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Conference Co-Chairs  Mr. Paul Gilman, Senior Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer, Covanta Energy Corporation Mr. Tom Grumbly, Vice President for Civil & Homeland Security, Lockheed Martin Corporation ACORE Co-Chairs
International Perspective Mr. Wolfgang Palz, Chairman, World Council for Renewable Energy (Europe) Mr. Hunter Jiang, President, GCL Poly Energy (China) Mr. Keisuke Saito, Director-General Energy Conservation and Renewable Energy, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (Japan) National Policy Ms. Carol Browner, Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change Mr. Jason Grumet, Founder & President, Bipartisan Policy Center
Mr. Gary Locke, Secretary, US Department of Commerce Ms. Dan Arvizu, Director, NRELThe Strategic Issues Track analyzed key challenges being faced by the renewable energy industry both in the United States and abroad. Session topics included Transportation, National Security, Climate Change/Environment, Utility/Transmission, Energy Supply, Investment/Economic Development. Two months after COP-15 in Copenhagen, it was a perfect time to review where the world and the US stand on Climate Change policy commitments and programs. Also, how does renewable energy play in those solutions, and what more can be done? Panelists discussed the legislative, regulatory, financial, and voluntary solutions being proposed in the United States and around the world.
A2: National Security
Wall Street financed renewable energy growth in a boom period from 2003-2008 with venture capital, private equity, IPOs and other capital market investing. Conditions have changed since 1st Q 2009 when the freeze hit investment markets following the stock markets declines in 4thQ 2008. Now, what does the future hold? This session brought us up to date on the state of investing in renewable energy and the current outlook.
Renewable energy project finance in the US reached a level of nearly over $18 billion in 2008, hit a glitch in the financial crisis of 2008-2009, and now is deeply affected by government incentives and loan guarantees. This session reviewed the state of project financing in renewable energy.
A5: Public Sector Roles in RE Investment and Finance The federal government has employed the PTC and ITC to stimulate investment in RE projects, and in now adding tax credits and loan guarantees for manufacturing and loan guarantees for project financing. There are also current proposals for a Clean Energy Deployment Agency (CEDA) and a Green Bank. This session reviewed the current programs and pending proposals for the government role in renewable energy investment and financing.
A6: U.S. Partnership for Renewable Energy Finance (US PREF) A group of major investment banks, commercial banks, and other providers of capital recognized that the public sector needed and wanted education on how the renewable energy finance markets work, and in mid-2009 formed US PREF as a program to bring transaction professionals to Washington, DC to be an educational resource and sounding board. This session presented the US PREF program and findings to date.
A7: National Energy Strategies and Economic Growth The U.S. has begun to recognize that polices that build renewable energy markets also have the effect of encouraging investment in factories, economic growth and new job creation, witness Germany and more recently China. This session assessed what is happening in the U.S.
The Industry Leadership/CEO Track highlighted the top corporate CEOs, Chairmen, Presidents and additional industry leaders in the renewable energy industry who gave their outlook on the state of renewable energy trade, policy and finance, both on a domestic and global scale. Industry leaders, in addition, spoke to the innovative, comprehensive and entrepreneurial strategies behind the sustained growth of the renewable energy industry. Wind power markets continue to grow around the world including Europe, China, India and the U.S. The industry is spreading globally. China is becoming the new dominant manufacturing center. This session reviewed the state of wind power technology, markets, industry, finance, and policy. Leaders of the leading global wind companies discussed future growth projection, the impact of government programs on their industry, national security and environment, the Production Tax Credit (PTC), Renewable Electricity Standard (RES), Federal Agency support for siting wind power projects and transmission lines, and their views on transmission and storage. They also discussed their manufacturing strategies and whether the US can become a hub for wind turbine manufacturing, resulting in the creation of hundreds of thousands of jobs.
PV markets are increasing around the world, but production capacity is increasing even faster, causing a price war and tremendous changes in the state of competition. The prospect of reaching grid parity is here today in many locations and is spreading rapidly. The market has turned to 50 MW to 2 GW scale projects. This is becoming a multi-billion dollar global industry. This session reviewed the state of PV technology, markets, industry, finance, and policy.
"Concentrated Solar Power (CSP), also known as Solar Thermal Electric (STE), is a technology for harnessing solar energy for thermal energy which in turn generates electricity. While only about 400 megawatts of solar thermal electric power is up and running worldwide in October 2009, another 4000 megawatts is under contract and perhaps another 10,000 megawatts is being developed. Development is constrained, however, by siting issues, transmission requirements, and questions on financing with and without federal loan guarantees. This panel, composed of leading CSP executives, discussed the outlook for CSP/STE in the US and the challenges and opportunities awaiting them.
Biomass power has emerged as a viable renewable energy power source, with conversion of older coal-fired power plants to biomass fuel, and co-firing with coal. This session reviewed the state of biomass fuel supply, power projects, industry, finance, and policy. The panel, made up of the nation’s leading biomass company executives, explored the challenges and opportunities surrounding the scale up of biomass energy in the US and the outlook ahead.
There is a boom in geothermal power project development due in part to tax incentives and massive new funding being applied to geothermal. Meanwhile, the perception of geothermal potential has increased with recent studies about Enhanced Geothermal Technology. This session explored the state of geothermal power projects, market outlook, industry, finance, and policy. The panel, consisting of executives from some of the premier geothermal companies in the US, concentrated their discussion on industry opportunities, economic benefits, geothermal energy’s role in a more stable and secure America, as well as discussion on the technology behind new geothermal powered plants.
Recent studies indicate that hydropower has great potential and will create jobs in the U.S. Ocean power is advancing rapidly in the RD&D stage. This session presented the state of hydropower and ocean power technology, projects, and outlook.
B7: Advanced Vehicles and Batteries U.S. government support for Tesla, Fisker, Ford, and Nissan, plus A123 and other battery ventures, as well as Warren Buffet’s $3 billion investment in a Chinese battery manufacturer, has changed the state of market opportunity and competition in EV’s, hybrids, and battery technology. Things are moving fast. This session reviewed the state of play and the outlook on advanced vehicles and batteries.
The Federal Agencies track featured briefings from Government Agencies, Departments, and Programs that have been key players in working under the Obama Administration to assist in the development, financing and scale up of renewable energy. C1: U.S. Department of Energy Programs The U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy division has been transformed by Stimulus funds and new management. This session reviewed EERE’s current programs including RD&D and Stimulus loan guarantees, cash grants, and tax credits. The DOE is overseeing the distribution of $2.5 billion that was allocated under the ARRA for research, development, and deployment programs for renewable energy. In addition, the ARRA authorized $4.5 billion to the DOE’s Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability for programs to improve the nation’s smart grid system. This panel, organized in cooperation with the DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, focused on the new financing and technology RD&D programs being implemented by the Department and the challenges, opportunities, and global competitive factors facing us in the coming years as we scale up renewable energy in the U.S.
C2: U.S. Government International Initiatives The U.S. Government has a wide range of programs that promotion renewable energy on a global basis, seek collaboration with other countries, and promote U.S. exports. This session presented programs and initiatives by the U.S. Departments of State and Commerce, the Export-Import Bank of the United States, and the Trade & Development Agency (TDA) that are vitally important to companies that do international business.
C3: USDA Programs in Renewable Energy The U.S. Department of Agriculture has a wide range of programs that directly and indirectly drive and support rural markets for renewable energy, including but not limited to loans, loan guarantees, grants, and RD&D funding. It also provides funds to agricultural producers and rural small businesses to purchase and install renewable energy systems and make energy efficiency improvements. In addition, the USDA oversees a number of programs that provide financial support for biomass, biofuel, and biodiesel research, development, and deployment. For the last decade the USDA has championed loan guarantee programs that have furthered the advancement of wind, biomass, and biofuel development in the nation’s heartland. This panel, organized in collaboration with the USDA, reviewed the range of USDA programs and initiatives in renewable energy.
C4: U.S. Department of Interior and EPA Programs The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) manages Federally-owned lands including national parks and vast areas of open land especially in the West. Secretary Salazar has made it a new priority to open up Federal lands to renewable energy projects, but this has been hindered by environmental regulations. This includes the siting and permitting of wind, solar, biomass, and geothermal facilities as well as the transmission lines necessary to deliver this power to customers. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates environmental permitting and also promotes the adoption of renewable energy. This panel, organized in cooperation with the DOI and EPA, focused on the road ahead as we utilize federal lands to scale up renewable energy generation across the US.
C5: Government Procurement: DOD and other Agencies The government is the largest single buyer of energy and renewable energy, dominated by DOD’s procurement of fuel but also other energy for facilities, the Navy fleet, and operations. This session explored the rapidly-increasing level of procurement, the rapidly changing procurement strategies and criteria being employed.
The biomass thermal energy panel focused on biomass pellets used in the production of heat for homes, buildings and commercial operations. This included the variety of feedstocks used to make the pellets, the technologies converting the feedstocks into pellets, and the torrification of pellets to improve their acceptability in co-firing with coal to produce power. The expanding market for pellets in the U.S. and overseas, particularly Europe, was discussed along with concerns over the availability of feedstocks at affordable prices over the next 20 years.
C7: Smart Grid and Energy Storage People are realizing that there is tremendous waste in the old practice of a simple grid with excess capacity, and also an inability toaccommodate intermittent sources like wind and solar. There is a widespread interest in Smart Grid technologies and the inclusion ofenergy storage. This session highlighted the situation today and forecast how rapidly these technologies will improve things.
State policy is one of the underlying strengths of the U.S. market for renewable energy, including RPS, subsidies, tax abatements, government purchasing, economic development incentives and supports, training programs, and other actions. This session featured presentations on the best of U.S. state programs in renewable energy.
Many cities have moved ahead of the pack to lead the renewable energy revolution in America. This panel was a key session about the leadership coming from leading municipalities on technological applications for sustainability, energy efficiency, climate change, and renewable energy. Presentations were delivered by the cities and municipal administrators at the forefront of renewable energy development.
D3: Economic Development Strategies It is clear that aggressive policy for renewable energy leads investment in new businesses and job creation. Governments compete to attract these new opportunities, but the U.S. is behind Germany, China and other countries on local economic development incentives and support. Influential state economic development officials convened to present case studies on how they attract renewable energy companies to their state, and the extent to which a renewable energy future offers investment opportunities, job creation, and accelerated economic growth at the state level. Additionally, this panel addressed successful public/private partnerships in a case study model. The panel concluded with a discussion between public administrators from state and local entities and private sector leaders on the optimal environment for both private and public sector development.
Some 29 states have a firm RPS and another 6 states have adopted RPS-like goals. All are different, and there is considerable debate about RPS compliance and the likelihood of achieving the mandates and goals. RPS also create Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs), and spawned the voluntary Green Tag markets. This session explored the status of RPS across the nation, the functioning of REC and Green tag markets, and the outlook for the future.
D5: Federal and State Incentives Renewable energy markets and industry are increasingly being driven by public policy at the federal and state levels, and it becomes more important over time to have these policies mesh into an overall framework. This session explored the range of current policy, and additional new proposals.
D6: Utility Strategies & Transmission A modernized electric transmission grid is being promoted by many experts as a way of addressing energy independence, global warming, and regional and national reliability issues. Speakers identified problems with today’s electricity infrastructure grid and the range of policy, financing, and technology solutions to bring renewable energy from areas where resources are abundant to population centers where the energy is most needed.
D7: Corporate Strategies for the Adoption of Renewable Energy Achieving sustainability has fast become a major priority for governments, schools, and businesses concerned about the rising demand for energy, unstable fuel prices, uncertain energy security, and the threat of global climate change. They are purchasing green energy, applying renewable energy systems on their grounds and facilities, and integrating this with other measures such as energy efficiency. This session highlighted how government, institutions and companies are adopting renewable energy.
The International Track focused on the countries/regions that are moving renewable energy into the mainstream through national, sub-national, economic, political or trade mechanisms. Country briefings were conducted by panels led by corporations and government leaders from China, Germany, India, Japan, Scandinavia (Denmark, Norway, and Sweden), Spain, and the Commonwealth (Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom). E1: Global Perspective: IRENA, REN 21, REEEP Renewable energy is being adopted around the world, but is in a constant struggle against entrenched interests. Several global entities have been formed to lead the way including REEEP at the WSSD in 2002, the REN21 network from Bonn 2004, and now the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) formed in 2009. This session gave a global overview of RE adoption, the organizations promoting it, and a status report on renewable energy around the world, key policy successes, and a global outlook.
E2: Canada, Iceland, Australia and New Zealand
E3: European Initiatives for Renewable Energy The European Union has been the spiritual leader for renewable energy in recent years, and has passed a law requiring the continent to achieve 20% renewable energy by 2020, including 40% renewable electricity by 2020. This session reviewed the state and direction of RE in Europe, with features on Germany, Spain and other key countries. Discussion also included Europe’s role at COP15, Europe’s role in fostering renewable energy development in underdeveloped/developing countries, and Europe’s leadership in the development of renewable energy technologies.
China is now the #1 user of renewable energy in the world. It is the #1 market for wind power (10,000 MW of new installations in 2009), large hydropower, small hydropower, and solar water heating. It is also the #1 producer of solar PV. This session reviewed the state of renewable energy in China and the policies that are driving it forward. Topics included the status of central and provincial policies, the upcoming 5-year plan, China’s role in Copenhagen, the status and outlook on the wind, solar PV, solar water heating, small hydro, biomass, biofuels and other renewable energy markets and industries. The session included presentations for other East Asia countries.
India established the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy Sources (MNRE) and the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA) in the early-1980s. Renewable energy is a big business in India, yet the country is chronically short of power and continues to develop coal-fired and nuclear power options. India will be hosting the WIREC 2010 world conference in October 2010. In addition, renewable energy programs are underway in Nepal and Bangladesh. This session reviewed the state of renewable energy adoption in South Asia.
E6: Latin America and Caribbean Brazil has been the world leader in producing sugar-based ethanol. Costa Rica was an early leader in adopting all forms of renewable energy for sustainability. Mexico has tried to implement widespread solar PV in the rural areas. ACORE is supporting the formation of the Latin America and Caribbean Council On Renewable Energy (LACCORE). The potential for renewable energy generation in the Americas is immense.
The opportunities to deploy renewable energy in the developing countries, to help them electrify and bring modern energy to all, and deal with climate change, have been known and tried for 20 years or more, but with few examples of success. This session explored the state of renewable energy deployment in the developing countries, and called for more and better strategies that are adequately funded and managed.
The University, Laboratory, and R&D Track covered important advances in research and development conducted by premier universities, laboratories and government programs that are aiding in the evolution of the technology behind the renewable energy revolution. Featured speakers came from both U.S. and International facilities and institutions of higher learning. F1: NREL and the National Labs The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has championed work on renewable energy in the U.S. The Department of Energy’s laboratories and technology centers house world-class facilities where more than 30,000 scientists and engineers perform cutting-edge research. The national laboratories of the U.S., specifically NREL, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory, and Sandia National Laboratories, have been among the inventors and incubators of next generation technologies. They conduct internal R&D and fund external work. This session reviewed the work being conducted at our national labs.
F2: Innovative Strategies in RE Two major drivers for the accelerated adoption of renewable energy include environmental protection and mitigation of the risk of climate change due to greenhouse gas emissions. This session featured presentations by leaders in the environmental field who are making huge strides behind the scenes about public policy, plus insight into the strategic thinking in the U.S. House of Representatives as reflected in a quiet program of greening the U.S. Capitol Building.
The underlying core of excellence in renewable energy research is going on across the country in our colleges and universities. These institutions understand the vital role they play in developing renewable energy resources, reducing energy consumption, and educating the next generation of leaders about a sustainable world. The universities represented in this panel presented overviews of the university-based research going on today across the nation.
F4: Corporate Research & Development Many of America’s companies are conducting research on renewable energy, electricity, and fuels. Some of the major corporate programs have funding greater than the national DOE programs. This session featured examples of major corporate programs in renewable energy R&D and related fields.
There are few aspects more important than educating the next generation. Overall pressures for sustainability on campus are tremendous. Colleges and universities are working on greening their campuses, developing and implementing renewable energy curriculum, and increasing research. This session attempted to capture the current state of renewable energy education.
The biofuels industry continues to undergo a period of record growth and turbulence, buffeted by oil prices, agriculture commodity prices, and the financial crisis. U.S. corn-based ethanol industry is in a consolidation phase, while the ag feedstock-based biodiesel industry is struggling and the waste-based biofuels sector is holding its own. This session covered the status and outlook on the conventional ethanol and biodiesel sectors.
There are massive investments in cellulosic ethanol technology by the government and private sector, and high expectations for this sector to meet or exceed the RFS goals. Likewise, huge amounts of investment are being placed in algae production for biodiesels. These future biofuels technologies are the key to a true scale-up. This session included presentations on the status and direction of the advanced biofuels sector.
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