renewable energy association

“It is extremely heartening to see acknowledgement by the United Nations of something we have known for a long time: biomass and other renewable energy sources have the potential to produce significantly more energy than we are already producing,” said Bob Cleaves, President & CEO of the Biomass Power Association. “Not too long ago, it would have been unthinkable to forecast that energy from renewable sources would surpass energy from fossil fuels — and now it appears that this goal is within reach. The growth of the renewable energy industry will lead to a cleaner environment and to the creation of thousands of jobs.”

In the US, the Obama Administration is looking to enact the types of policies that the report espouses. The proposed Clean Energy Standard could allow for 80% of US energy to come from renewable sources by 2035 according to the administration. The President is also seeking to shift $4 Billion in tax subsidies to oil companies toward renewable energy development.

“This new report confirms we have to change how we think about renewable energy. Each of the renewable technologies will produce significant amounts of energy and together they will meet the majority of our energy needs in the future,” said Karl Gawell, Executive Director, Geothermal Energy Association. “Now, we need to see national energy plans and policies like a strong national renewable energy standard and long-term incentives to accelerate this transition to a new, clean energy future.”

“What the IPCC has found is something the renewable energy industry has known for some time: these technologies can power our future,” said Linda Church Ciocci, Executive Director of the National Hydropower Association. “The growth observed did not happen on its own, however. Policies – whether regulatory, investments or incentives – that increase the long-term certainty for the industry and its investors, will make the projections of this report the reality of tomorrow.”

Renewable Energy University

Considering this biggest hindrance, Elias Siores with his colleagues at the University of Bolton, UK, invented a 20 centimeter long piezoelectric polymer ribbon which could generate electricity when disturbed either by a rain drop falling, or the wind blowing on it. Greater the disturbance, greater would be the power generation. This piezoelectric material was then subsequently coated with polyvinylidene fluoride in an effort to maximize voltage, and thereby the power generation for the mildest of disturbance it encountered.

3rd Annual Nano Renewable Energy Summit Opens Next Week in Denver, CO, May 24 ‘ 25, 2010 DENVER’-The NanoBusiness Alliance, the world’s leading nanotechnology trade association, and the Colorado Nanotechnology Alliance today announced that the 3rd annual Nano Renewable Energy Summit will open its doors next week at the University of Denver, CO, where the event will run from May 24 ‘ 25, 2010. http://www.nanoenergysummit.org/ Read more on Business Wire via Yahoo. Finance.

The transformation of the present energy system to a sustainable energy system is discussed worldwide. Regions and communities in very different countries are addressing this challenge by setting up the political objective of achieving energy self-sufficiency through the use of Renewable energies. Our research group Renewable Energy Regions (EE-Regionen) is analyzing social, technological, and ecological transformation processes in regions and communities in Germany that have committed to the goal of ‘Renewable energy self-sufficiency’ (RESS).

In an effort to lower the cost of Renewable energy and make it available at the price of conventional sources of energy, inventor Roger Angel at the University of Arizonas Steward Observatory Mirror Lab has produced the first prototype of a solar device that could eventually produce energy from the sun at a price rivaling the energy produced from conventional sources.

The retrofitting of 30 elliptical machines in the Student Recreation Center will give the equipment the capability of converting exercise into Renewable energy, connecting it to the university power grid. The unveiling of the retrofitted machines will take place Dec. 8 at 3 p.m.

Investments In Renewable Energy

Just Energy is a leading North American electricity and natural gas retailer. through its affiliates under its parent, just Energy Group Inc, a publicly traded corporation (TSX: JE), just Energy serves 1.8 million residential and commercial customers, helping them gain better control of their energy costs. in addition, through National Home Services, just Energy sells and rents high efficiency and tankless water heaters, and through its subsidiary Terra Grain Fuels, produces and sells wheat-based ethanol.

just Energy is an industry leader in providing environmentally responsible energy options to consumers across North America. To learn more about just Energy visit justenergy.com.

APPROACHES TO DEAL FACILITATION AND TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT FOR CLEAN ENERGY PROJECTS: Jun Tian, ADB, chaired this session. Irman Boyle, USAID ECO-Asia Clean Development and Climate Program, described CTI PFAN’s work in Indonesia, acting as the ‘missing middle,’ fostering relationships between project entrepreneurs and financiers by engaging project developers via competitions to provide pro bono mentoring. Boyle said CTI PFAN has successfully supported 21 projects in raising US$ 275 million in investment money, and has over 80 more projects in the pipeline.

Responding to a question from the audience, another representative of CTI PFAN said they are increasingly supporting financial institutions in project assessment and due diligence training rather than project developers as it is often difficult to find suitable developers.

With the passages of the Amendments to the Clean Water Act in 1987, and to the Safe Drinking Water Act in 1996, the U.S. Congress made funds for water infrastructure improvements readily available. EPA’s state revolving fund program provides low-interest subsidized loans for water quality or drinking water projects.

The program also emphasizes providing funds to small and disadvantaged communities. Nationally, CWSRFs have funded over $84 billion in water quality projects and DWSRFs have funded over $20 billion in drinking water projects.

Of course it’s not all sunshine and rainbows.Meeting the $5.1 trillion global Renewable energy investment from 2011 to 2020 will require a five-fold increase from current investment levels. And of course there is the political challenge involved in implementing the necessary policies to allow this Renewable energy investment increase to happen.For example, putting a price on carbon emissions, which will more accurately reflect the true cost of fossil fuel combustion in their market price, and make Renewable energy more financially competitive.However, even though doing so would be economically beneficial, as the SRREN notes, there is a great deal of political resistance to implementing a carbon price in many countries.

Since Governor Culver signed the Power Fund into law in 2007, Iowa’s clean energy economy has taken off. Since 2006 the amount of energy Iowa receives from renewable sources has jumped from 5 percent to 20 percent, while companies from across the world have leveraged Power Fund grants to create Iowa jobs. This investment has also spurred education in the state as community colleges like Iowa Lakes in Estherville have created specialized degrees to train the next generation of workers.

According to the Iowa Office of Energy Independence the Power Fund has already leveraged over $273 million in federal and private Investments in the state.

Let’s see: not a word about the Endangered Species Act-protected desert tortoise on site even though their much higher on-site numbers were all over the news last month, and may well halt the project. No mention of the lawsuit filed by Western Watersheds Project to stop the construction due to permanent damage to the ecosystem and short-changed environmental review. Just unqualified repetition of the contention that this project roundly criticized by environmental groups, and on land the Nature Conservancy has identified as ‘Core Mojave Desert Habitat’ worthy of the highest level of protection is ‘environmentally responsible.’.

IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, is the largest global development institution focused on the private sector in developing countries. We create opportunity for people to escape poverty and improve their lives. We do so by providing financing to help businesses employ more people and supply essential services, by mobilizing capital from others, and by delivering advisory services to ensure sustainable development.

In a time of global economic uncertainty, our new Investments climbed to a record $18 billion in fiscal 2010. For more information, visit www.ifc.org.