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Author Topic: The Big Picture of Renewable Energy Growth  (Read 48834 times)

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AGelbert

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Re: The Big Picture of Renewable Energy Growth
« Reply #180 on: March 27, 2016, 04:32:57 pm »
Media giants Sky and Bloomberg join RE100 clean power campaign     

Madeleine Cuff 24 March 2016

http://www.businessgreen.com/bg/news/2452378/media-giants-sky-and-bloomberg-join-re100-clean-power-campaign
He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Matt 10:37

AGelbert

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Re: The Big Picture of Renewable Energy Growth
« Reply #181 on: April 03, 2016, 09:45:04 pm »
How Green Energy Is Already Taking Over the World    (Video)

Posted on Mar 29, 2016

By Juan Cole


This post originally ran on Truthdig contributor Juan Cole’s website.

In 2015 energy companies invested more in new renewables power plants in 2015 than in fossil fuel plants for the first time in history. The majority of these plants were planned for the developing countries, which is a sign that the technology is viewed as now less expensive.

The UNEP press release said,
Quote
“Coal and gas-fired electricity generation last year drew less than half the record investment made in solar, wind and other renewables capacity — one of several important firsts for green energy announced today in a UN-backed report.


Global Trends in Renewable Energy Investment 2016 . . . says the annual global investment in new renewables capacity, at $266 billion, was more than double the estimated $130 billion invested in coal and gas power station s in 2015.

All investments in renewables, including early-stage technology and R&D as well as spending on new capacity, totaled $286 billion in 2015, some 3% higher than the previous record in 2011.

Quote
Since 2004, the world has invested $ 2.3 trillion in renewable energy (unadjusted for inflation).

 (All figures for renewables in this release include wind, solar, biomass and waste-to-energy, biofuels, geothermal, marine and small hydro, but exclude large hydro-electric projects of more than 50 megawatts).

 Just as significantly, developing world investments in renewables topped those of developed nations for the first time in 2015. Helped by further falls in generating costs per megawatt-hour, particularly in solar photovoltaics, renewables excluding large hydro made up 54% of added gigawatt (GW) capacity of all technologies last year. It marks the first time new installed renewables have topped the capacity added from all conventional technologies.

The 134 gigawatts of renewable power added worldwide in 2015 compares to 106GW in 2014 and 87GW in 2013. Were it not for renewables excluding large hydro, annual global CO2 emissions would have been an estimated 1.5 gigatonnes higher in 2015.”

Here is how the new energy generation broke down by type of fuel:

Additional energy generating capacity, 2015:
Renewables (excl. large hydro) 134 GW
Large Hydro: 22 GW

Nuclear: 15 GW
Coal-fired: 42 GW
Gas-fired: 40 GW


What shocks me is that companies are still investing as much in new coal plants  :P  as in new gas or renewables. All fossil fuels are bad and are on their way out, but coal is in investor’s terms already a dead man walking.

Why would you do that? Quite apart from being highly polluting and now no cheaper than solar or wind, coal emits more carbon dioxide than other fossil fuels, a deadly greenhouse gas. It will likely just be outlawed in most of the world soon as a health and environmental hazard. So investing in a long-term coal plant is like piling up your cash and setting it on fire (that would also emit a lot of CO2).

And here are the past few years’ annual global investments in renewable energy


($US)
$286 billion (2015)
$273 billion (2014),
$234 billion (2013),
$257 billion (2012),
$279 billion (2011),
$239 billion (2010),
$179 billion (2009),


It is clear that there is a secular trend upwards and there is no reason to think that will change. 

One of the things cities like about new renewables plants is that they can lock in price over say 25 years, because the cost of the fuel is zero and won’t change   .

You never know what natural gas will cost 15 years from now, and you don’t know if the government environmental agency or ministry will outlaw coal.

Scotland just closed its last remaining coal plant , Europe’s third largest. It was, in part, a victim of European Union carbon emissions limits. (That’s why I say it is crazy to invest in a new coal plant.)

In February, wind turbines alone met 41% of Scotland’s electricity needs!

Exemplifying the kind of thing the UNEP report found, Morocco has opened the first of three big solar plants planned at Ouarzazate on the doorstep of the Sahara (they film Game of Thrones episodes there). Morocco wants two new gigawatts from solar, two from wind, and two from new hydro by 2022.

While there are problems with the social relations involved (it is a Berber area and the government used eminent domain to acquire the land), in the medium to long term it will mean much cheaper electricity for Morocco, and less air pollution, and more jobs. 

The plant uses molten salt batteries and so goes on working at night.


And this is the kind of thing that is happening all over the world where Big Oil, unlike in America, can’t hog the microphone.


http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/how_green_energy_is_already_taking_over_the_world_video_20160329

Renewable energy=                                 =Fossil Fuelers
He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Matt 10:37

AGelbert

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Re: The Big Picture of Renewable Energy Growth
« Reply #182 on: April 03, 2016, 09:53:54 pm »
Quote
:eusa_dance:  Already the maple sugar and ski resort people in Vermont, for example, have figured out it might be a good idea to move to 100% renewable energy a bit faster. 

Largest City In Vermont Now Gets All Its Power From Wind, Water And Biomass

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2014/09/15/3567307/vermont-renewable-power/

Good things are coming from Vermont.




Quote
Bernie Sanders on Energy Policy

As an adamant supporter of the science that acknowledges global warming to be a man-made danger, Bernie is a strong advocate for adopting new climate-neutral energy policies. Bernie has fought for improving access to renewable energy by introducing various bills such as the Residential Energy Savings Act, the Low Income Solar Act, the Green Jobs Act, and the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program. Bernie helped form a public-private partnership, Efficiency Vermont, and has partnered with the National Guard to improve military energy efficiency to make Vermont a leader in clean-energy. Bernie believes that not only should the rest of the U.S. move aggressively toward sustainability, but that we can achieve sustainability while saving money for the majority of American families.
- http://feelthebern.org/bernie-sanders-on-energy-policy/
 

He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Matt 10:37

AGelbert

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Re: The Big Picture of Renewable Energy Growth
« Reply #183 on: April 07, 2016, 05:49:33 pm »
Clean energy jobs benefiting South Dakota

Monday, April 04, 2016 12:56 p.m. CDT by Jack Taylor

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO AM) -The Clean Jobs Midwest survey shows that out of 12 Midwestern states, South Dakota has the third lowest number of clean energy jobs per capita at a little more than 7,000.

However, Gail Parsons with Environmental Entrepreneurs says the state's clean-energy job growth rate is higher than average and that is driving some economic growth.

Parsons says the overall projected growth rate for the region was 4.4%, which is incredibly high for any industry. She says in South Dakota, the businesses are quite optimistic with a projected growth rate of about 5%

An estimated 25,000 new clean-energy jobs are expected to be added to the Midwest over the next year and Parsons says the region is becoming a powerhouse for those careers.

She says many think of corn, or farms, but the Midwest should be known for clean energy. Contributing over a half-million workers, certainly not fly-over country when it comes to the clean energy field.   

The majority of South Dakota's clean-energy businesses says they're having a tough time finding qualified workers.

http://kelo.com/news/articles/2016/apr/04/clean-energy-jobs-benefiting-south-dakota/
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AGelbert

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Re: The Big Picture of Renewable Energy Growth
« Reply #184 on: April 16, 2016, 07:29:08 pm »
  Apr 11, 2016

Industrialised Nations Must Lead an Exit Strategy for Fossil Fuels

Authors Rainer Baake Guest Author


Rainer Baake    is state secretary at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy.

At the UN climate conference in Paris in December 2015, 195 countries concluded a groundbreaking climate accord. They agreed to limit global warming to well below 2C to avoid extremely dangerous and irreversible climate change.

The international community’s remaining emission “budget” is less than 1,000 gigatonnes of CO2. The Paris agreement is intended to ensure as quickly as possible that the annual global emissions go down, the budget is stretched, and the net emissions of greenhouse gases are reduced to zero over a few decades.

The challenge of limiting the combustion of oil, coal and gas to this budget is enormous in view of the fossil reserves still underground. If we were to use all the known and probable reserves to generate energy, global emissions would amount to around 15,000 gigatonnes of CO2. So limiting global warming to 2C means this: of the 15,000 thousand gigatonnes of CO2, we need to leave at least 14,000 underground.

Truly, our problem is not a scarcity of fossil resources, it is the exact opposite. We lack an exit strategy for oil, coal and gas. Energy efficiency and renewable energy are indispensable parts of a response to climate change, but they do not tell us why private companies and private individuals should stop extracting, marketing and consuming fossil fuels.

In fact, the progress made on energy efficiency and renewables can actually exacerbate the problem. An oversupply of fossil resources lowers the price and makes it even more tempting to use them. And the temptation is great: the fossil energy industry offers profits, jobs and low energy prices.

The Paris agreement says this to our children and grandchildren: “We promise not to expose you to the dangers of climate change.” If we are to keep our word, we have no alternative to decarbonisation. Our production and consumption must become carbon-neutral. There is an international consensus that the industrialised countries need to lead the way.

Germany does not need to change its climate and energy transition targets in view of the decisions made in Paris.       There is a consensus amongst the political parties represented in the Bundestag that Germany will reduce greenhouse gases by 80-95% by 2050 from the 1990 baseline. The Federal government and the Bundestag have decided on the following interim goals: greenhouse gas emissions are to be down 40% by 2020, 55% by 2030, and 70% by 2040.

We should regard this challenge as an opportunity for a comprehensive modernisation of our economy. The fossil fuels are being substituted by investment in efficiency technologies and renewable energy. Here, a key role will be played by digitisation. In short: we will replace oil, coal and gas with intelligence and sustainable investment by 2050 at the latest. By doing this, we will be creating high-quality growth and jobs. 

If this transformation is to become a success story not only in climate terms, but also in economic terms, in the coming decades, we will need a paradigm shift.
The most important aspect is to avoid misallocated investments. We want to complete the switch by 2050, which gives us three-and-a-half decades
 
Investments in fossil structures with a lifespan extending beyond 2050 will become stranded assets of the respective companies, and will require us to undertake expensive repairs in future. A forward-looking approach to modernisation which avoids lock-in effects, subsequent destruction of capital, and job losses, must put the right policies in place right now

We should therefore declare efficiency and renewable energy to be the new “rule”, the new standard investment. Investments in fossil structures must become the exception. We should only undertake them in cases where we have no alternative technologies or where the alternatives are disproportionately expensive. We need to reverse the rule-exception relationship: that is the paradigm shift.

What does the new “rule”—investment in energy efficiency and renewables—mean for the various sectors?

Power generation still accounts for by far the largest proportion of greenhouse gases. The sector is also set to grow as the decarbonisation of the heating and transport sectors will only be possible if we use more electricity. This electricity needs to stem from zero-carbon renewable sources, particularly wind and photovoltaics. We need to keep investing in these technologies.

Fossil fuel power stations have a lifespan of 40 years or more. To avoid misallocated investment which reach far beyond 2050 and to avoid lock-in effects, we should urgently dispense with new coal-fired power plants and extensions to opencast mines. Gas-fired power stations with comparatively small carbon emissions fall into the “exceptions” category, because we need them as controllable power stations for our energy security; however, natural gas will have to be replaced gradually by zero-carbon.

Of all CO2-relevant emissions, buildings have the longest lifespans, at around 100 years. We should therefore define an efficiency standard for all new buildings which, when coupled with the direct use of renewable energy and electricity, results in zero carbon emissions.
Quote
We already have the necessary technologies and they are already affordable, so that this new standard can be introduced with just a few years’ notice. 

The challenges in the existing building stock are far greater. These buildings are dominated by gas-fired and oil-fired combustion systems which mostly heat buildings which are only moderately insulated.  :P

In the short term, a switch to using efficient condensing boilers can save a lot of CO2 emissions. As heating systems have a lifespan of 20 years, from 2030 investment in fossil fuel heating systems should stop so that we can finish the transition by 2050. The only cost-efficient way to do this is to combine it with appropriate insulation of the building envelope.

The transport sector may pose the greatest challenge. Most of the rail system has already been electrified, but almost all passenger and freight traffic on the road, in the air and on water is almost entirely dependent on fossil fuels.
Quote
Electric mobility offers us the chance to achieve the energy transition in the field of private transport.


Quote
With an average lifespan of 20 years we need to have switched from fossil-based to renewables-based engines by 2030 if we are to stop using gasoline and diesel on our roads in 2050.
The emissions of newly bought vehicles must then amount to zero. We need a road map which enables the state and the automotive industry to draw up an ambitious investment strategy for the transport sector.

The paradigm shift in the energy transition cannot be applied to all sectors. The process-related industrial emissions, and the methane emissions from agriculture, cannot be avoided by higher efficiency or a switch to renewable energy. These emissions will continue unless we manage to develop alternative technologies. But by far the largest proportion of our emissions is produced by burning oil, coal and gas.

For this reason, a cost-efficient energy transition should be oriented to investment cycles with a view to a far-reaching decarbonisation by the middle of the century. Investments in efficiency and renewable energy must become the rule, and investment in fossil structures the exception with clearly defined timelines for an exit.

By adopting this forward-looking policy, we will avoid misallocations of investment and lock-in effects. It will enable Germany to follow a sustainable path of growth—whereas a continuation of investment in fossil fuels brings incalculable economic risks.

In the aftermath of Paris, we are now seeing a race between nations to adopt the smartest and most cost-efficient modernisation policies. Thanks to its energy transition, Germany has a lead. We will have to work hard if we are to maintain this lead.   


http://blog.rmi.org/blog_2016_04_11_industrialised_nations_must_lead_an_exit_strategy_for_fossil_fuels


« Last Edit: June 09, 2021, 06:09:45 pm by AGelbert »
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AGelbert

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Re: The Big Picture of Renewable Energy Growth
« Reply #185 on: April 23, 2016, 05:09:47 pm »
Americans used less energy in 2015 than in previous year, solar use makes a big leap

Megan Treacy (@mtreacy) Energy / Renewable Energy April 20, 2016

SNIPPET:

Every year, the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (part of the Department of Energy) releases an energy flow chart showing how much and what types of energy were consumed in the U.S. in the past year.

In recent years there have mainly been small increases in energy use each year, but in 2015, that trend reversed and Americans actually used less energy than in the previous year.   



http://www.treehugger.com/renewable-energy/americans-used-less-energy-2015-previous-year.html


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AGelbert

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Re: The Big Picture of Renewable Energy Growth
« Reply #186 on: April 27, 2016, 03:59:22 pm »

The executives leaving oil and gas behind for jobs in clean energy

SNIPPET:

Edinburgh, Scotland

Elaine Buck grew up in the oilfields of Texas. She started her career as a navigation engineer on seismic research vessels for Schlumberger, a big oil-services company, and worked her way to high up in the executive ranks, with a salary to match. So how has this American hydrocarbon specialist ended up living in the tiny, remote Orkney islands off northern Scotland, and working at the forefront of renewable energy?

The answer is a mix of ideology, opportunity, and economics—a combination of factors pushing people out of extractive industries and into cleaner alternatives around the world. For those with specific expertise, like Buck, deep experience working offshore has led many to move from oil and gas to the complex parallel challenges of ocean energy.

With a degree in marine science, Buck says she has “a very strong love of the ocean.” For 17 years, starting in 1992, she traveled the world with Schlumberger in a “fantastic career” that took her from Houston to Mexico, Denver, back to Houston, Bogata, to Mexico again, and on to Malaysia.

She learned a lot, she tells Quartz, but adds that she “was seeing the effects of the commercialization and the rapid exploration we were doing to try and pull as much oil out of the ground as quickly as possible.”

From an environmental perspective, “I was starting to get, you know… I was having the doubts,” she says. Those doubts crystalized in April 2010, when a massive explosion tore through the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico.

“That really opened my eyes,” Buck says. “And I thought: ‘You know what, I have another 15 to 20 years in the energy sector. I can now make a difference in helping [to] move from a high fossil fuel industry to a low carbon industry.” She knows that’s not going to happen overnight, but pointed to developments in international policy—like the global climate agreement made in Paris at the end of last year—that support her view that the shift is unavoidable.

In August 2014 she joined the European Marine Energy Centre in Orkney, in a role helping wave- and tidal-power projects develop and test their technologies.


Perks of the job


Do these renewable converts get any criticism from former colleagues for switching sides? “Not at all,” says Buck. In fact, the contrary is true, as former coworkers have asked about her path into green power (which came about via a Masters degree in renewable energy, taken with Schlumberger’s support).

The one thing she hasn’t managed to do yet is bring about actual collaboration between her former industry and her new one. But now that the prices of oil has fallen so far, squeezing profit margins, there might be more interest in trying something different.

Meanwhile, she’s happy to be raising her family with a sea view, on a group of islands that produces more than enough power to run itself via renewables. Traditional oil and gas locations—deserts, platforms—“are not the prettiest,” she says.

“I’ve had several of my friends in the oil and gas industry come up and they’re like, ‘how did you manage this? How can you live in such a beautiful part of the world?’

http://qz.com/637318/epiphanies-and-economics-whats-pushing-workers-out-of-oil-and-gas-and-pulling-them-into-renewables/

Even the Wall Street Journal  :o  ;D is facing the reality the fossil fuel fascists cannot accept.

As Oil Jobs Dry Up, Workers Turn to Solar Sector

Burgeoning solar projects offer opportunities for out-of-work rig hands, roustabouts and pipe fitters

http://www.wsj.com/articles/as-oil-jobs-dry-up-workers-turn-to-solar-sector-1461280612


Don't listen to the fossil fuel industry claims that they will recover. They have the "objectivity" of a cornered animal.

He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Matt 10:37

AGelbert

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Re: The Big Picture of Renewable Energy Growth
« Reply #187 on: May 09, 2016, 10:04:54 pm »
09 May 2016 | Sören Amelang, Julian Wettengel   

A new renewable record? / Study: Coal phase-out costs 71.6 billion euros

Preliminary data suggests renewable record in Germany   
SNIPPET:

Strong winds and sun all over Germany might have pushed renewable power production to a new record share on Sunday. Renewable generation covered 95 percent of German power consumption  :o      at 11 o’clock on Sunday, according to preliminary data from energy think tank Agora Energiewende*.

While power consumption is estimated at around 58 gigawatts (GW), solar provided around 26 GW, wind almost 21 GW, hydro 3 GW and biomass 5 GW. But the think tank warned final data might deviate considerably from the first estimates.

“While it is possible - or even probable - we saw a new record share of renewable energy production on Sunday, it is far from certain the share was above 90 percent,” explained press spokesperson Christoph Podewils, who noted wholesale electricity prices fell to minus 125 euros per megawatt-hour at the time.

He also said it was likely that Germany will see further records of renewable share at certain peak hours in the coming months, because solar power is nearing its yearly summer peak and total installed renewable capacity, including wind, has risen considerably compared to last year.


https://www.cleanenergywire.org/news/new-renewable-record-study-coal-phase-out-costs-716-billion-euros


He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Matt 10:37

AGelbert

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Re: The Big Picture of Renewable Energy Growth
« Reply #188 on: May 10, 2016, 04:03:48 pm »
Agelbert NOTE: This puts the LIE (i.e. less fossil fuel use means a shrinking economy  ) to the claims made by the fossil fuel industry shills like Gail Tverberg and most economists in the USA. 

Carbon Emissions Fall as U.S. Economy Grows

Climate Nexus | May 10, 2016 9:49 am

U.S. energy-related carbon dioxide emissions declined in 2015, falling 12 percent below 2005 levels due to coal-fired power plant retirements and increased use of renewables and natural gas.

The U.S. economy has expanded 15 percent since 2005 and last year was the first time since 2012 that power sector emissions fell while the economy continued to grow, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The U.S. has pledged to reduce power sector emissions 32 percent from 2005 levels by 2030.

http://ecowatch.com/2016/05/10/carbon-emissions-fall/
He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Matt 10:37

AGelbert

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Re: The Big Picture of Renewable Energy Growth
« Reply #189 on: May 11, 2016, 03:23:21 pm »
05/09/2016 12:50 PM   
     
22 Years Later, Interface  Still Leads Corporate World, Uses 96% Renewable Energy

SustainableBusiness.com News


Interface,one of the first companies in the world to set a goal of 100% renewable energy, is almost there

22 years ago, founder Ray Anderson realized what his carpet company was doing to the planet and became an evangelist for corporate sustainability. Now, Mission Zero (zero emissions) has achieved 96% renewable energy for US manufacturing plants. Worldwide, the company's total is 84%.

Interface's goal is to eliminate all negative impacts by 2020 - that's four years away! Unlike most corporations whose renewable energy comes from wind and solar, Interface gets 53% of its total energy from biogas.

"We hope that Interface's use of biogas will contribute to creating a marketplace for more innovation in renewables," says Erin Meezan, Vice President of Sustainability.

Read our article, Interface Flooring Closing In On Mission Zero.

Ray Anderson at his plant in West Point, Ga. Credit Jessica McGowan for The New York Times

We miss Ray Anderson, who passed away in 2011, a visionary and deeply caring man 

Sustainability leaders like Interface are increasing supported by major stock exchanges, like FTSE Russell's new fossil-free index, Divest-Invest Developed 200 Index . The index omits fossil companies and instead includes corporate leaders, guiding investors to companies that have "low carbon risks." 

53 major corporations have reached 50% renewable electricity  and are expected to attain 80% by 2020, such as Adobe, Autodesk, BMW Group, Coca-Cola, Google, Microsoft, IKEA, Johnson & Johnson, Mars Inc., Nestlé, Nike, Philips, Procter & G a m b l e, Starbucks, and Unilever.

At the Paris Climate Summit, 2,000 companies voluntarily submitted climate pledges to the United Nations. Unilever, for example, plans to be "carbon positive" in its operations by 2030, by running on 100% renewable energy, with 50% by 2020. As of 2014, it gets 28% of electricity from renewables.

Unilever says its sustainability efforts have saved $424 million so far, and brands that are most active, such as Dove, Lifebuoy, Ben & Jerry's and Comfort - perform the best, reports Reuters. 

Taken together, carbon emissions from the S&P 500 account for 15% of the world's total, equal to France, Germany and the UK combined, according to the S&P Dow Jones Carbon Emitter Scorecard.  And 50 of them   are responsible for 75% of those emissions  >:(, mostly in the energy, materials and utilities sectors. 

Incredibly, the collective actions of just 140 companies could get the world 65% of the way toward constraining temperature rise to 2°C.   89% of corporations are actively reducing greenhouse gas emissions compared to 49% five years ago, says CEP.

http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/index.cfm/go/news.display/id/26617

« Last Edit: June 07, 2021, 04:22:32 pm by AGelbert »
He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Matt 10:37

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Re: The Big Picture of Renewable Energy Growth
« Reply #190 on: May 13, 2016, 02:55:13 pm »
With Clean Energy Jobs Booming in Republican Districts, It’s Time to Recalibrate Climate Politics 

Keith Gaby, Environmental Defense Fund | May 13, 2016 12:23 pm

Many elected officials want to solve climate change for the same reason activists do. Rising global temperatures will be a terrible burden on our children, cost our economy trillions and cause dangerous changes to the natural world.

But winning enough votes in Congress for bold policy changes also requires raw politics—and on that score, there’s an important, under-appreciated shift that may be improving our chances.

Photo credit: Dennis Schroeder / NREL

Look at the chart below, from Morning Consult. Clean energy jobs, in the form of utility-scale wind or solar facilities, are now mostly in Republican districts.

That’s because sunshine and wind are abundant in places such as Kansas, North Carolina, Oklahoma and Texas. And rural areas, often represented by Republicans, have inexpensive land available for facilities like this.


Clean energy jobs, in other words, are no longer partisan or regional, if they ever were. Texas leads the nation in wind. North Carolina and Nevada are hot beds of solar energy.


Jobs Drive Policy, for Better or Worse


There are very few things politicians care about more than their constituents’ jobs. It’s not an exaggeration to say that job stability and growth are the lens through which they see nearly every issue.

Former Secretary of State James Baker once tried to build support in Congress for the first Gulf War by saying, of the main reason to act, “if you want to sum it up in one word, it’s jobs.”

In fact, claims about job losses were used to great effect against comprehensive climate legislation in 2009. Proponents of that argument seemed to forget the far larger economic damage from unchecked climate change, but their talking points had a big impact on nervous members of Congress.

In response, environmental activists and economists talked about the very real potential for clean energy jobs—but existing always beats potential in a political fight. And the “jobs argument” was used to increase the partisan divide on climate and clean energy issues.

But now things are changing—rapidly. 

Next time Congress considers climate legislation, the terms of the debate may be different.

Nationwide, solar jobs have grown 20 percent annually for the last three years. There are now far more jobs in that industry than in coal mining and most new electric generating capacity added last year was renewable.

Quote
Red states and congressional districts, again, are on the receiving end of a large chunk of that growth.

It could be that next time Congress considers comprehensive clean energy and climate legislation, the terms of the debate will be different. This time, the “jobs argument” would come from a bi-partisan block of politicians representing clean energy workers with real jobs.

And that might just change the whole conversation.     

http://ecowatch.com/2016/05/13/clean-energy-jobs-booming/


Rob Brown   

Rank and file Republican voters are, for whatever reasons, quickly becoming much more responsible in their views on climate change and other environmental issues than Republican politicians are. This puts the Republican party brass on the horns of a dilemma. Hopefully, the Republican party won't trot out any "Trumped up excuses" for inaction on climate change, water and air pollution and other environmental problems.

agelbert > Rob Brown

I hope you are right about the Republican party.

The bought and paid for Republicans like Lamar Smith will, however, continue to defend the "subsidies" for the fossil fuel industry welfare queens and do everything possible to prevent the desperately needed total transition to 100% Renewable Energy until they are run out of office.

Lamar Smith, like the deniers that pollute the discourse here, belong in prison.

The problem with the fossil fuel polluting status quo is that custom and prejudice accompany it and unthinking resistance to change perpetuate it. In human affairs, custom, prejudice and resistance to change are stronger than truth and logic.

That is why the fossil fuel industry did not go the way of the dodo bird decades ago.

Let us hope that common sense and prudence prevails over irrational profit over planet custom and prejudice.



He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Matt 10:37

AGelbert

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Re: The Big Picture of Renewable Energy Growth
« Reply #191 on: May 15, 2016, 03:14:41 pm »
CLEAN ENERGY JOBS vs. FOSSIL FUEL JOBS

SNIPPET 1:



LEADERS KNOW NOBODY SETS THEIR OWN HOUSE ON FIRE TO KEEP TEMPORARILY WARM, FOR WHEN THAT GLOW IS GONE, ALL WE HAVE LEFT ARE THE ASHES


SNIPPET 2:


DEVELOPING RENEWABLE POWER NOW CREATES MORE JOBS THAN DEVELOPING FOSSIL-FUEL-FIRED ELECTRIC GENERATION

Wind, solar, geothermal, & hydropower combined accounted for 84.1 % of the new US electric generating capacity (1,900 MW) in the first four months of 2015. Five natural gas units provided the rest.

Between January 2011 and the end of 2014, the U.S. added roughly 170,000 new natural resources and mining jobs, according to the payroll processing firm, ADP. But between the start of 2015 and June 30, 2015, roughly 76,000 of those jobs were eliminated. [1]

Quote

So the trend is away from fossil fuel related jobs and toward clean affordable renewable energy jobs.



INTERNATIONAL CLEAN ENERGY JOBS:

North American Clean Energy Reported: “Employment in the renewable energy sector is growing rapidly…. In 2014, an estimated 7.7 million people worldwide worked directly or indirectly in the sector.”

Noting the economic opportunity that can come from proactive climate policies needed to protect our planet and its jobs,  the International Labour Organization echoed on its blog the union slogan that “there are no jobs on a dead planet,”.


And in a similar vein, citing the publication linked on the left, global labour leader Sharan Burrow says there are millions of new jobs on a healthy one. She is general secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation, which represents over 176 million workers in 162 countries.

Wind can provide 20% of US electricity by 2030 while creating 380,000 jobs.

Click photo to link to the full “US Department of Energy “Wind Vision” report (at story link below).

MONTANA CLEAN ENERGY JOBS

The “Montana Renewable Portfolio” Report (p. 1) determined the development and operation “of wind power in Montana generated nearly $400 million in spending, and 1,400 man-years of work” between 2005 and 2015. “Excluding construction booms associated with developing wind assets, wind is estimated to” have added “close to $16 million to the annual Gross State Product and about 90 jobs to yearly employment.”

Quote
The first 10 years of wind development in Montana produced $77 million for taxes and $16 million in land leases . (p. 7)

From Montana’s Renewable Portfolio” 2015 Report by SciGaia

This was done while keeping electricity rates lower than in other states. The  “Montana Renewable Portfolio” Report (p. 2) found: “In general, rates in Montana have been 5% lower than in Mountain States; 15% below the US average, and 25% or more below the average for the Contiguous Pacific States.” And that happened despite the fact that many of those states are developing wind power that is lowering their electricity rates.

Jobs created by wind development in Montana counties are depicted in the following graphic:


APOLLO ALLIANCE/BLUE GREEN ALLIANCE

Since its founding in 2004, the Apollo Alliance, a nationwide coalition of business, labor, environmental, and community leaders,  has worked to reduce the nation’s dependence on foreign oil, cut the carbon emissions that are destabilizing the climate, and expand opportunities for American businesses and workers.

Apollo’s early report, “New Energy For America,” emphasized the positive impact of investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency on the national job market. In 2008, that report evolved into the “The New Apollo Program, Clean Energy, Good Jobs: An Economic Strategy for American Prosperity,” report involving not only the electric power sector but other sectors of our economy as well. A 2003 study done for Apollo by the Perryman Group took this down to the state level, and showed how Montana could add jobs and grow its economy through renewable energies. It projected:

•An Additional $453 Million of Economic Activity in Montana

•7,670 Jobs Created, including: •559 New Manufacturing Jobs Created

•1,230 New Construction Jobs Created

•$299 Million of Increased Income

For example, there could be 369 new Montana transportation jobs when  we use windmills to produce hydrogen from water–not coal or methane–to run our cars. Enough hydrogen can be produced from the quantity of water that  flows for 29 hours past the mouth of the Mississippi River to replace the fossil fuel used by the entire US transportation industry. [1at p. 73] For Montana that is many swallows less than would be needed in the coal-synfuel scenario once proposed for Montana, that would guzzle the Tongue River.

Other Resources:

For US Government facts about renewable energy, click HERE.

Page updated 1/23/2016


Full article evidencing the inexorable and irrefutable trend AWAY from fossil fuels jobs and TOWARDS clean energy jobs, regardless of the "1980's repeat" wishful thinking  of the fossil fuel industry.
 

https://www.mtcares.org/jobs-2/

Quote
"Hitting peak oil will come faster than any of us think. But don't blame dwindling supply — it's all about disappearing demand" Amory Lovins


He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Matt 10:37

AGelbert

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Re: The Big Picture of Renewable Energy Growth
« Reply #192 on: May 26, 2016, 02:25:08 pm »

05/25/2016 01:02 PM     

Renewable Energy Employs 8.1 Million People Worldwide, Up 21% in US Wind & Solar

SustainableBusiness.com News

While employment in fossil fuels is declining, it is rising in renewable energy worldwide.

 In renewables, there are about 400,000 more jobs than this time last year - growing 5% to 8.1 million people employed, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). In 2014, the industry grew even faster at 18%.

The top countries for renewable energy jobs are the US, China, Japan, Brazil, India and Germany, and solar PV is the biggest employer, employing 2.8 million people in manufacturing, installation and maintenance. Biofuels comes next with 1.7 million jobs, followed by wind power, with 1.1 million global jobs.

If country climate pledges are met, there will be over 24 million jobs by 2030, IRENA projects.

In the US, employment in renewable energy rose 6% over the past year, while dropping 18% in oil and gas. In China, renewable energy employs 3.5 million people compared to 2.6 million in oil and gas.

Renewable Energy Jobs May 2016 (graphic at article link)

Findings of Renewable Energy and Jobs - Annual Review 2016:
 
• Solar PV jobs rose 11% last year, mostly in Japan and the US. Employment is stable in China, and is down in the European Union. In the US, solar jobs grew 22%.

• Wind jobs rose 5%, mostly in the US, China and Germany. Employment in the US rose 21%.

• China leads on renewable energy employment with 3.5 million jobs, since a third of the world's installations were there in 2015.

• In the EU, Germany employs as many people as the UK, France and Italy combined. Because of the weak economy, jobs in renewables declined for the fourth year in the EU.

Read our article, 70% Renewable Energy Possible By 2030, says World Survey.

Download Renewable Energy and Jobs - Annual Review 2016   
 
Website: bit.ly/1TrVO5o

http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/index.cfm/go/news.display/id/26634
He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Matt 10:37

AGelbert

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Re: The Big Picture of Renewable Energy Growth
« Reply #193 on: May 27, 2016, 05:19:32 pm »
Quote
2. You may explain your answer to question 1 here.

All energy scenarios with 100% ER requires a strong decrease of consumption  .  Who wants that?

Amory Lovins and yours truly disagree with the premise that ALL 100% Renewable Energy Scenarios require a strong decrease of consumption. Yes, much less ENERGY will be used, but the assumed sine qua non correlation of less energy with dead people and lower standard of living is what I strongly find fault with.

As I stated in the survey (and Amory Lovins has fastidiously laid out in peer reviewed, hard ball, no details left out published plans to transition to 100% Renewable Energy STEP BY STEP), about 3 billion people would probably die needlessly IF an overnight transition to RE occurred.

HOWEVER, if the transition matches manufacturing replacement of vehicles and other machines with RE infrastructure over a ten to 15 year period, nobody has to die and, although CONSUMPTION of fossil fuels and nuclear power goes to a statistically insignificant amount, the STANDARD of LIVING is actually IMPROVED while the ENERGY CONSUMED is reduced over 80% from EFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENTS in the use of the available Renewable Energy.

Amory Lovins does not DO "pie in the sky". AND NEITHER DO I!   

He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Matt 10:37

AGelbert

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Re: The Big Picture of Renewable Energy Growth
« Reply #194 on: May 28, 2016, 06:29:51 pm »
05/24/2016 04:08 PM     

Ontario Moves On Climate, Providing a Model for All
SustainableBusiness.com News

As Ontario enshrined its climate plan into law, Environment minister Glen Murray said it "marks the start of the next chapter in Ontario's transformation to an innovative and prosperous low-carbon economy."

Canada's most populous province will spend over $7 billion over the next four years to implement its 57-page Climate Change Action Plan. It contains about 80 policies, each with a price tag, for 2017-2021. The big goal is to cut greenhouse gas emissions 15% by 2020, 37% by 2030 and 80% by 2050, from 1990 levels.

They've already shuttered all coal plants and by 2030, fossil fuels, including natural gas   , will not be allowed for heating  ;D . New building codes require all new homes heated by geothermal or electricity by 2030, and incentives will encourage efficiency upgrades in existing buildings. All homes sold must first have an energy audit. Rebates for electric vehicles will help meet the goal of 5% of all vehicles sold by 2020 and 12% by 2025.

Much of money needed to implement the plan will come from the province's cap-and-trade program, which starts next year.  It will be linked with the Western Climate Initiative, which consists of California and Quebec. A new Green Bank will finance many programs.

What Ontario will look like in 2050, taken from the Climate Change Action Plan:



According to The Globe & Mail:
 
•$3.8 billion in grants, rebates and other subsidies to retrofit buildings

•Up to $14,000 in rebates to buy an electric vehicle and up to $1000 for a home charger; subsidies for lower income families to get older cars off the road and free overnight electricity to charge vehicles at public outlets.  Funding will also help schools switch to electric buses and trucking companies to cleaner trucks. The regional rail network will be enhanced, as will bicycle infrastructure, such as separte bike lanes and parking at train stations. Total cost: $1.1 billion.
•Gasoline and diesel will have to have 5% lower lifecycle emissions by 2020. Natural gas will have to be derived from more renewable sources, such as biogas.

•$375 million for cleantech R&D, about half of which is for a Global Centre for Low-Carbon Mobility.

•$1.2 billion to help industry buy more energy efficient equipment and other measures to reduce emissions.

•$174 million to make the government carbon neutral through building upgrades, telecommuting, and carbon offset purchases.

"By 2050, we envision Ontarians will be using less energy and the energy we do use will be from low-carbon sources.
Communities will be climate-resilient, complete and compact. More people will choose electric or other zero-emission vehicles and transit to get swiftly and efficiently where they need to go. Agricultural lands, natural areas and ecosystems will be better protected for the benefit and enjoyment of all, including First Nations and Métis peoples who rely on our shared natural environment for sustainment and spiritual benefit.

"Ontario that will be employing new ways to reduce waste while ensuring that more of the waste produced is reintroduced to the economy. Industries will be thriving while generating fewer or zero emissions. Businesses and innovators will be creating world-leading clean technologies and products that drive new economic growth, productivity, and job creation. We must do it. We can do it. And we will do it, together," says Murray. 

Learn more: 


Website: www.ontario.ca/page/climate-change
He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Matt 10:37

 

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