Cathy Boone's blog

The clean energy movement has an unfortunate history of sacrificing the “good” in search of the “perfect” solution. Here’s an example: Kevin Costner (yes, the actor) reacted to the Exxon Valdez oil spill by investing over $24 million in a company that makes high speed centrifuge machines that can separate oil from water at the source of an oil spill. So, rather than having to skim the oil off the water or collect and transport massive mixtures of oil and water, the machines sends clean water back into the ocean on site and collect oil on the tanker. That way, the oil never reaches land, which greatly reduces the impact on wetlands, birds and sea life.

Sounds great, right? Not so fast.

With last week’s withdrawal of the climate bill, many pundits have opined that now is the time to push “pause” on the climate change movement’s efforts to curb carbon emissions – fearing the midterm elections and industry’s failure to unite behind the bill. But I think it’s a time to rethink the existing regulation and opportunities for promoting a clean tech and reduced carbon economy — sans heart-wrenching legislation. How?

This weekend I participated in the Aspen Institute’s Clean Energy Economy Roundtable. And maybe the high altitude is going to my head, but I spent 36 hours with folks deeply committed to and confident in achieving carbon reduction.

At its recent Utility Solar Conference, the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) announced the below lists of the top ten U.S. utilities with high solar integration in 2009 and top ten cumulative solar utilities. 

There’s good news and bad news with these list.

1. Did you know 37 countries have legally binding Renewable Energy Standards? The United States (U.S.) isn’t one. How is that possible!!!

2. Six percent of the U.S.’s energy is spent moving water around. In California, it’s 20%. Wow. That’s a lot.

Long term and consistent public policy is the most important catalyst to growing the domestic clean tech industry, argued leaders of government and industry at the RETECH 2010 plenary sessions in Washington, D.C. today. Kicking off this theme was Under Secretary of Energy, Dr. Kristina Johnson, who’s leading the DOE’s research funding efforts to spur investment in solar, wind, biofuels, and other renewable technologies.