethanol subsidies, the Senate’s No. 3 Republican said Wednesday that he is working on legislation that could eliminate a variety of energy tax subsidies and dedicate the proceeds to debt reduction.

In 2012 GOP Race, Climate Policy Is A Non-Issue / NPR, June 21

The Supreme Court today reaffirmed that it is the Environmental Protection Agency’s job to curb dangerous carbon pollution under the Clean Air Act, deciding in Connecticut v. American Electric Powerthat states cannot bring suit directly against five of the nation’s largest power companies to curb their emissions as a public nuisance.

Mayor Bloomberg Gives $50M to Sierra Club Anti-Coal Campaign / The Hill, July 21

Coal-fired power plants generate about 40 percent of the country’s electricity, according to the Energy Information Administration. The Sierra Club’s “Beyond Coal” campaign will receive Michael Bloomberg’s donation in support of efforts to wean the country off its dependence on coal in favor of lower-emissions technologies.

Wes Clark: Bringing It All Back Home / Washington Monthly, 2010

America has a dirty secret, and a mortally dangerous problem. You will occasionally see it mentioned in the press, but almost no politician will give it more than a passing reference. Many despair of finding a solution; others fear offending powerful constituencies. Scholars now consider it so banal that they seldom study it. Most businessmen accept it as a sad, sorry fact of life, though it makes some of them very rich.

California Delays its Carbon-Trading Program Until 2013 / LA Times, June 30

Facing continued litigation, California officials will delay enforcement of the state's carbon-trading program until 2013, state Air Resources Board Chairwoman Mary Nichols announced Wednesday.

California to Appoint 'Clean Energy Jobs' Czar / Reuters, July 15

Mather Kearney, deputy director at the governor's Office of Economic Development, said that Governor Brown's shortlist had been narrowed to three candidates but that the scope of the role had been widened beyond clean energy alone to encompass the broader unemployment crisis.

States Cannot Bypass E.P.A. on Power Plant Emissions, Justices Rule / New York Times, June 20

The Supreme Court unanimously ruled out a federal lawsuit Monday by states and conservation groups trying to force cuts in greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. The court said that the authority to seek reductions in emissions rests with the Environmental Protection Agency, not the courts. EPA said in December that it will issue new regulations by next year to reduce power plants' emissions of carbon dioxide, the chief greenhouse gas.

Business, Science, & Investment

Texas Vs. California... Myth Vs. Reality / Beacon Economics, June 2011

As the battle rages on in the media and political circles about how California is losing out to Texas, it’s important to keep in mind that much of the current debate centers on a misinterpretation of the data or on myth. When digging deeper into the GDP statistics, it is clear that California grew at a very similar pace to Texas in real terms over the past 17 years. In addition, the growth in California’s manufacturing sector far exceeded the rise in Texas’ industrial base. And, while many claim that businesses are fleeing California for the more business friendly climate of Texas, several recent studies have shown that firm migration accounts for less than 1% of the job destruction in the state.

California Leads 'Clean Economy,' Study Finds / Los Angeles Times, July 13

Nationwide, 2.7 million people work in the "clean economy," according to a new study. It employs nearly 320,000 people in California. In the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the sector accounts for about 90,000 workers.

Southern Calif. Energy Hub Gives Clues to U.S. Green Economy / New York Times, June 22

A small company that developed a $1 billion wind farm works out of a pink-hued building near the Pacific Ocean here. Down the hill, an investment firm decides how to spend $6.5 billion on energy ventures. Two traffic lights away sits a company that is building one of the world's largest wind projects. Renewable power developers, biofuel researchers and clean technology entrepreneurs have flocked to this coastal city, making it a growing hub of energy-sector interests.

Traders and Experts Say Regional Cap-and-Trade Systems Will Proliferate / ClimateWire, June 16

Regional cap-and-trade systems will continue to spread in the United States and Canada and are poised to converge on each other, in spite of troubles experienced at the Northeast's government-run program, experts confidently predicted yesterday.

Google Creates $280-million Solar Power Fund / LA Times, June 14

By the end of 2010, home solar panels were capable of producing 74 megawatts of electricity, or enough to power about 74,000 average California homes. That was up 33% from the beginning of the year. More affordable financing options were key to the increase, analysts said. SolarCity is known for its lease programs and power purchase agreements, which allow customers to avoid the tens of thousands of dollars of upfront expenses. SolarCity will use the Google fund to pay for installation and maintenance costs. Customers pay only for the electricity produced by the panels, usually in monthly installments. Google will get a cut of those payments. Google has put nearly $700 million into wind farms, solar power systems and electric vehicle programs.

News Summary

Top Stories

• U.S. Is Falling Behind in the Business of ‘Green,’ New York Times
• Americans Crave Energy-Efficient Technologies, USA Today
• Soaring Emissions, Lowly Politics Economist

Government & Politics

• How We're Meeting the Job Creation Challenge, Wall Street Journal
• New Mileage Stickers Include Greenhouse Gas Data, New York Times
• Has Vermont Solved the Solar Permitting Problem? GreenTech Media
• New Jersey Governor Pulls Out of 10-State Climate Initiative, New York Times
• Reicher: Renewable Energy Siting Important, But Investment More So, Stanford News
• Calif: An Unclear Course on Emissions Policy, New York Times
• Calif: AB32 Cap & Trade Program Allowed to Proceed Pending Appeal, Legal Planet
• California Likely to "Suffer Most," Says Study, KQED

Science, Jobs, & Investment

• Electric Battery Gets You Gooing, Gooing, Gone, MSNBC
• Friedman: How Many Planet Earths Does it Take? NYTimes
• California Leads U.S. in Utility-Scale Solar Projects, Solar Server
• California Farmers Split on Solar Farms, Fresno Bee

Articles

Top Stories

U.S. Is Falling Behind in the Business of ‘Green’ / New York Times, June 8

Many European countries — along with China, Japan and South Korea — have pushed commercial development of carbon-reducing technologies with a robust policy mix of direct government investment, tax breaks, loans, regulation and laws that cap or tax emissions. Incentives have fostered rapid entrepreneurial growth in new industries like solar and wind power, as well as in traditional fields like home building and food processing, with a focus on energy efficiency. But with Congress deeply divided over whether climate change is real or if the country should use less fossil fuel, efforts in the United States have paled in comparison. That slow start is ceding job growth and profits to companies overseas that now profitably export their goods and expertise to the United States.

Survey: Americans Crave Energy-Efficient Technologies / USA Today, June 2

American consumers are craving energy efficient appliances, but few of them are aware of smart grid and other new energy efficiency technologies, according to a survey by the Consumer Electronics Association.

Soaring Emissions, Lowly Politics / Economist, June 2

Both the Democrats and the Republicans think they have found a winning theme in the other party’s environmental policies. And they may both, in fact, be right. Republican Congressman John Shimkus says Republicans will benefit if environmental regulation [and the “job killing argument” that goes with it] remains a fraught issue next year. But Democrats like Congressman Henrgy Waxman argue that the Republicans are reading too much into their 2010 election victory. Voters may put their immediate economic concerns ahead of more amorphous worries about global warming in the wake of the recession, he says, but they are still not willing to tolerate a broader assault on regulations that protect public health. Most polling suggests that the environment is not a critical issue in the eyes of many voters. But talking about it is a great way to fire up activists and donors on both sides.

Government & Politics

How We're Meeting the Job Creation Challenge / Wall Street Journal, June 13

“We've been at work for the past 90 days to develop recommendations for a series of immediate, actionable steps to accelerate job creation,” jobs council head and General Electric CEO Jeffrey Immelt, wrote in an Op-ed in today’s Wall St Journal. “Today we are presenting an initial ‘progress report’ to the president that includes a series of steps that can help spur hiring in the short term in areas like construction, manufacturing, health care and tourism.” He added, “No single idea, however well-conceived, will solve our nation's employment challenge. So we're taking a comprehensive approach with eight teams focused on specific areas such as skills and training, regulatory reform, and innovation.”

New Mileage Stickers Include Greenhouse Gas Data / New York Times, May 25

The federal government unveiled new fuel economy window stickers, for vehicles starting with the 2013 model year, that for the first time include estimated annual fuel costs and the vehicle’s overall environmental impact.

Has Vermont Solved the Solar Permitting Problem? / GreenTech Media, May 31

As much as one quarter to one third of the costs of a home or business solar system cost comes from overhead costs -- the time spent by installers in getting the building, zoning, and fire department permits, waiting for inspection, and dealing with changes. The cry for an improved permitting process in the U.S. has been put forth by SolarTech, Vote Solar, and other organizations and firms. The DOE SunShot program is looking to get solar to $1.00 per watt installed. It can't happen without a well-thought out permitting process.

New Jersey Governor Pulls Out of 10-State Climate Initiative / New York Times, May 26

Gov. Chris Christie said Thursday that New Jersey would become the first state to withdraw from a 10-state trading system, the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, declaring it an ineffective way to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Mr. Christie stepped back from questioning the science, saying that he believed that climate change was real and was caused at least partly by human activity. He said that rather than relying on the RGGI program, he was committed to increasing the proportion of electricity generated by natural gas, the sun and the wind.

Stanford University Professor Testifies on Retaking Leadership in Renewable Energy / Stanford Law School News, June 1

Dan Reicher is a law professor and executive director of the Steyer-Taylor Center for Energy Policy and Finance. He testified before the House Natural Resources Committee on what it will take for the United States to resume its global leadership position in renewable energy technology.

An Unclear Course on Emissions Policy / New York Times, May 30

The Pew Center on Global Climate Change notes that more than 30 states have set mandatory goals for the amount of electricity that utilities get from solar and wind energy and other renewable sources and that 36 states have climate action plans, for example. All these initiatives together could eventually be woven into the fabric of a national climate policy formed not in Congress but in the context of pragmatic state policy, the optimists’ thinking goes. “What we may be seeing is the bubbling up of climate policies from the bottom up.”

Calif: AB32 Cap & Trade Program to Proceed Pending Appeal / Legal Planet, June 6

The 1st Appellate District of the California Court of Appeal has temporarily stayed (in other words lifted) the trial court’s injunction preventing the California Air Resources Board from implementing its cap and trade program for greenhouse gas emitters. CARB asked the appeals court to allow the state to continue to work to implement the cap and trade program pending the outcome of the case.

California Likely to "Suffer Most," Says Study / KQED, June 2

California Likely to "Suffer Most," Says Study -- California is likely to suffer more than any other state from worsening air pollution due to climate change by the end of the decade, according to a new study from the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS).

Business, Science, & Investment

Electric Battery Gets You Gooing, Gooing, Gone / MSNBC, June 8

Alternative vehicles are still "alternative" in part because fuel cell and battery technologies still have many hills to climb — cost, efficiency and weight to name a few. A group of MIT researchers recently combined the strongest aspects of traditional batteries and fuel cells to create a whole new kind of battery. "It's a flowing electrode that's electrically conductive all of the time. That's the secret sauce," said Yet-Ming Chiang, the professor of material science and engineering at MIT who led the development.

How Many Planet Earths Does it Take? (Thomas Friedman) / NYTimes, June 7

How many “planet Earths” we need to sustain our current growth rates? How much land and water area do we need to produce the resources we consume and absorb our waste, using prevailing technology?  We are currently growing at a rate that is using up the Earth’s resources far faster than they can be sustainably replenished, so we are eating into the future. Right now, global growth is using about 1.5 Earths. “Having only one planet makes this a rather significant problem,” says Paul Gilding.

New Report Shows California Leads U.S. in Utility-Scale Solar Projects / Solar Server, June 2

“Clean Energy: Ten Trends to Watch in 2011 and Beyond” by Pike Research in Colorado found that while the United States represents a small fraction of the global solar market, California leads other nations in large-scale utility-owned solar projects.

Calif: Valley Ag is Split on Solar Farms / Fresno Bee, June 4

Given that the same fundamentals that farmers want -- space and sun -- are what solar developers want, the stage is set for conflict. "This is sort of a new area," said John White, executive director of the Center for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Technologies, a Sacramento-based partnership of environmental and energy groups. "The industry is not as prepared for the issues as we should be. ... You're going to have land-use conflicts in areas where communities aren't sure this [technology] is appropriate."

Jon Stewart asks the EPA’s Lisa Jackson what kind of pressure she faces in her job: "Lobbyists? Phone calls at night? You get, let's say, a tuna head in your bed?"

The full interview: http://bit.ly/18d6v

News Summary

Top Stories

• Offshore Drilling & End of Subsidies Both Fail in Senate, Politico
• Judge: California Must Temp. Halt AB32’s Cap-and-Trade, Sacramento Bee
• Don’t Get Fueled Again, Huffington Post & CheaperGas.US
• America’s Climate Choices, National Academy of Sciences
• Venture Capital Sweeps into Clean-Tech Industry, LA Times

Government & Politics

• Under Pressure on Gas Prices, Obama Shifts on Domestic Drilling, The Hill
• Harry Reid & Enviro Groups Agree to Disagree, Politico
• Tax Policy & Gasoline Prices Memo, Congressional Research Service
• Permitting, Inspection, Interconnection: Locals Should Level Solar Playing Field, SacBee
• Jerry Brown Signs 33% Renewable Electricity Standard, Nation’s Most Aggressive, AP
• House Speaker John Boehner Fundraises in Silicon Valley, SJMercuryNews
• Republican Presidential Candidates on Climate & Energy, Dogpatch Strategies

Science, Jobs, & Investment

• Renewable Energy Could Meet 80% Of Global Energy Supply Needs, Solar Industry Magazine
• Scientists’ Report Stresses Urgency of Limiting Greenhouse Gas Emissions, New York Times
• US-China Quarterly Market Review, Acore
• SolarTech Unveils "Great California Solar Challenge" San Jose Mercury News
• PG&E Abandons Wave Power, KQED Climate Watch

Articles

Top Stories

Offshore Drilling & End of Subsidies Both Fail in Senate / Politico, May 19

A Democratic plan to force the five biggest companies to pay billions more annually in taxes and a Republican bill aimed at boosting offshore oil and gas drilling fell well short this week to get the 60 votes needed on initial procedural votes. “It’s hard to know where we go from here because unfortunately these bills are not being built from the center out but they’re being built from the wings of both parties,” said Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.), who voted against both bills on the floor this week.

Judge: California Must Temp. Halt AB32’s Cap-and-Trade / Sacramento Bee & KQED Climate Watch

California must put an immediate halt to work on its cap and trade program until it completes a review of alternative approaches to reducing climate change, a state judge said Friday. This followed a March state judge’s ruling that the California Air Resources Board failed to conduct such an appropriate review but left open the question of whether the agency could conduct other AB32 rule-making, environmental studies or do any other work while the legal issues were being resolved. The state said at the time that it would appeal.

Don’t Get Fueled Again / Huffington Post & CheaperGas.US, May 13

It's deja vu all over again. Big Oil charges us record prices at the pump, gleefully takes welfare payments (our tax dollar subsidies) and then tells us it's someone else's fault.  [ A new campaign to talk with the American people about ways we use energy in the US. <www.CheaperGas.US> ]

America’s Climate Choices / National Academy of Sciences, May 12

"Climate change is occurring, is very likely caused primarily by human activities, and poses significant risks to humans and the environment." Among those risks in the USA: more intense and frequent heat waves, threats to coastal communities from rising sea levels, and greater drying of the arid Southwest.  The report acknowledges some uncertainty in the extent to which climate change is the result of human activity, and how bad global warming will be if nothing is done. Even so, as the report says, "uncertainly is not a reason for inaction," and the most effective national response to climate change would be to "substantially reduce greenhouse gas emissions."

Venture Capital Sweeps into Clean-Tech Industry / LA Times, May 2

Though the number of deals fell to 69 from 79, companies raised $1.1 billion in the first three months of 2011 compared with $743.3 million in the same period last year.

Government & Politics

Under Pressure on Gas Prices, Obama Shifts on Domestic Drilling / The Hill, May 14

President Obama announced Saturday the government would hold annual onshore lease sales in Alaska’s National Petroleum Reserve; extend the life of leases in the Gulf of Mexico and in some areas off the coast of Alaska for one year; speed up ongoing Interior Department testing in the mid- and south-Atlantic to gauge the level of resources; and establish an interagency task force to coordinate permitting for offshore drilling in Alaska.

Harry Reid & Enviro Groups Agree to Disagree / Politico, May 18

Harry Reid has had enough of environmental groups' attacks on vulnerable Democrats who won't toe the green line, but even after a closed-door meeting between the two camps, the groups are making no promises to back down.

Tax Policy and Gasoline Prices Memo / Congressional Research Service, May 11

The oil and natural gas industries benefit from existing tax policies. These provisions of the tax code, which many identify as tax subsidies, reduce the tax liability of the industries, and/or result in tax treatment that differs from that applied to other industries. As a result, these tax provisions encourage related activities to a greater extent than under a more neutral tax system, possibly altering the decisions made by affected firms with respect to investment, output, and pricing. If these provisions are repealed, it is likely that the economic behavior of the industries might be altered to an extent related to the size of the tax changes.

Locals Should Level Playing Field For Solar / Sacramento Bee, May 16

Contractors and others in the business of installing solar panels are complaining about exorbitant permit fees and inconsistent regulations from one city or county to the next.  The [League of California Cities] can take a cue from the California County Planning Directors Association, which is starting work on a model ordinance for regulating solar arrays that are bigger than for just a single home or business, but are not on the scale of the massive plants proposed for the Mojave Desert and elsewhere. An email survey found that there is a wide range of standards - or no standards at all - in the 58 counties for such projects.

Calif. Governor to Sign Nation’s Most Aggressive Renewable Energy Rules / Associated Press, April 12

Gov. Jerry Brown on Tuesday signed into law a mandate that California get 33% of its electricity from renewable sources by the year 2020, predicting the change will help jump-start the state’s economy.

House Speaker John Boehner Fundraises in Silicon Valley / SJMercuryNews, May 18

House Speaker John Boehner, the nation's highest-ranking Republican, on Tuesday capped a two-day swing through the heavily Democratic Bay Area with a Menlo Park fundraiser hosted by high-tech executives. Carl Guardino, head of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, quoted Boehner as saying he was "for all of the above as a bridge to get us to the new energy future." And he called for a comprehensive corporate tax overhaul, a top issue in the valley.

** Republican Presidential Candidates on Climate & Clean Energy **

Jon Hunstman (Fmr. Governor of Utah & Obama Ambassador to China)

In a May 16 Time magazine interview, Huntsman ripped a western cap-and-trade compact he helped create as governor, but he agreed that there is near-scientific consensus on the connection between climate change and human greenhouse gas emissions. “All I know is 90 percent of the scientists say climate change is occurring. If 90 percent of the oncological community said something was causing cancer we’d listen to them … though we can debate what that means for the energy and transportation sectors.”  More: “Cap-and-trade ideas aren’t working; it hasn’t worked, and our economy’s in a different place than five years ago … [P]utting additional burdens on the pillars of growth right now is counter-productive.”

Newt Gingrich (Fmr. Speaker of the House)

Gingrich has in the past said that the nation must do something to address climate change and has resisted calls to pull back on that.  “We do agree our country must take action to address climate change,” he said in a TV ad with Nancy Pelosi in 2008 that was sponsored by Al Gore’s Alliance for Climate Protection.

Tim Pawlenty (Fmr. Governor of Minnesota)

Having once taken climate change seriously as governor, including support for cap-and-trade, Pawlenty has since apologized.  “Everybody in the race, at least the big names in the race, embraced climate change or cap-and-trade at one point or another, every one of us … It’s a bad idea … I was wrong.  It was a mistake.  And I’m sorry.”

Mitt Romney (Fmr. Governor of Massachusetts)

In a 2011 book positioning his run for the presidency, Romney wrote, “I believe that climate change is occurring — the reduction in the size of global ice caps is hard to ignore. I also believe that human activity is a contributing factor. … Scientists are nearly unanimous in laying the blame for rising temperatures on greenhouse gas emissions.”

Business, Science, & Investment

Renewable Energy Could Meet 80% Of Global Energy Supply Needs / Solar Industry Mag, May 10

Close to 80% of the world's energy supply could be met by solar power and other forms of renewable energy by mid-century if deployment is backed by the right enabling public policies, according to a new report from researchers working with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

Scientists’ Report Stresses Urgency of Limiting Greenhouse Gas Emissions / New York Times, May 12

“The nation’s scientific establishment issued a stark warning to the American public on Thursday: Not only is global warming real, but the effects are already becoming serious and the need has become “pressing” for a strong national policy to limit emissions of heat-trapping gases,” reports Leslie Kaufman.  “The report, by the National Research Council, an arm of the National Academy of Sciences, did not endorse any specific legislative approach, but it did say that attaching some kind of price to emissions of carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas, would ideally be an essential component of any plan.”

US-China Quarterly Market Review / Acore

The US-China Quarterly Market Review regularly examines the most significant developments in renewable energy markets, finance, and policy in the U.S. and China. The Review is a product of ACORE’s US-China Program (USCP) and the Chinese Renewable Energy Industries Association (CREIA), with expert contributions from ACORE members.

SolarTech to Unveil "Great California Solar Challenge" / San Jose Mercury News, March 29

SolarTech, an initiative of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, is working to resolve a host of technical and market barriers, from permitting requirements to time spent processing paperwork, in hopes of rapidly expanding the adoption of solar energy for residential and commercial systems. The idea behind the Solar Challenge is to get local governments, utilities and the solar industry collaborating on ways to reduce both the cost and the time that it takes to get projects completed.

PG&E Abandons Wave Power / KQED’s Climate Watch, May 17

"There's definitely still a future for wave energy," PG&E renewable energy spokesman Denny Boyles told KQED. "Our hope is that one day it will become a more viable source." PG&E had secured development permits for three areas along the California coast but with the technology for converting wave action into electric power still in its nascent stage, the company never got as far as getting any hardware into the water.

# # #

Something big is shifting in the business of the environment. Yesterday's clean fun has become today's Clean War.

Not long ago, talk of powering economic growth with less fossil fuel came mostly from Madison Avenue and the Birkenstock crowd. Not anymore. With economies still weak and China pushing hard to dominate growing industries such as wind and solar power, clean-energy innovation is emerging as the new front in the global economic fight.

The winners won't be clear for years, said the chief executives and entrepreneurs from Beijing to Boston who gathered last week at ECO:nomics, The Wall Street Journal's annual conference on the business of the environment. But the stakes and strategies are getting clearer.

Dominating the discussion was talk of China. It's grabbing clean-technology market share not because of its cheap labor, executives at the conference said, but through strong mandates and subsidies to build a new export industry. In solar power, the U.S. is "neither the largest in manufacturing nor the largest market," said Mark Pinto, executive vice president of Applied Materials Inc., a California-based company that builds machines to make solar panels and computer chips. "That's very unusual."

The U.S. is in danger of losing "entire supply chains and the human capital that goes with it," warned Andrew Liveris, chief executive of Dow Chemical Co. "The market needs to be made."

But general calls for government to do more to juice clean technology gave way to deep disagreement over what government should do. To some, the Obama administration's stimulus spending on everything from wind turbines to electric-car batteries was enlightened. To others, it was bloated.

"Of course there's a risk" in governments spending taxpayer dollars to promote industry, said Haley Barbour, Mississippi's Republican governor. But, he said, "you've just got to put on your big-boy britches and sit down and work through the deal and be sure you are being responsible about the risk."

As governments and companies place their bets, perhaps the biggest unknown is which technologies will win. Amid breathless talk about the future of electric cars, Ford Motor Co. figures hybrids, which still use gasoline, will make more sense for most drivers. But that's a guess, said Bill Ford, the company's executive chairman. In truth, today's predictions "don't mean anything," he said. " 'Who knows?' is the real answer."

—Jeffrey Ball

CALENDAR

SolarTech’s 3^rd Annual Solar Summit

March 29-30 in Silicon Valley

www.solartech.org

- - -

Solar industry writes to Boehner about GOP's proposed cuts to DOE's loan guarantee programs.: "In its current form H.R. 1 would likely kill all clean energy projects with pending DOE loan guarantee applications, causing the loss of tens of thousands of jobs and many other benefits," Rhone Resch, Solar Energy Industry Association / Read the entire letter here.

- - -

News Summary

Top Stories

• Obama2012 Budget & the Dept of Energy, The Dept. of Energy
• Record Gas Prices Don’t Mean an Energy Agenda Will Move in DC, Politico
• Poll: Americans Oppose Cong’l End to EPA Pollution Authority, Incl. CO2, Poll

Government & Politics

• Ex-Shell CEO Says Big Oil Can Live Without Subsidies, National Journal
• Northeast’s RGGI Reports $630M in GHG Auctions for Deficits & Renwables, RGGI Report
• Telling the Story: Schwarznegger Says It’s Not About Climate Change, CNET
• Telling the Story: Focus on the Market & the Consumer, GreentechMedia
• Reduce Redtape for Solar to Win the Future (Danny Kennedy), San Francisco Chronicle
• Congress: Senate Energy Chair Jeff Bingaman to Retire, Politico
• California: Now is the Time to Invest in Ending State's Oil Addiction, San Jose Mercury News
• California: State Alone in Carbon Battle? Far From It, Redding (CA) Record & Searchlight
• Election2012: Enviro Issues Critical to Democrats' Bid to Retake House, Greenwire
• USA Inc.: What if the Federal Gov’t Were Run Like a Corporation?, Kleiner Perkins

Business, Science, & Investment

• Top Clean Tech Companies Worldwide, The Guardian
• New Green-Tech Investment Reports Underscore Risk of Ignoring Climate Change, ZDNet
• More Companies Push Sustainability, but Usually Not for Climate Reasons, NY Times
• Investments Worth Trillions at Risk From Climate Change, Reuters
• New Energy Efficiency Portal by California Energy Commn, www.EnergyUpgradeCA.org

Articles

Top Stories

Obama2012 Budget & the Dept of Energy / The Dept. of Energy, February 14

The President's $29.5 billion FY2012 budget request for the Department of Energy:

• Puts the nation on the path to reach a bold but achievable goal of generating 80 % of America's electricity from clean sources by 2035 as called for by the President.
• Supports groundbreaking basic science, research and innovation to solve our energy challenges and ensure that the United States remains at the forefront of science and technology.
• Leads in the development and deployment of clean and efficient energy technologies to reduce our dependence on oil, accelerate the transition to a clean energy economy and promote economic competitiveness; and

Highlights in the FY 2012 budget include:

• $3.2 billion for energy efficiency and renewable energy programs, because investing in clean energy will strengthen our security, protect our planet, and create countless new jobs here at home.
• Promoting renewable energy and energy efficient projects with $300 million in credit subsidies to support approximately $3-4 billion in projects.
• $36 billion in loan guarantee authority to help jumpstart the domestic nuclear industry ... will support 6 to 8 nuclear power projects
• Doubling funding for key science agencies, including the Department's Office of Science.
• $550 million for the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) & $146 million to Energy Innovation Hubs

Record Gas Prices Don’t Mean a DC Energy Agenda (Incl. RES) Will Move, Politico, Feb.24

"When prices get too high it tends to make the energy debate so polarized that you actually get nothing done," Bob Simon, the Democratic staff director for Jeff Bingaman's Senate ENR panel, said yesterday at a Pew panel. "If you'd told me 10 years ago when I started being Democratic staff director that I'd see a day in which oil was $146 a barrel, gas is at four bucks a gallon and we couldn't get a damn thing through Congress on the topic of energy, I'd have said you've got to be crazy. But in fact that's what happened in the summer of '08."  Meanwhile, Simon's GOP counterpart for the panel said the RES portion of the committee's 2009 energy bill is likely off the table in this Congress. "There are a lot of things [that bill] did that aren't repeatable at this stage," said ENR Republican staff director McKie Campbell.

Poll: Americans Oppose Cong’l End to EPA Pollution Authority, Incl. CO2 / Poll, February’11

A new bipartisan national survey of likely 2012 voters finds American voters at odds with those in Congress pushing to strip the Environmental Protection Agency of its authority to update air pollution standards, including Carbon Dioxide. An overwhelming bipartisan majority wants the EPA to set stricter limits on air pollution, with about three-quarters of voters backing tougher standards on Mercury, smog and Carbon Dioxide as well as higher fuel efficiency standards for heavy duty trucks. More important, voters explicitly reject Congressional efforts to stop the EPA from updating these standards both as a whole and in a debate specific to Carbon Dioxide standards. Click here to read the new bipartisan poll.

Government & Politics

Ex-Shell CEO Says Big Oil Can Live Without Subsidies / National Journal, February 11

Before [the House subcommittee hearing on how Egypt’s situation would affect oil prices, former Shell CEO] told Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass., in a private conversation that big oil companies don’t need government help. Markey mentioned the comments when introducing legislation eliminating $5 billion worth of subsidies to the major oil and gas companies. “He told me that privately [Thursday] but that he would say that in public if asked to do so,” Markey said after the news conference.

Northeast’s RGGI Reports $630M in GHG Auctions for Deficits & Renwables, RGGI Report, March 1

Ten Northeastern states using cap and trade to control greenhouse gases from power plants have channeled about $630 million.  More than half of that money has gone toward energy efficiency programs, while energy bill payment assistance got $88 million, renewables snagged $69 million and a variety of other GHG reduction programs netted about $6 million. RGGI revenue has become a point of contention with conservative groups led by the Koch-funded Americans for Prosperity. They’ve been petitioning the states to drop out of RGGI altogether, saying the states are addicted to bad policy because of the money. They’ve been especially harsh on the three states that use RGGI revenue to help deal with budget deficits. According to the latest RGGI Inc. report, New York ($90 million), New Jersey ($65 million) and New Hampshire ($3.1 million) used big parts of their pot to help get out of the red.

Telling the Story: Schwarznegger Headlines APRA-E Conference / CNET, March 1

Keynoting the APRA-E conference, Schwarzenegger lamented the national discussion and political discourse on clean energy, saying too much of it is stuck in the debate over the science of global warming.  Instead, people should focus on immediate benefits from investing in green technologies, including improved health, economic growth, consumer savings from efficiency, and reduced dependence on foreign oil. Instead of crafting "forward-looking policies" around energy, politicians are debating the science of global warming. "There is a disconnect between what is happening and what is being debated," he said.

Telling the Story: Focus on the Market & the Consumer, GreentechMedia, February 24

David Crane, CEO of NRG Energy is bullish on taking the focus off of government and putting it on to the rest of us. “We have to get out of this mindset that what’s sustainable is limiting -- that it’s not good or that it costs more,” he said. It's hard to fight with the idea of a smarter planet if it saves money and reduces waste. There’s also the ‘cool’ factor of great consumer products and empowering people to make a choice. “We need to keep one eye on Washington,” he said, “but both eyes need to be on the American consumer.”

California: Stanford Prof & Silicon Valley VC: Now is Time to Invest in Ending California's Oil Addiction (Opinion) / San Jose Merc-News, February 16

We depend on oil for 93 percent of our transportation needs in California. This is hardly the "diversified portfolio" approach that we, as an investor and an economist, would recommend as a risk management strategy. The first step is to commit to enforceable petroleum reduction and alternative fuels usage targets, and to re-examine all relevant laws, regulations, taxes and other policies with this goal in mind. We should ensure that the state's technology and infrastructure investments contribute to our energy security goals rather than reinforcing the status quo. We should stay the course on vehicle and fuel standards that will reduce oil dependence. We should implement pricing policies that encourage consumers to reduce petroleum consumption.

California: State Alone in Carbon Battle? Far From It

Redding (CA) Record & Searchlight, February 15

California is among at least 24 (maybe 25) states taking similar but not identical actions against climate change because the federal government will not. Altogether, the American states involved account for well over half the nation's populace, most of its industrial production and just under half its geographic territory.

Danny Kennedy: Reduce Redtape for Solar to Win the Future (Opinion)

S.F. Chronicle, February 15

Imagine you sell toasters. Each community where you sell your toasters has differently shaped electrical outlets. Now, imagine your toaster has to be able to plug into 21,867 differently shaped outlets. This haphazard approach would make it inefficient to manufacture and sell toasters. But this is exactly the problem solar installers face with local permitting, according to Silicon Valley’s SolarTech.

Election2012: Enviro Issues Critical to Democrats' Bid to Retake House / Greenwire, Feb.17

The chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee says his party has sprung out of its "defensive crouch" and is ready to retake the House in 2012 with environmental issues playing a major role. "Particularly with the 9 million independent voters who we have to bring back, protecting their drinking water and clean air is a priority," said Rep. Steve Israel (D-N.Y.) in an interview.

Study: USA Inc., Can America Function Like a Fiscally Responsible Company?

TechCrunch and Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Feb. 28

"We expect perfection from companies in Silicon Valley. The general consensus is that Yahoo is one of the worst run tech companies in the world, never mind it’s still profitable, cash-rich, and one of the largest media assets in the world. We get outraged and hit the BUBBLE! panic button when valuations of startups like Facebook, Zynga and Twitter get in the double digit billions, never mind their growth rates, user engagement and (in the case of Zynga an Facebook) actual revenues.  So how can we be so apathetic when we see true abysmal fiscal neglect, especially when it’s that of a pseudo-company in which we all essentially own shares?

"That pseudo-company is the United States government and in a thorough report < http://www.kpcb.com/usainc >, Kleiner Perkins partner Mary Meeker has taken all emotions, politics, spin and manipulation out of the issues, to present a steely-eyed view of just how hosed our financial situation is. Spoiler alert: It’s not pretty. America is gripped by a new red menace and this time, it’s not the commies– it’s a sea of red ink. If politicians reported to voters the way management reports to shareholders, no one would finish out their terms."

Business, Science, & Investment

Top Clean Tech Companies Worldwide / The Guardian, February’11

This year, we asked: which 100 of today's private cleantech companies are the most likely to make the most significant market impact over the next 5-10 years? Hundreds of worldwide cleantech experts – including companies themselves – nominated the list analysing market data, taking votes of confidence in a company's ability to achieve high growth and high-market impact from market transactions such as investment rounds, and major customer and partnership announcements.

Study: Green-Tech Investments Top $2 Trillion Globally / ZDNet, February 24

“A new report from Ethical Markets Media suggests that private green-focused investments now top more than $2 trillion globally,” reports Heather Clancy.  “There definitely is a much more heightened scrutiny by investors of all sorts into the sustainability impact of certain companies … [I]nvestors are much more interested in issues of the environmental or corporate social responsibility than in the past. Not necessarily because they are activists but moreso because they see a demonstrable link between corporate sustainability and business value.”

Study: More Corps Push Sustainability, but Usually Not for Climate / NYTimes, February 11

When climate bills were being proposed on Capitol Hill, companies were starting to anticipate and invest actively in clean-tech companies and strategies to reduce their emissions. Now that cap and trade is essentially dead in this country, investments have essentially pulled back. Some companies will stick to short-term, measurable investments like energy efficiency, but another group of companies is going beyond that.

Study: Investments Worth Trillions at Risk From Climate Change / Reuters, February 15

Climate change could put trillions of investment dollars at risk over the next 20 years, a global study released on Wednesday said, calling for pension funds and other investors to overhaul how they allocate funds.

Resource: New Energy Efficiency Portal for Property Owners / California Energy Commission

The California Energy Commission joined regional efforts to increase energy efficiency and encourage clean jobs with the statewide launch of Energy Upgrade California, the new energy efficiency program. Part of this comprehensive program is the integrated Web Portal, http://www.EnergyUpgradeCA.org, which provides easy to use tools and resources to property owners to help them improve their energy and water efficiency, save money and increase building comfort.

# # #

http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2011/02/09/09greenwire-us-chamber-plans-yearlong-campaign-pushing-rea-49199.html

U.S. Chamber Plans Yearlong Campaign Pushing 'Reality' of Energy

By ANNE C. MULKERN of Greenwire

When the U.S. Chamber of Commerce launches a campaign later this month to stir support for its energy agenda, one of the first places it plans to go is to the state with the nation's toughest climate law.

The powerful lobbying group will take its "Energy Reality" tour to the San Francisco area, where chamber executives will talk with small business owners and potentially community leaders and newspaper editors.

California in 2006 passed a law seeking cuts in greenhouse gas emissions from all sources. But the chamber, which advocates less regulation, said it is not heading into hostile territory.

"You can't really view the business community in that sort of red state, blue state divide," said Matt Letourneau, a chamber spokesman. "In even the bluest states the issues facing businesses are the same, the high cost of energy and the concern about a stable supply."

That message about cost and supply is one the chamber plans to spread across the country as it works to affect energy policy this congressional session. The business trade group last week issued a platform of priorities that included reduced regulation, more domestic energy, and support for research and development of new technologies. The chamber also positioned itself as a likely combatant against President Obama's clean energy plan, with one chamber executive dubbing it "impossible" to achieve (Greenwire, Feb. 2).

Obama in a speech at the chamber yesterday reached out to the trade group that has often been his foe. The president said he wanted to lower the corporate tax rate and pledged to simplify and reorganize the federal government "in a way that best serves the goal of a more competitive America." But the president also defended some regulations, arguing that that they often prove less costly than businesses fear (Greenwire, Feb. 7).

"Companies adapt, and standards often spark competition and innovation," Obama said.

The chamber today pushed back some, saying that "most regulations are necessary to ensuring there are clear rules for operating a complex society.

"But what's needed is to rein in excessively costly regulations that are harming the economy," said Tom Collamore, senior vice president of communication and strategy." The process has lost all balance as Congress has yielded power to the federal agencies without proper accountability. Reform is needed to restore the proper checks and balances."

Chamber executives will spend the next year promoting the group's energy objectives, some of which clash with the president's plans. As legislation starts to move forward in Congress, chamber leaders will work to generate calls, letters and e-mails backing the trade group's positions. Engaging business owners and other supporters will be a key part of the chamber's strategy.

"We want the business community, we want opinion leaders more involved in this," said Karen Harbert president and CEO of the chamber's Institute for 21st Century Energy. "Bringing new voices, new analysis and a new sense of urgency based outside of Washington may empower politicians to move forward."

Grass roots?

The "Energy Reality" tour marks the latest in a series of community efforts by groups working to drive action on energy. Some have stirred controversy with critics questioning whether calls, letters and e-mails generated were truly grass roots or part of an orchestrated campaign.

The American Petroleum Institute along with FreedomWorks, the American Conservative Union and Americans for Tax Reform in summer 2009 sponsored a series of rallies where people voiced concerns about climate legislation and the potential for higher costs. Climate bill supports argued that the events were organized by lobbyists and packed with employees. API at the time said that those attending "Energy Citizens," events were "ordinary Americans citizens with valid concerns" (Greenwire, Aug. 21, 2009).

The American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity in summer 2009 recruited 225,000 volunteers dubbed "America's Power Army." They visited town hall meetings, fairs and other functions attended by members of Congress and asked questions about energy policy (Greenwire, Aug. 6, 2009).

Last summer, Clean Energy Works, an alliance of about 60 groups that wanted congressional action on climate, held a "Carnivoil" event in 25 cities. Modeled after a traveling carnival and featuring the subtitle "The Greatest Addiction on Earth," it aimed to show the oil industry as a sector run amok and with too much political power (Greenwire, Aug. 17, 2010).

Letourneau said the chamber events are not rallies but rather forums sponsored by groups like smaller chambers, economic clubs and local councils. Chamber executives speak about energy at those gatherings.

"We don't control the audience. The crowds always vary," Letourneau said, adding "we wouldn't know how to sort of pack the crowd so to speak if we wanted to. That isn't what the goal is."

But one chamber critic questioned how much the tour was about connecting with people and how much of it was motivated by corporate interests.

The chamber receives money from supporters in "a pretty one-to-one relationship" between donation and business issue, said Christy Setzer, spokeswoman at U.S. Chamber Watch.

"The money that comes in is directly invested in a campaign that attacks the issue," Setzer said. "My deep suspicion is that this campaign is brought to you by Chevron.

"The only reason they would go out and fight the president's energy agenda is that they are being funded by big oil companies to do exactly that," Setzer added.

The money for the campaign comes from the chamber's general fund, Letourneau said.

"The Energy Reality tour is not the recipient of any specifically earmarked funds," Letourneau said. "Our platform and our message reflect the diversity of the entire energy industry as well as consumers themselves."

Successful strategy

The chamber's bid to stir action at the grass-roots level could be very effective, said Susan Del Percio, a Republican consultant with Susan Del Percio Strategies. When people in towns and cities begin calling and writing lawmakers, it generates results, she said.

"Elected officials, their priority is to get re-elected," Del Percio said. "When they have their community crying out for something, they are going to be as responsive as possible."

Both the 2008 and 2010 elections showed the results of grass-roots action, Del Percio said. In 2008, she said then-candidate Barack Obama started small and was able to slowly build support. In 2010, the tea party movement developed within small communities, she said.

Energy is an issue where it is necessary to talk to people in small settings, Del Percio said. While energy is a huge cost for businesses, she said, they often do not know what steps they can take that will make a difference.

"This matters to so many people, but you have to explain it and you have to educate and they will be forever on your side," Del Percio said.

Even though the chamber is one of the most powerful lobbying groups in Washington, it still needs grass-roots backing for its energy platform, Del Percio said.

"They are smart enough to know that change does not come from Washington. Change comes from the grass roots," Del Percio said. "They're smart enough to put their money and time and effort into it."

But Setzer with Chamber Watch questioned how much the priorities of the U.S. Chamber align with local chambers. During the last election, more than 40 local chambers distanced themselves from the U.S. Chamber's $75 million ad campaign to elect a Republican House, Politico reported in December. Other local chambers planned to end their association with the U.S. Chamber.

"I suspect that the U.S. Chamber will support an energy agenda that will be fiercely critical of the Obama administration," Setzer said. "I don't believe that view is representative of all or even the majority of its members."

The American Wind Energy Association, a trade group for that industry, questioned whether the tour would reflect the chamber's assertion that it supports greater development of all forms of energy.

"Getting more Americans concerned about where they get their energy and where they are going to get it in the future is always good for wind power," said Peter Kelley, vice president for public affairs at AWEA. "My concern is that they tell the truth to the American people, that we need true renewable energy and not just the old forms of energy that will run out some day and are damaging."

The campaign is a sincere effort to talk to people outside Washington, said Letourneau with the chamber. For the past year, in part one of the tour, chamber executives listened to people's energy concerns. That revealed that there is a desire to learn more about "our energy picture," he said.

"The discussion in Washington is insular," Letourneau said, with people speaking in shorthand and acronyms like cap and trade, RES and CES.

"The people who are out there paying the bills aren't really a part of it," Letourneau said. "We forget when talking about various policy proposals who it is it's going to affect."

The chamber has just begun planning where it will go on the tour, which will last for the next year. Early stops other than California include Michigan, Colorado and Wyoming.

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.

News Summary

Top Stories

• EPA Begins Greenhouse Gas Regulations, Politico
• House Republicans to Attack EPA Greenhouse Gas Rules, Climate Science Watch
• Renewable Energy Industry Shows Surprising Clout in States, Slate
• Climate PR Effort Heats Up, Politico

Government & Politics

• E.P.A. Limit on Gases to Pose Risk to Obama and Congress, New York Times
• The Oil Industry’s DC Wish List for 2011, Politico
• California's Cap-and-Trade Rules Finalized, Araceli Ruano, Center for American Progress
• How Congress Can Stop the EPA's Power Grab, Wall Street Journal
• Congressman Ed Markey Issues Report on His Now Defunct Energy Independence & Global Warming Committee, Committee Report
• The 10 Senators to Watch on Energy Issues, Politico
• Massachusetts Joins California and New Mexico in GHG Cuts, Reuters

Science, Jobs, & Investment

• Figures on Global Climate Show 2010 Tied 2005 for Hottest Year on Record, NY Times
• Noam Chomsky Discusses Hostility to Climate Change and the Renewables Economy, Clean Energy Authority

• A Scientist, His Work and a Climate Reckoning, New York Times
• Solar Plant to Generate Electricity Rain or Shine, Wall Street Journal
• California Leads Way on Global Warming, San Francisco Chronicle

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Articles

Top Stories

EPA Begins Greenhouse Gas Regulations / Politico, January 2

At first, the greenhouse gas rules will only apply to new and modified plants that would already trigger control requirements based on their emissions of other pollutants regulated by EPA, like soot or smog. Starting in July, large plants will fall under EPA’s rules based only on their greenhouse gas output. EPA says phasing in those rules will allow states and other permitting authorities to get used to the process. the EPA plans to issue a final rule by May 2012. The draft rule for refineries is due by December 2011 and a final rule by November 2012.

House Republicans to Attack EPA Greenhouse Gas Rules / Climate Science Watch, January 10

The new Republican majority in the House is making moves in its plan to hamstring EPA regulations, particularly of greenhouse gases.  The strategies are taking shape under a new crop of climate ‘skeptic’ committee chairmen to de-fund implementation of regulations, conduct aggressive oversight, and overturn rules through the Congressional Review Act.  Here’s a look at the new chairmen and their roles in the Republican attack on EPA.

Renewable Energy Industry Shows Surprising Clout in States / Slate, January 4

With cap-and-trade off the table in Washington, and with 29 states either run by or about to be run by Republican governors, the prospects for legislation aimed explicitly at reducing greenhouse-gas emissions are not bright, at least in the near term. Shifting to cleaner forms of energy, however, is another matter. It’s just that saving the environment won’t be the driving thrust. Creating jobs will.  So Republican governors are trying to figure out how to position themselves between two poles: ideological opposition to anything with ‘climate’ on the label, and the economic development opportunity presented by the clean-energy economy.

Climate PR Effort Heats Up / Politico, December 31

“After a year that started with fallout from the “Climategate” e-mail release, saw the cap-and-trade bill die in Congress, and ended with a gang of Republican climate skeptics winning House and Senate seats, global warming experts are going back to basics,” reports Darren Samuelsohn.  “Environmentalists, scientists and lawmakers have renewed public relations efforts to put global warming plainly before Americans' eyes and also rebut opponents who say nothing is happening.”

Government & Politics

E.P.A. Limit on Gases to Pose Risk to Obama and Congress / New York Times, December 30

“With the federal government set to regulate climate-altering gases from factories and power plants for the first time, the Obama administration and the new Congress are headed for a clash that carries substantial risks for both sides,” reports John Broder.  “While only the first phase of regulation takes effect on Sunday, the administration is on notice that if it moves too far and too fast in trying to curtail the ubiquitous gases that are heating the planet it risks a Congressional backlash that could set back the effort for years.”

The Oil Industry’s DC Wish List for 2011 /  Time, January 5

American Petroleum Institute president Jack Gerard made the case for increased oil drilling off the coasts of the U.S. “[Policymakers] face two choices: One leads us forward and promotes jobs, investments, revenue and growth… or one that takes us backward, threatening the progress we've made and closing the door on future opportunities. They’ve even put up posters in the Washington D.C. Metro in the stations closest to Capitol Hill.  More broadly, the agenda can be summed up in one word: deregulation. Republican Fred Upton, the new chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, was in the front row of the audience for Gerard's speech.

California's Cap-and-Trade Rules Finalized / Araceli Ruano, Ctr for Am Progress, Dec. 20

Following California voters dramatic rejection of Prop23 (61%-38%), a ballot initiative to overturn the State’s climate and clean energy laws, California regulators voted 9-1 to approve the regulatory framework of the cap and trade system to implement the state’s landmark 2006 Global Warming Solutions Act (AB 32).  Araceli Ruano of the Center for American Progress offers a great overview:

* Implementation begins in January 2012.
* For 2012-14, emission permits are going to be free.
* Major sources of GHG will reduce their outputs, including many utilities and industries already making those changes.  
* California’s out of state power sources will have to make changes to their generation, or begin selling their power elsewhere.
* Subsidies given to fossil fuels, at least on the state level, are likely to begin disappearing.
* DC's partisan divide (& a massive misinformation campaign) notwithstanding, the cap and trade market mechanism is a Republican construct conceived in the Reagan White House to ease out lead pollution in an industry-friendly way.  It was first written into law by President George H.W. Bush to reduce air pollutants in the 1990 Clean Air Act amendments. His son later used it in his own air pollution bill, and it was accepted by both presidential candidates (+ Biden & Palin) during the 2008 election.  The whole idea is to use the power of the market to reduce the harm is without resorting to government mandates.

How Congress Can Stop the EPA's Power Grab / Wall Street Journal, December 28

“On Jan. 2, the Environmental Protection Agency will officially begin regulating the emission of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. This move represents an unconstitutional power grab that will kill millions of jobs—unless Congress steps in,” report Fred Upton and Tim Phillips.  “This mess began in April 2007, with the Supreme Court's decision in Massachusetts v. EPA. The court instructed the agency to determine whether greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide pose (or potentially pose) a danger to human health and safety under the Clean Air Act.”

Congressman Ed Markey Issues Report on His Now Defunct Energy Independence & Global Warming Committee / Committee Report

Ed Markey's Select Committee on Energy Independence & Global Warming in the House issued its final report yesterday. "Someday, our children and grandchildren will look back on the record of the Select Committee. That record will reflect a respectful and rigorous debate and an unprecedented understanding of the challenges before us. Whether or not they will see that this generation has taken the bold action required by these challenges remains to be seen."

The 10 Senators to Watch on Energy Issues / Politico, December 30

With Republicans controlling the House and ramping up oversight and investigations of the Obama administration, focus at least initially in the next Congress will be on the Senate to lay a potential pathway for legislative compromise on energy and environmental policy.

Business, Science, & Investment

Figures on Global Climate Show 2010 Tied 2005 as the Hottest Year on Record / New York Times, January 12

“New government figures for the global climate show that 2010 was the wettest year in the historical record, and it tied 2005 as the hottest year since record-keeping began in 1880,” reports Justin Gillis.  “The new figures confirm that 2010 will go down as one of the more remarkable years in the annals of climatology.”

Noam Chomsky Discusses Hostility to Climate Change and the Renewables Economy / Clean Energy Authority, January 13

Change rarely comes easily, and according to Dr. Noam Chomsky, professor emeritus of linguistics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the changes required to stop and reverse climate change will be a daunting challenge.

Massachusetts Joins California and New Mexico in GHG Cuts / Reuters, January 3

On the last day of 2010, Massachusetts Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Ian Bowles set the statewide greenhouse gas emissions limit for 2020. Given a range of 10 to 25 percent below 1990 levels, Bowles has now selected the maximum authorized by the Act.

California Leads Way on Global Warming / San Francisco Chronicle, December 20

Washington failed miserably to take action on climate change this year. The nation's best hope is California, which made a historic leap forward last week when its Air Resources Board approved a broad-based cap-and-trade program for greenhouse gases.

A Scientist, His Work and a Climate Reckoning / New York Times, December 22

Challengers have mounted a vigorous assault on the science of climate change. Polls indicate that the public has grown more doubtful about that science. Some of the Republicans who will take control of the House of Representatives in January have promised to subject climate researchers to a season of new scrutiny. But “nature doesn’t care how hard we tried,” Jeffrey D. Sachs, the Columbia University economist, said at a recent seminar. “Nature cares how high the parts per million mount. This is running away.” Perhaps the biggest reason the world learned of the risk of global warming was the unusual personality of a single American scientist, Charles David Keeling, who first measured the alarming rise of CO2 in the atmosphere.  Even as challengers try to pick apart every other aspect of climate science, his half-century record of carbon dioxide measurements stands unchallenged. “He was a registered Republican,” his widow recently said. “He just didn’t think of it as a political issue at all,” but he would be "dismayed" now.

Solar Plant to Generate Electricity Rain or Shine / Wall Street Journal, December 31

Something new is headed for the Southwest desert: solar power plants that can make electricity whether or not the sun is shining. Abengoa Solar Inc. expects to start construction in mid-2011 on a plant in Arizona that will store sun-generated heat to provide six extra hours a day of electric-generating capacity. The heat creates steam that is used to turn power turbines.

News Summary

Top Stories

• Dirty Coal, Clean Future, The Atlantic
• Will Bipartisanship Ever Be Possible on Climate and Energy? Time
• Tree Hugging Ain't the Reason Californians Endorsed Clean Energy (D.Fowler), Huffington Post
• In Defeat of Prop. 23, We All Came Together (A.Notthoff), Sacramento Bee

Government & Politics

• Washington: On the Road, Obama Eagerly Promotes Electric Cars, Associated Press
• Washington: US Loses Leverage in Climate Talks,  AFP
• Washington: Bipartisan Plan, Partisan Response, Politico
• Washington: Departing Republican Attacks Climate-Change Deniers in Own Party, Guardian
• California: Clean Energy Moves Forward, And CA Leads the Way, Capitol Weekly
• California: New Gov. Jerry Brown to Fill Openings on PUC, CEC, Capitol Weekly
• California:  Prop23 Survives Election,  But Already Being Watered Down, News Review

• California: What Does Prop 26 Fees Passage Mean for Climate Change?  Washington Post
• Europe: Loans Make Up Half of New EU Climate Aid for 2010, Reuters
• China Promises Climate Carbon Reductions, UPI

Science, Jobs, & Investment

• A Solar Installation Spree as the Deadline for Federal Grants Approaches, New York Times
• Moving Beyond the Tired 'Economy vs. Environment' Debate, Reuters
• California Pension Fund Plans to Invest $500 Million in `Green' Portfolio, Bloomberg

Articles

Top Stories

Dirty Coal, Clean Future / The Atlantic, December Issue

To environmentalists, “clean coal” is an insulting oxymoron. But for now, the only way to meet the world’s energy needs, and to arrest climate change before it produces irreversible cataclysm, is to use coal—dirty, sooty, toxic coal—in more-sustainable ways. The good news is that new technologies are making this possible. China is now the leader in this area, the Google and Intel of the energy world. If we are serious about global warming, America needs to work with China to build a greener future on a foundation of coal. Otherwise, the clean-energy revolution will leave us behind, with grave costs for the world’s climate and our economy.

Will Bipartisanship Ever Be Possible on Climate and Energy? / Time, November 19

Polls reflect a growing partisan divide on climate change as well. A new released a few days ago by the Pew Research Center found that only 16% of Republicans believe there is solid evidence that the Earth is warming because of human activity, compared to 32% of Independents and 53% of Democrats. That number falls to 8% for self-identified Tea Party Republicans. And it's not just climate change—there's also a widening partisan gap on alternative energy policies with a declining percentage of Republicans over the past three years support higher fuel efficiency standards, greater spending on energy research, or more funds for public transit.

Tree Hugging Ain't the Reason Californians Endorsed Climate & Clean Energy / Huffington Post, December 3

On Election Day 2010, Californians overwhelmingly endorsed a clean-energy future and its growing clean-tech economy by rejecting Proposition 23. But this was not a foregone conclusion. Just after Labor Day, the race was tied, and with only ten days to go, the lead was barely in double digits. The ultimate 22-point defeat arose because the "No on 23" campaign shattered the traditional notions about the climate and energy debate. It never saw the usual business vs. environment, Republican vs. Democrat, liberal vs. conservative tone of recent climate and energy debates in other parts of the country and in Washington, D.C.

In Defeat of Prop. 23, We All Came Together / Sacramento Bee, November 14

“As the pundits tallied the winners and losers, one victor stood out: the coalition that defeated Prop. 23, the initiative that would have derailed California's clean energy economy,” opines Ann Notthoff.  “That's because the battle over Prop. 23 transcended politics as usual. It wasn't an issue of right or left; it wasn't about championing liberal or conservative values. It was about voting for the future or the past. It was about hope and determination against fear and retreat. Californians of all political philosophies looked at Prop. 23 and saw it for what it was: a ploy by a handful of out-of-state oil companies to crush clean energy for their own interests.”

Government & Politics

On the Road, Obama Eagerly Promotes Electric Cars / Associated Press, November 20

President Obama took a break from NATO meetings in Portugal and spent time on what's become one of his favorite activities - promoting electric cars. After attending a meeting Saturday on Afghanistan, Obama checked out an Opel Ampera on display at the summit site. The electric vehicle is made by General Motors at a plant in Detroit and will start going on sale in Europe next year. Obama slid into the driver's seat and turned the car on. He noted how quiet it was and told reporters that the electric car 'is the future.

US Loses Leverage in Climate Talks / AFP, November 29

“A year after President Barack Obama worked personally to salvage the Copenhagen climate summit, a political shift leaves the United States with far less leverage while China moves ahead,” reports Shaun Tandon.  “Obama's Democratic Party suffered a stinging election defeat on November 2 to the Republican Party, which has vowed to oppose a nationwide plan to restrict carbon emissions blamed for global warming.”

Bipartisan plan, partisan response / Politico, November 10

Two veterans of a bygone age of bipartisanship tried to break the budget gridlock in Washington Wednesday – and got just the furious, largely partisan reactions they expected.

Departing Republican Attacks Climate-Change Deniers in Own Party / Guardian, November 19

While half of the incoming GOP House members flatly deny that the planet is warming, outgoing South Carolina Congressman Bob Inglis tells colleagues they continue to ignore global warming at their own peril. Inglis, in a congressional hearing, spared no scorn for climate change deniers, suggesting that they continue to ignore global warming at their own peril. "I would also suggest to my free enterprise colleagues – especially conservatives here—whether you think it's all a bunch of hooey, what we've talked about in this committee, the Chinese don't," the South Carolina Republican said in his opening remarks. "And they plan on eating our lunch in this next century."

Clean Energy Moves Forward—And CA Leads the Way (Arnold Schwarzenegger) / Capitol Weekly, November 18

“Here in California, we broke ground not only on the world’s largest solar project, but also on the world’s largest wind project, which will produce enough energy to power 740,000 homes,” writes Schwarzenegger.  “Because of our environmental laws, California is 40 percent more energy-efficient than the rest of our nation, and one-third of the world’s clean-tech venture capital flows to California.  We lead the nation in clean energy patents and clean energy businesses now, and we are very excited for the future.”

With Openings on PUC, CEC, Brown May Sharply Shape Policy / Capitol Weekly, November 11

Brown, a Democrat, has an unprecedented chance to appoint the majorities on both the state Public Utilities Commission and the California Energy Commission, two of the state’s most important regulatory bodies.

California’s Landmark Climate-Change Law Survived the Election, But it’s Already Being Watered Down / News Review, November 11

Days before the polls opened, the California Air Resources Board announced it was ready to make some major concessions to oil companies, electric utilities and other polluters—and proposed to give away hundreds of millions of dollars worth of carbon allowances to businesses as part of a “cap and trade” rule to be formally adopted in December.

What does Proposition 26 mean for climate change? / Washington Post, November 10

Proposition 23, which would have effectively repealed AB 32, lost substantially last week. But Proposition 26, which would require a two-thirds vote for the state legislature or local governments to impose new regulatory fees, passed. Given that imposing pollution fees will likely be necessary for AB 32 to work, some environmentalists were worried that Prop 26 could derail the bill indirectly.

Loans make up half of new EU climate aid for 2010 / Reuters, December 1

The United Nations said a flow of new funds, promised at a summit in Copenhagen last year, could be a "golden key" to unlock progress at the Nov. 29 to Dec. 10 talks in the Caribbean resort of Cancun, Mexico, on measures to slow global warming.

China promises climate carbon reductions / UPI, November 19

Under an announced five-year proposal, China will work to boost energy efficiency, promote low-carbon technology and establish carbon trade markets, the country's state-run news agency Xinhua reported.

Business, Science, & Investment

A Solar Installation Spree as the Deadline for Federal Grants Approaches / New York Times, November 30

Incentives for owners to install solar panels on their warehouses, or even on excess land, have been growing in recent years, with one of the most important being a federal tax credit for 30 percent of the solar project’s cost. That credit was converted to a Treasury grant program in February 2009 as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Instead of having to wait to take the credit against taxes owed, owners receive a check within 60 days of the project’s completion.

Moving Beyond the Tired 'Economy vs. Environment' Debate / Reuters, November 29

It's true that emerging economies are willing to tolerate higher levels of pollution in exchange for higher rates of economic growth, as all the advanced economies once did. All the same, given their populations and the pace of their development, their leaders know there is no way they can mimic the history of Europe and America without turning their nations into unlivable wastelands. They realize they will have to leap-frog technology—just as they did with cell phones over land lines—with respect to energy and other natural resource industries.

California Pension Fund Plans to Invest $500 Million in `Green' Portfolio / Bloomberg, November 10

California Public Employees Retirement System, the largest public pension in the U.S., plans to invest $500 million in companies working on curbing greenhouse-gas emissions and improving the environment.

This Friday!

“No on Prop23” Elvis Costello Concert in Atherton

Contact Brandon Keefe: bkeefe@cleaneconomy.net

www.fundraisingconcert1022.com

OCTOBER 25^th

Michelle Obama & Nancy Pelosi in San Francisco

Contact Donnie Fowler: dfowler@gmail.com

Clean Economy Network Happy Hour in Berkeley

Contact Brandon Keefe: bkeefe@cleaneconomy.net

NOVEMBER 2^nd

Avoid Election Day Rush: Vote Early or Vote by Mail Application

Video

v   California Clean Energy Economy Video

v   Prop23 Documentary and TV Ads

v   Al Gore & NRDC Videos

News Summary

v   Top Stories

• California's Green Economy Defies Economic Downturn, Reuters
• China Holds Six of Top Ten Clean Tech Companies, Green Jobs Ready
• California's Cap-and-Trade War, Wall Street Journal

v   Government & Politics

• Poll: Brown & Boxer Have Small Leads, Public Policy Institute of Calif.
• Kamala Harris & Steve Cooley Fight Over Climate & Energy, LA Times
• Calif. Congressmen Sought Stimulus Grants They Opposed, California Watch
• Global Warming Issue Spans Two Ballot Items: Props. 23 & 26, LA Times

v   California’s Prop23

• Oct. 20^th Prop23 Poll: 48 NO / 37 YES, Public Policy Institute of Calif.
• Investment Firms Fight Prop23, Reuters
• Dan Morain: As Prop. 23 Dives, Money Goes Elsewhere, Sacramento Bee
• Meg Whitman Wants to 'Freeze & Fix' California's Global Warming Law, LA Times
• Opponents Surge Ahead in Fundraising, LA Times
• Obama, Gore, Hollywood Join Business & Enviross, LATimes & Politico
• No on Prop 23, Applied Materials Blog

v   Science, Jobs, & Investment

• California Greenhouse Has Trade to Start Gently, Reuters
• States' Critical Role in Fostering energy Efficiency Businesses, Reuters

Articles

v   Top Stories

California's Green Economy Defies Economic Downturn / Reuters, October 13

Manufacturing employment in California's green economy expanded by 19 percent from 1995 to 2008, while there was a 9 percent drop in total manufacturing employment over the same period. That's just one of the impressive statistics released last week in the 2010 California Green Innovation Index.

China Holds Six of Top Ten Clean Tech Companies / Green Jobs Ready, October 13

The study is of apparent interest to California voters, who are considering Proposition 23 and AB 32 in November’s upcoming gubernatorial election. Proposition 23 advocates eliminating current greenhouse gas regulations in the state, which has been a widely unpopular suggestion, but one that has also been construed as a job-saving measure by some.

California's Cap-and-Trade War / Wall Street Journal, October 18

What happens when environmental fashion collides with a state's desperate need for jobs and economic growth? That question will be put to the test when Californians vote November 2 on a ballot measure that would suspend the Golden State's cap-and-trade law until its unemployment rate falls below 5.5%. Today the rate is 12.4%.

v   Government & Politics

Brown Leads Whitman by 8 Points / Public Policy Institute of Calif., October 20

The statewide survey of 1,067 likely voters showed Brown leading Whitman 44 percent to 36 percent, with 16 percent of respondents undecided.

Kamala Harris & Steve Cooley Differ on Climate & Energy in Attorney General's Race / Los Angeles Times, October 15

The Democrat accuses her rival of disbanding the district attorney's environmental crimes unit to shut down a probe of a Cooley campaign contributor. Cooley denies the charge and says he has a better record of prosecuting environmental crimes than Harris.

Calif. Congressmen Sought Stimulus Grants They Opposed / California Watch, Oct. 18

Even as they openly criticized the federal stimulus program as a waste of money, several members of Congress from California wrote to federal agencies asking for their share of the $800 billion in spending, an investigation by the nonprofit Center for Public Integrity has found.

Global Warming Issue Spans Two Ballot Items: Props. 23 & 26 / Los Angeles Times, Oct.18

Fundraising for a ballot initiative to suspend California's global warming law has flagged, but oil companies and other business interests are pouring millions of dollars into a separate ballot measure that could dry up funds to implement the law.

v   California’s Prop23

Oct. 20^th Prop23 Poll: 48 NO / 37 YES / Public Policy Institute of Calif. October 20

Opposition to Proposition 23, the initiative to suspend the state's greenhouse gas emission reduction law, has grown. The measure was opposed by 48 percent of respondents and supported by 37 percent, with 15 percent undecided.

Investment Firms Fight Prop23 / Reuters, October 20

Nearly 70 investors and investor groups on Tuesday lined up against a California proposal to put the state's climate change law on hold in a sign of the rising stakes for the controversial measure.

Dan Morain: As Prop. 23 Dives, Money Goes Elsewhere/ Sacramento Bee, October 17

The Chico-area Republican thought the ballot measure he was promoting, Proposition 23, would become a donnybrook, with tens of millions getting spent by both sides. Last week, the Yes-on-23 campaign went dark, with no ads on television.

Meg Whitman Opposes Prop 23 But Wants to 'Freeze & Fix' Underlying Law

LA Times, October 13

Meg Whitman opposes Prop23, but in the October 12th debate with Democratic candidate Jerry Brown she reaffirmed that she wants to delay AB32 for one year (event though AB32 doesn’t actually take effect until 2012).  She also said something else: she wants to "fix" it, telling the audience that only 3% of California jobs are "green jobs" and that the law "is going to do real damage to the rest of the jobs in the economy."

Opponents Surge Ahead in Fundraising / Los Angeles Times, October 13

California green technology companies and wealthy environmentalists are pouring money into a campaign to defeat Proposition 23, a November ballot initiative that would suspend the state's global warming law.

Obama, Gore, Hollywood Join Business & Enviros / LA Times, October 20
Arnold Schwarzenegger, George Shultz, Robert Redford, Bill Gates, James Cameron, Leonardo Di Caprio and Al Gore have all weighed in to oppose California's Proposition 23, a November ballot initiative. Now comes the uber-endorsement for the No on 23 campaign: President Obama. "The president is opposed to Prop. 23 -- a veiled attempt by corporate polluters to block progress towards a clean energy economy," White House spokesman Adam Abrams announced Wednesday. "If passed, the initiative would stifle innovation, investment in R&D and cost jobs for the state of California. The impacts could affect us all. If successful, corporate special interests will set their [sights] nationwide."

No on Prop 23 / Applied Materials Blog, October 13

As a consequence, Prop 23 is effectively a repeal of the law. At a time when the U.S. and California need to redouble its leadership in mitigating climate change and its investment in building a low-carbon economy, Prop 23 would be a major step backwards.

v   Business, Science, & Investment

California Greenhouse Has Trade to Start Gently / Reuters, October 14

California's climate change chief expects a gentle start to a scheme to trade greenhouse gases, as the recession has done much of the work of cutting pollution by idling businesses and people.

Greener World Media: States' Critical Role in Fostering energy Efficiency Businesses / Reuters, October 13

Much of what makes a company more sustainable and profitable has to do with smart energy management. Energy is one of the biggest expenses for business owners today, and will only become a greater financial burden as energy prices continue to escalate. The more businesses can do to lower energy use and costs through greater energy efficiency, the better prepared they will be to weather economic storms and thrive and grow.

By ADAM NAGOURNEY

LOS ANGELES — A ballot initiative to suspend a milestone California law curbing greenhouse gas emissions is drawing a wave of contributions from out-of-state oil companies, raising concerns among conservationists as it emerges as a test of public support for potentially costly environmental measures during tough economic times.

Charles and David Koch, the billionaires from Kansas who have played a prominent role in financing the Tea Party movement, donated $1 million to the campaign to suspend the Global Warming Solutions Act, which was passed four years ago, and signaled that they were prepared to invest more in the cause. With their contribution, proponents of the proposition have raised $8.2 million, with $7.9 million coming from energy companies, most of them out of state.

This latest embrace by the Koch brothers of a conservative cause jolted environmental leaders who are worried that a vote against the law in this state — with its long history of environmental activism — would amount to a powerful setback for emission control efforts in Washington and statehouses across the country.

“It would have big implications,” said George P. Shultz, the former secretary of state, who is a chairman of a campaign to defeat the ballot initiative. “That is one reason why these outside companies are pouring money in to try to derail the same thing. At the same time, the reverse is true: they put this fat in the fire and if we win, that also sends a message.”

Gene Karpinski, president of the League of Conservation Voters, who has been traveling California to rally support against the proposition, called it “by far the single most important ballot measure to date testing public support for continuing to move to a clean energy economy.”

The campaign against California’s greenhouse gas law comes as business groups have invested heavily across the country in trying to defeat members of Congress who voted for a cap-and-trade bill that also mandated emission reductions; the bill passed the House but failed in the Senate in the face of strong opposition from lawmakers in industrial states.

Traditionally, public support for environmental measures suffers during tough economic times. Here in California, backers of the initiative have seized on that anxiety — which is particularly acute in this state, with its 12.3 percent unemployment rate — in search of a victory.

“I believe the battle over cap and trade in America is taking place in California on Nov. 2 of this year,” said Dan Logue, a Republican assemblyman from north-central California who wrote the ballot initiative. He added: “What we’re saying is, this is not the time for political correctness. This is a time for putting America back to work; let the experiments happen later.”

The law in question, known as A.B. 32, mandates slashing carbon and other greenhouse emissions to 1990 levels by 2020, by forcing power companies and industries to cap their emissions and by slashing carbon in gasoline. Some oil industry leaders said it would force them to invest millions of dollars to comply, and asserted that it would force companies to cut jobs and raise the price of gas at the pumps.

Although the vast majority of the money being contributed to fight the law is coming from oil companies, the oil industry is clearly not united in opposition: some major California oil refineries, including Chevron, have notably stayed out of the battle so far.

The ballot initiative, known as Proposition 23, would suspend the law from going into effect as scheduled in 2012 until state unemployment falls to 5.5 percent or lower for at least four consecutive quarters. That has happened only three times over the last 40 years, state officials said; thus, the proposition could have the practical effect of killing the law.

“The company believes that implementing A.B. 32 will cause significant job losses and higher energy costs in California,” said Katie Stavinoha, a spokesman for Flint Hills Resources, the petroleum company in Wichita, Kan., owned by the Koch brothers. “What’s more, the company thinks it sets a bad precedent for other state and federal governments to do the same thing.”

That said, the issue hardly breaks cleanly along business lines, reflecting in part the diverse business environment in California, which has always had a strong research and development sector, powered by venture capitalists ready to finance cutting-edge technology. Many business groups have opposed the drive to suspend the greenhouse law, and the list of contributors backing the measure is notable for the absence of venture capitalists.

“There is a huge clean energy revolution going on: this is going to happen,” said Thomas F. Steyer, founder of Farallon Capital Management, a hedge fund in San Francisco, and a co-chairman with Mr. Shultz of the campaign to defeat the proposition. “If we’re not careful, it’s just not going to happen in the United States.”

Mr. Steyer has contributed $2.5 million to the effort to defeat the initiative and said he was prepared to contribute an additional $2.5 million.

Mr. Schultz said that since the passage of the law, “a whole industry is developing here, and I might say a lot of jobs are connected with it.”

“There’s been a virtual eruption of research and development activities of all kinds on alternate ways to produce and use energy,” he said.

In most years, this should not be a worrisome battleground for environmentalists. The greenhouse gas law enjoyed strong support from the public when it passed four years ago, according to polls. The roster of opponents to Proposition 23 includes Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican, who views the law as a defining accomplishment of his career here.

Early polling suggests that voters who know about the measure are evenly split.

Yet supporters said they were concerned that the proposition could slip through at a time when Democratic spirits are low. More significant is the question of how much more supporters of Prop 23 can raise to finance their campaign. Of the $8.2 million raised so far, $1 million came from the Koch firm, $4 million from the Valero Energy Corporation and $1.5 million from the Tesoro Corporation; both corporations are based in San Antonio.

“We have every reason to believe that they are going to put the money in to run a big television campaign in the most expensive media market in the country,” said Annie Notthoff, the California advocacy director for the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental group. “We certainly are expecting to have a fight on our hands.”

Supporters of the law, if nervous about the proposition, remain optimistic than they can beat it back at the polls in November, and hope that such an outcome would have the opposite effect nationally that opponents of the bill are seeking. “If the proposition loses, the lesson is going to be there’s no going back,” said Wesley P. Warren, director of programs for the Natural Resources Defense Council.

"As part of our continuing coverage of California ballot measures, we discuss Proposition 23 which would suspend implementation of California's air pollution control law (AB 32) until unemployment drops to 5.5 percent or less for a full year."

Listen to the full audio: http://www.kqed.org/a/forum/R201009130900