RETECH Focuses on Energy Policies

Meeting explores renewable energy marketplace

Renewable energy development is this generation’s “shot to the moon” declared Carol Browner, White House energy coordinator, to members of the renewable energy industry, educators, politicians and others gathered for RETECH 2010 in Washington, D.C., Feb. 3-5.

RETECH, for renewable energy (RE) technology, is an annual conference sponsored by the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) to discuss the latest developments and newest challenges facing the clean energy industry. In lectures and panel discussions, the theme repeated that RE truly is the future, but making it ubiquitous—and profitable—will not be easy. Many compared its position today to the information technology boom that surrounded the beginnings of the Internet.

The 2010 conference focused heavily on the need for policies that increase the nation’s ability to compete globally in the economic race for RE. Dan Reicher, director of energy and climate initiatives at Google, said that the U.S. has much of the innovation but is losing valuable manufacturing jobs to outsourcing because of high costs. One solution is to incentivize RE manufacturing companies that create jobs in the U.S.

Michael Polsky, president and CEO of Invenergy, pointed to the U.S. energy infrastructure as a major obstacle to RE as well as energy market forces. He said the existing infrastructure ignores the necessary requirements for RE while the market only looks to the cheapest energy in the short term. He called for policies to support RE infrastructure and longer-term energy strategies.

Jason Grumet, founder and president of the Bipartisan Policy Center, urged policy leaders to not become caught up in rhetoric that pits energy needs against climate change issues. He sees them as compatible and that legislation that promotes RE can both increase energy security and combat climate change.

“RETECH 2010 attendees not only saw a vision of RE’s future, but also learned about some of the practical solutions to implementing the technologies that are already under way and profitable,” said CCSE Executive Director Irene Stillings, who attended the conference and participated in ACORE advisory group meetings. “By promoting clean energy research and development and fostering adoption with innovative policy, RE can become a tremendous economic opportunity for the U.S.”

For more about the American Council on Renewable Energy, visit their website.

Kyle Klinger is an intern for CCSE’s Policy and Public Affairs team and a student at the California Western School of Law in San Diego.

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