Political

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.

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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.

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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.