Opening the doors for renewable energy development

I am hoping that the incoming president understands the importance of developing our renewable energy potential in the US. It is critical to protect our economy from oil shocks and from foreign entanglements. And of course it is essential to halt global warming.

There is also a huge opportunity: demand is growing and prices are coming down significantly as we realize economies of scale and move down the learning curve. There are manufactuers, developers, and investors waiting to jump as the climate is right.

Here is a list of a few things that would make a huge difference:

• Mapping out and clearing the way for the development of transmission corridors. There is not the transmission capacity in place where the new renewable power is locaeted (e.g. rural New Mexico).
• Providing new rebates and incentives at the federal level for the installation of systems like those implemented by Germany and California
• Putting money in the research and development of the "smart green grid." This is a grid that can handle the unique power profiles of renewable sources. This means adding storage, sensors and controls to better manage the power.
• Putting money into a low interest energy efficiency loan fund so that individuals, companies and institutions can make the investments in improving their buildings thatmight otherwise be out of reach. Pushing on building codes to include performance standards for energy efficiency (e.g. HERS rating).
• Raise fuel economy standards and require the deployment of electric vehicles and other zero emission vehicles
• Rewrite the laws governing electrical utilities so that they are required to use renewable energy and to allow it to be transmitted over their lines.

Some people I talk to think that private investors can take care of installing all of the transmisison lines that we will need. Others think we need a federal program (could be modeled after either the interstate highway system or the expansion of the railroads) to stimulate and guide it. This needs to be investigated and the correct solution applied so that transmission lines get installed quickly and widely. This will create a boom in renewable energy development, which will in turn attract manufacturing and service jobs related to the solar and wind components that are required. As transportation costs go up, it becomes a better idea to locate manufacturing near installations, especially for large, heavy equipment like that required for solar and wind installations.