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DoE Secretary Steven Chu: We Need Nobel-Level Breakthroughs

February 13, 2009 in accelerating change, energy generation, energy storage, growth, policy, solar electricity by nils | Add your comment

Secretary of Energy Steven Chu

Secretary of Energy Steven Chu

Yesterday the New York Times published an interview (including some of the original audio) with our new Energy Secretary, Steven Chu. Among other comments, he said that to address the climate emergency, we need "Nobel-level breakthroughs" in several key areas - batteries, biofuels, and solar photovoltaics." As an illustration, he pointed out:

The photovoltaics we have today, ... without subsidy, and without even the additional cost of storage, it's about a factor of five higher than electricity generation by gas or coal. Suppose someone comes along and invents a way of getting ... solar photovoltaics at one fifth the cost, so you don't even think about subsidies anymore. You just slap it everywhere... That, in my opinion, would take something, which I would say, is a bit of a breakthrough."

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Old Favorites

February 12, 2009 in accelerating change, green building, growth by nils | Add your comment

Chocolate-covered Oreo Cake

Cake for our six month anniversary (image by ginnerobot, CC 2.0 license)

In honor of this blog's six month anniversary, I'm going to relink to some of my favorite posts from the past:

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Study: Make Money and Create Jobs By Greening California’s Economy

September 23, 2008 in analysis, business benefits, energy efficiency, growth, jobs, profits by nils | 1 comment

Boutiques along Fillmore Street in Pacific Heights

Fillmore Street in San Francisco; Image via Wikipedia

The San Francisco Chronicle reports on the conclusions of a study just completed by the California State Air Resources Board that "going green" will be extremely beneficial to the state's economy.

Under the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, the state must impose a limit on the amount of pollutants companies emit and expand renewable energy. These changes, along with others, would result in 100,000 new jobs, boost the state economy by $27 billion and increase personal income by $14 billion, the study said.

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Renewable Energy Investment up 60% Per Year in 2007, On Same Pace for 2008

September 5, 2008 in accelerating change, energy generation, growth, policy by nils | Add your comment

Windmills Along the M6

Windmills Along the M6, photo by Bob Cox Photography

Saw this news item about the growth of green energy investment last week, which tends to correlate with the idea that the growth rate of renewable energy is not linear, but geometric (that is, doubling every n years, like Moore's Law).

The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) reports that investments in renewable energy in 2007, at $148 billion, were 60 percent above 2006, with 2008 growth continuing. Achim Steiner, head of UNEP, said:

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Both Sides Essentially Agree in “Economist” Debate – Act Now!

August 28, 2008 in energy generation, growth, policy by nils | Add your comment

A transmission substation decreases the voltag...Image via Wikipedia

The Economist magazine hosted an online debate earlier this week, on the proposition "We can solve our energy problems with existing technologies today, without the need for breakthrough innovations."? Speaking in favor of the proposition was Joseph J. Romm, Senior Fellow at the Centre for American Progress. Speaking against was Peter Meisen, President, Global Energy Network Institute.

In my opinion, although Meisen had some good observations of some non-"business as usual" innovations that are needed, the proposition was well-defended by Romm. He argued that not only do we not have time to wait for new breakthroughs in alternative energy, we have enough technology now - solar thermal, efficiency, wind, etc. - that we can address climate change with our current capabilities. He agrees that innovations will be welcome, but they are not required.

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Clean and renewable energy also profitable for individuals who want jobs

August 7, 2008 in growth, jobs, profits by nils | Add your comment

A report from Worldwatch Institute details the way that traditional high carbon industries, such as coal, are shedding jobs while renewable energy and energy efficiency industries are adding jobs.

An estimated 2.3 million people worldwide currently work either directly in renewables or indirectly in supplier industries. The solar thermal industry employs at least 624,000 people, the wind power industry 300,000, and the solar PV industry 170,000. More than 1 million people work in the biomass and biofuels sector, while small-scale hydropower employs 39,000 individuals and geothermal employs 25,000.

It's not just those people and organizations applying clean and renewable energy who are profiting, but also those doing the work.

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