In its recent report, Ten Myths of Addressing Global Warming and the Green Economy, the The Information Technology & Innovation Foundation writes the debate on policy responses to climate change is “fueled by an array of myths, ranging from assumptions that high carbon taxes will generate needed clean innovations to the belief the U.S. is the natural leader in the clean energy sector.”  If the U.S. is to address climate change and at the same time become globally competitive in the clean energy industry, policies need to be guided by careful and reasoned analysis.  The ITIF dismantles the top 10 myths in the debate, listing the most significant as the idea that carbon taxes or a cap-and-trade regime alone will drive significant GHG reductions and save the planet.
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Sorting myth and reality in climate policy

What Senator Harry Reid puts in the Senate climate and energy bill, and what gets added on the floor, may not matter as much as simply whether some bill passes.  In the end, a joint House-Senate conference committee will likely hammer out the final version of the bill.  That might not take place until a "lame duck" session after the November election, when much of the political pressure on lawmakers has dissipated.  This means despite assertions that "cap and trade is dead," the House's bill based on that idea could be back in play someday, given the right conditions.

The U.S. EPA is pushing forward with a plan, with help from the National Renewable Energy Laboratories (NREL), to assess brownfields and Superfund sites for renewable energy through a program called Re-Powering America’s Land.  Among the 14 million acres of classified land in the U.S., conditions at the sites can vary widely.  Along with brownfields and Superfund sites, EPA and NREL are also looking at land classified under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.  In addition to assessing the sites for factors that would enhance (or impede) energy harvesting from the sun and wind, EPA and NREL are also looking at the type of installation that a particular site could host.

According to a new report from Pike Research, the solar realignment will set the stage for a new era of market growth over the next several years, and the cleantech market intelligence firm anticipates that by 2013, in many markets, solar costs will reach grid parity, the cost of electricity from traditional power sources.  Between 2010 and 2013, Pike Research forecasts that solar demand will increase at a compound annual growth rate of 24%.  “Solar prices are plunging quickly, and lower pricing will fuel a surge in demand in 2010 and beyond,” says senior analyst Dave Cavanaugh, but pricing trends and an oversupply of solar modules will also place huge pressure on solar suppliers, he noted.

Cornell University researchers have discovered a process that uses molecules typically found in blue jean and ink dyes for building an organic framework that could lead to economical, flexible and versatile solar cells.  The discovery is reported in the journal Nature Chemistry.  Current heavy silicon panels are effective, but they can also be expensive and unwieldy.  Searching for alternatives, researchers employed a strategy that uses organic dye molecules assembled into a structure known as a covalent organic framework (COF).  The structure the researchers came up with is not a solar cell yet, but it is a model that will significantly broaden the scope of materials that can be used in COFs, they said.

The U.S. wind industry can create tens of thousands of additional manufacturing jobs, according to a roadmap report from the American Wind Energy Association in association with the BlueGreen Alliance and the United Steelworkers.  The report highlights growth for the American wind industry despite the absence of a long-term and stable market for wind energy, or policies to support wind’s manufacturing sector.  The report recommends a federal renewable energy standard of 25% by 2025 with meaningful mid-term targets, regulation of greenhouse gas emissions, and policies specifically aimed at building the U.S. wind energy manufacturing sector.

Prospects for the hydro, wave, and tidal power market look upbeat as countries are investing in renewable energy sources to augment energy security, according to this report. Estimates show that the worldwide wave resources is 6,000 TWh/year, twice as much as global nuclear production and 700 TWh/year for tidal power. The market potential for the wave industry is about $1 trillion worldwide.

The Silicon Valley Leadership Group, City of San Jose and Pacific Gas and Electric have created the Silicon Valley Smart Grid Task Force.  The group brings leaders from industry, the public sector, non-profits and academia together to make recommendations on California's energy efficiency efforts and the rollout of smart grid technology.  The task force will aim to educate the public about smart grid technology and its importance in aiding California's long-term environmental sustainability and energy efficiency goals.

California’s utilities generated 15.4% of their energy from renewables in 2009, up from 13% in 2008, according to the CPUC quarterly report.  It shows that, had it remained constant, the percentage would have been 18%; some small hydro decreases, increases in consumer demand, and the end of some renewable contracts cut into the percentage.  Although the deadline is 2010 for 20% renewable, the utilities have an extension till 2013 to get their utility-scale projects actually switched on.  All three have signed contracts for well over that amount.

GOP Senate candidate Carly Fiorina appeared on a national cable news show, asserting that California's law to fight global warming is killing jobs, but a review shows its economic effects remain uncertain.  In an interview on CNBC's "Closing Bell," Fiorina said she is trying to unseat Senator Barbara Boxer in part because of the Senator's push for federal greenhouse gas legislation inspired by California's 2006 climate law, called the Global Warming Solutions Act.  The regulations that will be placed on California industries will increase energy prices for consumers, she said.

Martifer Renewables Electricityis dropping plans for a 107 MW hybrid concentrating solar power-biomass plant in California, citing project economics, among other issues.  The U.S. renewables unit of the Portuguese energy company applied to the California Energy Commission in November 2008 for permission to build San Joaquin Solar 1 and 2 in Fresno County.  That same year, the developer contracted to sell the plant’s expected annual output of 774,000 MWh – suggesting a capacity factor above 80% – to giant California utility Pacific Gas & Electric under a 20-year power purchase agreement.  The idea was to generate a consistent, firm supply of electricity by using solar energy during the day, supplemented by biomass as necessary and biomass alone at night.

First Solar, which has a pipeline of utility-scale plants in the works, is creating a separate group to better address that market.  The company’s new utility systems business group comes as it prepares to integrate the substantial portfolio of NextLight Renewable Power, which First Solar is acquiring in a $285m deal that brings its development pipeline to 2.2GW of North American projects with signed power purchase agreements.  The acquisition is on track to close this quarter.

AMEC has been awarded a $6.8 million contract by EnergySource, to provide engineering services for a 49 MW, $350 million geothermal power generating facility at Salton Sea.  The project has been under development since 2006 by Catalyst Renewables and Hannon Armstrong, the majority owners of EnergySource.  The Hudson Ranch I project, located in Imperial County, is the first stand-alone flash geothermal plant to be built at the Salton Sea geothermal site in recent years.  Work on the project has begun and is expected to be complete by 2012.  AMEC will be responsible for design, engineering, training and assistance during the construction and start-up phase.
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Amec wins $6.8m contract for geothermal project In California

Smart grid technology provider Consert Inc. says Constellation Energy, GE Energy Financial Services, Qualcomm Inc., Verizon Ventures and private investors have invested nearly $18 million in the company to finance its strategic marketing efforts, software upgrades and North American sales initiatives.  Consert currently provides municipal and cooperative electric utilities in North Carolina and Texas with energy-management solutions aimed at allowing utility customers to monitor and manage energy usage.