Policy

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

• 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."

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.

(also posted online at The Huffington Post)

Two primary pieces of legislation are being debated in the Senate: the Bingaman energy bill and the bipartisan Kerry-Graham-Lieberman climate bill.

There are several factors at play in 2010 that will affect what any new climate & energy laws look like (and might even determine whether Congress passes any laws at all).

• First, the 2010 congressional elections are making things difficult because many Democrats facing close re-election fights are worried about supporting controversial (and even costly) legislation, and President Obama has used a lot of political capital to pass health care legislation, which leaves less for upcoming climate and financial regulation fights.
• Second, the intense partisanship that has developed in Congress over the last sixteen years means that most Republicans will fight to deny the Democrats and the President any victory. It will thus be very hard to find Republicans to replace wavering Democrats.
• Third, it is unclear yet that the business community that does support climate & energy legislation, especially the clean tech industry, can compete equally with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the coal & oil companies when making the economic, jobs, energy prices, and national security arguments. Environmentalists are unable to win this debate on their own.

The Senate climate bill is where the real difficulty lies; its cap-and-trade element being the most controversial with members of both political parties.  Nonetheless, there is an opportunity for earning some Republican support that will be needed to offset some wavering Democrats because of its sponsorship by Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Independent Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut. (There is another bipartisan climate bill sponsored by Republican Susan Collins of Maine and Democrat Maria Cantwell of Washington. It offers a cap-and-dividend solution instead of cap-and-trade; this does not currently appear to be the primary vehicle for a new national climate policy.)

Advocates for Senate climate legislation, including the White House, are pushing back against calls to abandon a mandatory cap on U.S. greenhouse gas emissions in favor of a stand-alone energy bill. Division among Democrats on whether a new climate law is possible this year goes all the way to the top. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) recently told The Associated Press that passage of the legislation was unlikely.  Other Democrats who suggest that energy-only legislation has a better chance of passing in an election year include Agriculture Chairwoman Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas and Policy Chairman Byron Dorgan of North Dakota.

But Senate Foreign Relations Chairman John Kerry (D-MA) spoke to the undercurrent of pessimism, “These are the dumb D.C. rumors that too often mark this city and are rendered meaningless on a daily basis. We can cross the finish line this year.” Sen. Graham said this week, “I am convinced that reason, logic and good business sense and good environmental policy will trump the status quo.”  And President Obama's top energy adviser, Carol Browner, insisted January 11th that the Administration's goal remains a "comprehensive bill" that touches on all corners of the energy and climate debate, including the controversial cap-and-trade program.