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Renewable Energy Continues Rapid Global Growth in 2007
The global use of renewable energy sources continued its rapid growth in 2007, with 40 gigawatts of new renewable energy capacity added throughout the world, according to a new report. That capacity growth, which includes large hydropower, brings the world's renewable energy generating capacity to more than a thousand gigawatts. Excluding large hydropower, renewable generating capacity grew by 33 gigawatts to a total of 240 gigawatts, a 16% annual growth rate. At 95 gigawatts, wind power is the largest of the newer renewable energy sources, while grid-connected solar photovoltaic systems increased by 53%, reaching 7.8 gigawatts.
Among other renewable energy sources, ethanol production reached 12 billion gallons, biodiesel production exceeded 2 billion gallons, and there are now enough solar hot water systems to produce 128 gigawatts of thermal energy. The United States now leads the world in new wind capacity added each year and in annual ethanol production, and it also features the largest installed capacities for geothermal and biomass energy power plants. See the press release (http://www.ren21.net/globalstatusreport/) and report (http://www.ren21.net/pdf/RE2007_Global_Status_Report.pdf) from the Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century, or REN21.
While the REN21 report estimates last year's investments in renewable energy at $71 billion, analysts at New Energy Finance have increased their estimate to $148.4 billion, more than double the REN21 estimate and a significant increase from New Energy Finance's previous estimate of $117.2 billion, which was released in January. The new figure includes transactions made near the end of the year but not disclosed until more recently, and it reflects a 60% increase over investments in 2006, according to New Energy Finance.
Funding Available for State Energy Programs
DOE’s State Energy Program (SEP) provides grants to the states to design and carry out their renewable energy and energy efficiency programs in a way that makes the most sense for their resources and economies. For more information, see the SEP Web site and the SEP Strategic Plan at http://www.eere.energy.gov/state_energy_program/pdfs/strategic_plan_0207.pdf. DOE is seeking applications that support multi-state or regional advancements in the use of energy efficiency and renewable energy (EE/RE) technologies. SEP funds will accelerate market transformation for EE/RE technologies through such activities as the identification and dissemination of best practices, peer exchange, strategic planning, and technology specific training and evaluation. States may submit state specific applications for innovative projects that may be replicated by other states.
Partnering with other governmental and non-governmental organizations within the state is highly encouraged. The specific objectives are to: 1. Provide training and decision tools related to the use of EE/RE technologies, practices or policies through peer exchanges, workshops, or sponsorships/financing. 2. Develop multi-state or regional strategic plans for collaborative goals, policies and/or activities to increase the use of EE/RE technologies. 3. Develop and implement multi-state or regional activities that transform energy markets to accelerate the deployment of EE/RE technologies, products, and practices. 4. Increase stakeholder awareness and communication relating to best practices in market transformation policies and programs for EE/RE technologies, and technology specific deployment. Market transformation policies and programs include, but are not limited to: renewable portfolio standards, energy efficiency portfolio standards, renewable fuels standards, advanced energy efficiency codes and standards for buildings, appliances and equipment, tax incentives and performance contracting. 5. Develop training tools or systems for state officials and/or others on the evaluation and verification of state energy savings and carbon reductions using the best available models.
http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do?&mode=VIEW&flag2006=true&oppId=17154
Trends in ODS Emissions and Ozone Layer Recovery Open for Review
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration published a notice to announce a 45-day public comment period for the draft report titled, U.S. Climate Change Science Program Synthesis and Assessment Product 2.4 ‘‘Trends in Emissions of Ozone Depleting Substances, Ozone Layer Recovery, and Implications for Ultraviolet Radiation Exposure.’’ This draft report is being released solely for the purpose of pre-dissemination peer review under applicable information quality guidelines. After consideration of comments received on the draft report, a revised version along with the comments received will be published on the CCSP web site.Comments must be received by May 2, 2008.
The draft Synthesis and Assessment Product: 2.4 ‘‘Trends in Emissions of Ozone Depleting Substances, Ozone Layer Recovery, and Implications for Ultraviolet Radiation Exposure.’’ is posted on the CCSP Web site at: http://www.climatescience.gov/Library/sap/sap2–4/public-review-draft.
The CCSP was established in 2002 to coordinate and integrate scientific research on global change and climate change sponsored by 13 participating departments and agencies of the U.S. Government. The CCSP is charged with preparing information resources that promote climate-related discussions and decisions, including scientific synthesis and assessment analyses that support evaluation of important policy issues.
Washington State Approves Bill Cutting Greenhouse Emissions
Washington Governor Chris Gregoire approved a climate change bill that will reduce the state's greenhouse gas emissions to half of its 1990 emission levels by 2050. The bill also includes interim limits of returning to 1990 emission levels by 2020 and reducing emissions to 25% below 1990 levels by 2035. The bill, House Bill 2815, leaves most of the details to the state's Department of Ecology, which has until December 1 to create a greenhouse gas reduction plan that achieves the bill's emissions targets. The department also has to develop a system for monitoring and reporting greenhouse gas emissions.
The bill acknowledges Washington's current commitment to the Western Climate Initiative, which has set a regional goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 15% below 2005 levels by 2020, and the bill aims to take advantage of that initiative through participation in its regional market-based mechanism to reduce emissions. The initiative is currently planning to create a market-based mechanism, such as a cap-and-trade system, by August.
The bill acknowledges an important benefit of reducing greenhouse gas emissions: the likelihood of creating new "green" jobs in fields such as energy efficiency and renewable energy. The state estimates that it had 8,400 such "green economy" jobs in 2004, and the bill encourages the growth in that sector through a new green economy jobs growth initiative. The new initiative aims to expand the green economy sector to 25,000 jobs by 2020 through targeted financial incentives and comprehensive strategies to attract and expand industries and small businesses serving this sector. It will also include such measures as job training and curriculum development. The state has estimated that several of the recommended strategies for responding to climate change will have a net benefit to the state's economy of nearly $1 billion by 2020. See the governor's press release (http://www.governor.wa.gov/news/news-view.asp?pressRelease=817&NewsType=1)and the full text of the bill (http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=2815).
EIA: New Energy Act to Yield More Renewable Energy by 2020
The U.S. outlook for the growth in renewable energy use by 2020 has improved considerably in just three months, thanks to the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, which President Bush signed into law in December. DOE's Energy Information Administration (EIA) is revising the early release of its Annual Energy Outlook to reflect the impact of the energy act, and the latest figures show renewable energy providing 13.7 quadrillion Btu (quads) of energy by 2030, up 12% from the 12.2 quads that EIA projected back in December. For comparison, the total U.S. energy use was 99.5 quads in 2006 and is expected to increase to 118 quads by 2030. That number is 5% lower than the EIA projected in December (123.8 quads), reflecting the impact of improved fuel economy standards and new product efficiency standards.
The new projections show biomass energy use increasing to 8.12 quads by 2030, nearly triple the biomass use in 2006 and a 47% increase over the December projections, reflecting significant growth in renewable fuels. But the projections for biomass power production are less optimistic, increasing by a factor of 7.5 by 2030, compared to a nine-fold increase in the December projections. The difference probably reflects the need to direct biomass towards fuel production, making less available for power production. Perhaps in compensation for that, the projections for geothermal power production are more optimistic in the revised analysis, showing it more than doubling by 2030, compared to only an 88.4% increase in the December projections. The other renewable electricity projections remain essentially the same. See the Tables A1, A16, and A17 from the EIA report (http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/aeo/pdf/appa.pdf).
EPA Establishes ODS Electronic Reporting
EPA is prepared to receive, in electronic form, certain documents required under the regulations at 40 CFR Part 82 for the Stratospheric Ozone Protection Program. EPA is launching an electronic reporting system that will allow producers, importers, and exporters of Class I ozone-depleting substances (except methyl bromide) and Class II ozone-depleting substances to submit quarterly reports electronically.
EPA believes that, for many users, electronic reporting will allow reporting to occur with greater ease, speed, and accuracy than the paper-based reporting systems.
Additional information, including the electronic reporting forms, training and guidance documents are found at http://www.epa.gov/ozone/record/ereport.html.
