This book examines the role of renewable energy certificates in new renewable energy projects. For more than a decade, renewable energy certificates (RECs) have grown in use, becoming a common way to track ownership of the renewable and environmental attributes of renewable electricity generation. RECs are used widely, and are often required, to verify utility compliance with state renewable portfolio standards (RPs) and to substantiate claims made by voluntary purchasers of green power. In recent years, however, questions have risen about the role RECs play in the decision to build new renewable energy projects. Critics point to the uncertain demand for and, in some cases, low prices of RECs as evidence that RECs do not make a meaningful contribution in favour of building a new project. Others counter that any revenue source, large or small, contributes to making new projects profitable and also attracts investment to the broader industry.

India has 150GW of renewable energy potential, about half in the form of small hydropower, biomass, and wind and half in solar, cogeneration, and waste-to-energy. Developing renewable energy can help India increase its energy security, reduce the adverse impacts on the local environment, lower its carbon intensity, contribute to more balanced regional development, and realize its aspirations for leadership in high-technology industries. This study aims to answers critical questions on why renewable energy development is relevant in Indian context, on how much development is economically feasible, and on what needs to be done to realize the potential. The Report is based on data from nearly 180 wind, biomass, and small hydropower projects in 20 states, as well as information from the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) and the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC). The Report suggests that about 3GW of renewable energy - all from small hydropower is conomically feasible, when the avoided cost of coal-based generation of Rs 3.08/kWh is considered. About 59GW of renewable energy in wind, biomass, and small hydropower is available at less than Rs 5/kWh. The entire cumulative capacity of 68GW in these three technologies can be harnessed at less than Rs 6/kWh. About 62GW-90 percent of cumulative renewable capacity in wind, biomass, and small hydropower-is economically feasible when the environmental premiums on coal are brought into consideration. Realizing the need to bridge this gap, the government has set an ambitious target of installing at least 40GW of additional capacity of renewables in the next 10 years. India has made tremendous strides in establishing overarching policy framework and institutions to bring renewable in the mainstream of energy mix, but significant financial, infrastructure and regulatory barriers to renewable energy development remain which the report sheds light on and suggests possible solutions.

Today, the energy sources used to create electricity differ in many ways, including in their environmental impacts. In the United States, electricity is most often generated using fossil or nuclear fuels -- forms of power generation that can have detrimental effects on human health and the environment through air emissions and other problems. Despite advances in pollution controls over the last 30 years, this conventional power generation is still the nation's single largest source of industrial air pollution and is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. Electricity markets now offer cleaner ways of producing power, however, and give many consumers the ability to choose how their power is generated. One of these choices is power from renewable sources, or "green power". This book is a guide to purchasing green power and a summary of federal renewable energy and energy efficiency programs.

Pressing economic, energy security, and environmental concerns are driving rapid growth in global investments in renewable energy, energy efficiency, and other clean energy technologies. The U.S. government has an unparalleled opportunity to join forces with the private sector, international institutions, and other countries to accelerate this global clean energy market transformation and capture vital domestic benefits. This book examines how U.S. international clean energy leadership can produce enormous benefits domestically and internationally.

As demand for energy increases, many communities are seeking ways to meet this demand with clean, safe, reliable energy from renewable sources such as sun and wind. Fortunately, many of the key technologies that can unlock the power of these renewable resources are available on the market today. While the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) continues to fund research and development (R&D) to improve solar technologies, DOE is also focusing on accelerating a robust nationwide market for the currently available technologies. Advances in solar technology, an increase in federal and state tax incentives, and creative new financing models have made solar projects including community solar projects, more financially feasible. This book focuses on the availability of solar power for communities along with a guidance for local stockholders. (Imprint: Nova)

Legislative mandates and incentives, volatility in oil prices and new research and technological advances are driving the expectation of major increases in the production of biofuels from cellulosic biomass. The term "sustainability" has been defined as the meeting of needs of present and future generations. Sustainable biofuel production is economically competitive, conserves the natural resource base and ensures social well-being. This book explores critical research areas and knowledge gaps relevant to the environmental, economic and social dimensions of biofuel sustainability. It also underscores the critical need for a common socioeconomic framework to develop a systems-level understanding for how these dimensions interact across different spatial scales, from the small plot or farm to regional to very large scales such as political, national and global scales.

During his 25 January 2011 State of the Union speech, President Obama proposed a Clean Energy Standard (CES) policy framework that would result in 80% of U.S. electricity generation coming from "clean energy" sources by 2035. "Clean energy," as described by President Obama, would include renewables, nuclear power and partial credits for clean coal and efficient natural gas. This book examines the design elements of previous CES proposals, summarizes the Administration's CES policy framework, provides state-level baseline CES compliance analysis, and presents several policy options that Congress might consider as part of a CES debate.

The financial challenges facing clean energy installations

The path to the widespread adoption of renewable energy is littered with major technological legal, political, and financial challenges. "Investing in the Renewable Power Market" is a reality check for the mass roll out of green energy and its financial dominance of the world energy market, focusing on real energy costs and global energy needs over the next decade. If green energy is to be truly successful, the market must be properly understood, so that dreams of a green future do not lead to actual energy nightmares.

The first book to cover the major investing challenges and monetary constraints placed on electric power companies as they race to meet their green energy requirements, "Investing in the Renewable Power Market" explains how generating electricity is totally different from other energy enterprises in that it is highly regulated and its product cannot be stored. This combination greatly affects the finances of renewable power and influences how investors should navigate the energy market. To help the reader better understand the current state of the alternative energy industry, the book: Details the challenges facing green energy, such as the fact that it is priced compared to natural gas, which is currently at an all-time lowAnalyzes real energy costs and the global demand for energy over the next decadeDescribes why, in the short term, investment opportunities with renewable power will be with financial and operational restructurings

The green energy market is currently facing enormous challenges, but "Investing in the Renewable Power Market" explains the real costs of energy, the future of the energy market, and how to profit in both the long and short term.

Conflict Resolution of the Boruca Hydro-Energy Project is a case study that aims to profile best practices for sustainable development, indigenous human rights, and conflict resolution. In 2003, a joint project was developed between the United Nations University of Peace and the International Peace and Conflict Resolution program at Arcadia University to study the Boruca hydroelectrical conflict in Costa Rica. The aim was to bring together theory and practice and to reveal the link between peace and conflict resolution and sustainable development. Through partnerships with the Kan Tan Ecological Project and the indigenous communities in the region, and field studies to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and local Civil Society Organizations, faculty and students utilized the mediation framework to identify the needs and interests of the primary conflict stakeholders. Conflict Resolution of the Boruca Hydro-Energy Project represents the culmination of this fieldwork and tests the mediation framework as suitable model for the resolution of environmental conflicts in Latin America. The Boruca project, proposed in the 1970s by the state-run corporation Instituto Costarricense De Electridad (ICE), will build a dam in the Boruca Canyon, changing the flow of the Terraba River and creating an artificial lake of 25.000 hectares. The largest of its kind in Central America, this project will generate approximately 1,500 megawatts and increase Costa Rica's energy production capability by as much as 50%. For ICE, not only will the project satisfy national electrical demand, it will also stimulate economic growth, assist in the development of new technological corridors and new tourism projects, increase employment opportunities, and improve the quality of life for indigenous peoples living in Boruca area. For the indigenous population, however, the project represents a violation of their fundamental human rights since it will force the relocation of 2,000 to 3,000 indigenous peoples, flood areas of archeological and cultural significance to them, and affect their livelihood due to the resulting changes in the biodiversity. They also fear the social and environmental impacts of more tourism in the area. The increasingly dysfunctional communication between the Boruca people and ICE over the past 30 years has led to a breakdown of trust and a stalling of the project's development. Conflict Resolution of the Boruca Hydro-Energy Project follows these conflicts and the process by which the government-owned utility tried to find common ground between all stakeholders. Ultimately, it tests the mediation framework as an appropriate approach to the resolution of development conflicts, exploring the transferability of this approach to other countries in Latin America. This case study provides unique insights into Latin American environmental and development politics and will be of interest to any student, faculty, or policymaker looking to assess the mediation framework.

This book explores the land cover, renewable energy and natural gas issues facing Alaska today. The land surface of Alaska is sparsely populated and the impacts from humans are far less extensive when compared to the contiguous United States. A brief survey of renewable energy technologies applicable to Alaska's climate, latitude, geography, and geology is also discussed as are Alaska's natural renewable energy resources and which renewable energy technologies would be most productive. This book also provides a review of the history of efforts to develop an Alaskan natural gas pipeline, including project status, recent developments, and the current project outlook.

Climate change threatens to derail development, even as development pumps ever-greater quantities of carbon dioxide into an atmosphere already polluted with two centuries of Western emissions. The World Bank, with a newly-articulated Strategic Framework on Development and Climate Change, must confront these entangled threats in helping its clients to carve out a sustainable growth path. This evaluation assesses the Bank's experience with key win-win policies in the energy sector.

Today the energy sources used to create electricity differ in many ways, including in their environmental impacts. In the United States, conventional means of electricity generation use fossil or nuclear fuels--forms of power generation that impact human health and the environment through air emissions and other effects. Despite advances in pollution controls over the last 30 years, conventional power generation is still the nation's single largest source of industrial air pollution. Electricity markets are changing, however, offering cleaner ways of producing power and giving many consumers the ability to choose how their power is generated. One of these choices is power from renewable sources that is marketed as green power. Innovative organisations are encouraging the use of these new sources of green power and, at the same time, are reducing their own impact on the environment. In some parts of the United States, the deregulation of electricity has enabled consumers to choose the provider of their electric power and thus to buy green power from their chosen supplier. In regulated markets, too, hundreds of utilities now offer their customers the opportunity to purchase green power through green-pricing" programs. Even in areas where consumers cannot buy green power directly, renewable energy certificates (RECs) are available in every state to allow consumers to support green power. While no form of electric power generation is completely benign, electricity generated from renewable resources such as solar, wind, geothermal, small and low-impact hydro power, and biomass has proved to be environmentally preferable to electricity generated from conventional energy sources such as coal, oil, nuclear, and natural gas. The Guide to Purchasing Green Power focuses on electricity generated from renewable energy resources, both delivered through the grid and generated on-site. By buying green power instead of conventional power, consumers can reduce the environmental impact caused by their use of electricity and fossil fuel. For instance, on average, every kilowatt-hour (kWh) of renewable power avoids the emission of more than one pound of carbon dioxide. Because of the sheer quantities of energy involved, consumers of a large amount of electricity may have an enormous environmental impact. If the typical commercial facility switched to 100 percent renewable power or used RECs to offset emissions, this could amount to thousands of tons of emissions avoided each year. A wide range of organisations have purchased green power: federal, state, and local governments; universities; businesses; nonprofits; and individual consumers. By purchasing green power, these organisations are both helping the environment and meeting their own environmental goals. The many other benefits to buying green power range from financial benefits to public relations and even national security. As of the end of 2003, nearly 1,650 megawatts(MW) of new renewable generating capacity had been added to meet the United States' demand for green power. This capacity is enough to meet the annual electricity needs of more than 500,000 houses. Leading organisations are finding that green power is an effective part of a strategic energy management plan to achieve environmental, financial, and other goals. Successful energy management plans are often a "portfolio analysis" that considers options such as energy efficiency, load management, power purchases, on-site generation, and non-electric (thermal) energy needs. As with any investment portfolio, the best mix of these options depends on the particular situation. Because buying green power is still relatively uncommon in today's energy markets and because these markets offer a wide range of choices, this book provides leading-research for organisations that have decided to buy green power but want help in figuring out how to do it, as well as for organisations that are still considering the merits of buying green power.

In the future, the UK's energy supplies, for both heat and power, will come from much more diverse sources. In many cases, this will mean local energy projects serving a local community or even a single house. What technologies are available? Where and at what scale can they be used? How can they work effectively with our existing energy networks? This book explores these power and heat sources, explains the characteristics of each and examines how they can be used.

The rapid growth of wind generation has many implications for power system planning, operation and control. This would have been a considerable challenge for the old nationalised power companies; it has become an even greater challenge in today's liberalised electricity markets. Network development, voltage rise, protection, monitoring and control are connection problems common to all wind power generation. These issues are addressed through an understanding of the basic electrical engineering concepts and wind power technology. When wind power approaches 10 percent of all generation, it impinges on system operation. The underlying principles of system balancing are presented, before considering the impact of many variable generation sources whose outputs are difficult to predict. Wind power forecasting is crucial to successful wind power integration, and basic theory and current practice are considered. Storage can also help but it needs to be low cost and, ideally, based on intelligent use of existing load. Finally, electricity markets are explained and the commercial challenges facing wind power are assessed. The book provides a wide-ranging discussion on all major aspects of wind power integration into electricity supply systems. It requires no specialist knowledge and will appeal to engineers from various disciplines looking for an overview of a technology that is providing a major impetus for sustainable electricity supply in the twenty-first century.

What if the solution to the climate crisis is . . . capitalism? Our age will be defined by the climate emergency. But contrary to the doomist narrative that's taken hold, the world has already begun deploying the solutions needed to deal with it. On a journey across five continents, Climate Capitalism tracks the unlikely heroes driving the fight against climate change. From the Chinese bureaucrat who did more to make electric cars a reality than Elon Musk, to the Danish students who helped to build the world's longest-operating wind turbine, or the American oil executive building the technology that can reverse climate damages, we meet the people working to scale technologies that are finally able to bend the emissions curve. Through stories that bring people, policy and technology together, Akshat Rathi reveals how the green economy is not only possible, but profitable. This inspiring blend of business, science, and history provides the framework for ensuring that future generations can live in prosperity and that the wheels of progress don't falter.

Solarenergie ist die Basis f r eine nachhaltige Wirtschaftsweise. Die Liberalisierung der Elektrizit tsindustrie stellt die Stromerzeugung aus erneuerbaren Energien vor eine gro e Herausforderung. Solarstrom gilt als teuer und nicht wirtschaftlich. Dieses Buch untersucht die konomischen Aspekte von kleinen dezentralen Photovoltaikanlagen, die auch von Konsumenten betrieben werden k nnen. Der Autor entwickelt eine Marktstrategie, die es kleinen kommunalen Energieversorgern erlaubt, mit erneuerbaren Energien in einem zuk nftigen freien Stromwettbewerb zu bestehen. Aktuelle Fallstudien aus Deutschland und den USA illustrieren die Chancen und Herausforderungen f r eine umweltfreundliche Energieversorgung mit Solarstrom. Mit zahlreichen Abbildungen, Tabellen und einem englisch-deutschen W rterverzeichnis.

Climate change is no longer deniable. Neither is the fact that greenhouse gas emissions due to human activities need to be mitigated. The question is how to rapidly transit to an increasingly low-carbon world while essentially sustaining the quality of life of the fortunate and providing better lives for the less fortunate.The challenge is to decarbonize both energy consumption and production with electricity at the core of energy systems.Perhaps Energia, a fictitious country whose 50 million inhabitants endorse climate change objectives and that embodies the energy mutations proposed by the authors, has the answers. Along with Energia, four families living in Africa, America, Asia and Europe who represent us, the consumer, set the stage for the book's discussions.On the user front, the presentation primarily focuses on energy consumption at home and for transport. On the energy production front, the focus shifts to the integration of renewables with fossil and nuclear energy. The book's coverage includes crucial systemic issues related to energy storage, electric power systems and multi-energy systems. In a dedicated chapter, the authors put forward their energy and environmental public policy observations and proposals, including a carbon fee scheme.Electricity is written for readers interested and concerned by the environmental and energy challenges we face, and who seek to participate, as well-informed citizens, in discussions on future energy-related options. The book provides a balanced, factual and unemotional presentation of readily available energy systems and technologies which, when widely deployed, can contribute, both short and long term, toward a low-carbon and electricity-centered world.

Climate change is perhaps among the most serious challenges that humankind has ever faced and perhaps the greatest market failure the world has ever seen. At the same time, clean unutilised energy resources around the world are available that could help remedy climate and environmental problems while also improving peoples lives. It is likely that most of the increased demand for energy in the future will be in the developing and emerging world. This is also where most unutilised clean energy sources are located. The challenge of climate change requires strong comprehensive and firm action from the international community. Clean energy projects tend to be large, capital intensive and long term. They require long term commitment from all the players involved as well as mutual trust. International financial institutions (IFIs), including the World Bank Group and regional development banks can play a key role in promoting the use of clean energy sources by facilitating clean energy investment in developing and emerging markets. This book focuses on those challenges, mainly using geothermal energy projects as examples, but also by providing an example of a large hydropower project to illustrate how the funding and risk mitigation instruments of IFIs, as well as national agencies such as export credit agencies (ECA)s, have been used to mobilise funds in a difficult investment environment. The book is divided into eleven chapters. Chapter One discusses the current global investment regime and the absence of an international organisation for investments comparable to the World Trade Organization that focuses on cross border trade. Chapter Two examines the World Bank Group and its emphasis on loans instead of guarantees for capital mobilisation. Chapter Three discusses international financial institutions, including regional development banks and their risk mitigation instruments. Chapter Four focuses on how IFIs can make more use of their instruments to support cross border clean energy projects in developing and emerging economies. Chapter Five assesses the effectiveness of the risk mitigation instruments used by the World Bank Group. Chapter Six analyses the upfront development costs associated with geothermal development and geothermal projects. Chapter Seven analyses the costs and benefits of deploying public-private partnerships for clean energy projects. Chapter Eight focuses on contested multilateralism and the recent establishment of new international financial institutions under Chinese leadership, i.e. the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the New Development (BRICS) Bank. Chapter Nine examines Iceland with its geothermal cluster as well as how developing and emerging countries could learn from Icelands experience. Chapter Ten analyses selected cross border clean energy projects, including geothermal and hydropower, and shows how various funding and risk mitigation instruments have been used in practice. Chapter Eleven stresses the urgency for global action to address the climate crisis facing humankind. Finally, the concluding chapter shows how international financial institutions can be key instruments for successful global climate solutions. The book draws on the authors experience in three continents (Africa, Asia and Europe) as a staff member of the World Bank Group.

In the United States, growing awareness of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and the possible implications for global climate change have combined with recent high energy prices and economic uncertainty to rekindle interest in renewable energy. Renewable energy technologies generate electricity from resources such as the sun, wind, or biomass, with essentially no net GHG emissions. President Obama has declared a goal for the United States to become the world's leading exporter of renewable energy technologies, setting out policy objectives for the development of related "green jobs". This book discusses what "green job" are, and provides highlights on challenges of targeted training programs for emerging industries.

This book examines 2011 trends in the U.S. "voluntary" markets - those in which consumers and institutions purchase renewable energy to match their electricity needs on a voluntary basis. This review uses available data sources to capture 2011 voluntary market trends, status and options.

Increasing dependence on foreign sources of crude oil, concerns over global climate change, and the desire to promote domestic rural economies have raised interest in renewable biofuels as an alternative to petroleum in the U.S. transportation sector. However, energy from renewable sources has historically been more expensive to produce and use than fossil-fuel based energy. U.S. policymakers have attempted to overcome this economic impediment by enacting an increasing number of policies since the late 1970s, at both the state and federal levels, to directly support U.S. biofuels production and use. This book reviews the evolution of the U.S. biofuels sector and the role that federal policy plays in shaping its development.

Accelerating energy innovation could be an important part of an effective response to the threat of climate change. Written by a stellar group of experts in the field, this book complements existing research on the subject with an exploration of the role that public and private policy have played in enabling--and sustaining--swift innovation in a variety of industries, from agriculture and the life sciences to information technology. Chapters highlight the factors that have determined the impact of past policies, and suggest that effectively managed federal funding, strategies to increase customer demand, and the enabling of aggressive competition from new firms are important ingredients for policies that affect innovative activity.

This book looks at U.S. biobased products and their market potential. This study is based upon data and assumptions as of 2006 which were used to identify the market potential for biobased products -- their production volumes and applications -- through the year 2025. Market penetration was assessed based on information available through April 2006 and benchmark assumptions with respect to factors such as policy, biobased feedstock prices, and energy prices. Recent results of the benchmark assumptions, however, have not materialised; corn prices have increased, the market prices for biofuels are lower, and the infrastructure costs continue to increase. If such trends that lead to low profit margins continue, there will be a slowing effect on the biofuels industry. Furthermore, with the dynamic nature of the biobased industry affecting short term developments, the long term trends toward 2025 could vary widely based upon future policy, research, and market developments. Such potential outcomes are discussed in this book.

Rising energy prices and concern over greenhouse gas emissions have focused congressional attention on energy alternatives, including wind power. Although wind power currently provides only a small fraction of U.S. energy needs, it is growing more rapidly than any other electricity source. Wind energy already plays a significant role in several European nations, and countries like China and India are rapidly expanding their capacity both to manufacture wind turbines and to integrate wind power into their electricity grids. This book describes utility-scale wind power issues in the United States as well as background on wind energy, wind resources and technology, industry composition and trends, wind power economics and policy issues. Other policy questions, such as federal funding for wind research and development, and siting and permitting requirements, are also outlined.