Global Leaders to Tackle Renewable Energy Challenges

 

The U.S. government next week will roll out the red carpet for world leaders in renewable energy at the largest gathering of its kind in the nation's capital.

The Washington International Renewable Energy Conference (WIREC) brings together government, NGO, and private sector executives from more than 70 countries to discuss the challenges and opportunities of renewable energy. The conference (March 4-6) includes ministerial-level meetings, panels, a trade show, and more than 80 side events covering renewable energy's impact on transportation, agriculture, the power grid, and local, state and federal policies.

Mike Eckhart, President of sponsoring organization the ACORE, says WIREC will provide a more accurate picture of where America stands in renewable energy development.

"The value of the conference is to raise awareness that renewable energy is being adopted at rates in other countries that we wouldn't believe," Eckhart said. "U.S. consumers think we are the leaders, but we're not." Eckhart said companies in Germany, Spain, China and elsewhere have boosted their economies by successfully commercializing technologies originally developed here but "put on a shelf."

While the U.S. has always led in technology, we have fallen behind because Congress has funded renewable technology research and development but has not instituted policies that spur marketplace adoption, according to Eckhart. Federal agencies including the departments of Agriculture, Commerce and Energy departments have been more effective than Congress in promoting renewable energy, he said.

The House of Representatives could vote soon on a bill extending the investment and production tax credits for wind and solar energy due to expire at the end of the year. Eckhart said a law making the credits last more than 2-3 years is a necessity for investors. "Wall Street wants predictability and stability," he said, adding that a 20 year credit would be best. "It is unconscionable that congress is putting end dates on the new thing they are trying to encourage," he says.

WIREC enables department heads and government leaders from around the world to share their challenges so that they can learn from each and be motivated by learning that they aren't operating alone. During the conference announcements about international partnerships and investments are likely to be made. Eckhart expects that the government's Overseas Private Investment Corporation will make a significant announcement about renewable energy investment during the conference.

A who's who of leaders from the federal agencies co-hosting the event will be speaking including:

Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer
Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne
Energy Secretary Sam Bodman
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Stephen Johnson
Along with these agencies, the departments of State and Commerce, NASA and the White House Council on Environmental Quality are also co-sponsoring the event.

The hosts are inviting attending nations to make pledges about their use of renewable energy in advance of the conference. The Danish government has pledged to:

- Reduce the use of fossil fuels by a minimum of 15% by 2025
- Increase the share of renewable energy to at least 30% of energy consumption by 2025
- Increase energy efficiency by 1.4% per year from 2010 to 2025.
- Double funds for research and development of new energy technologies by 2010

Other questions to be discussed at WIREC include renewable energy's ability to replace coal, how to strengthen the power grid with solar and wind, as well as the interaction between biofuel and gasoline prices.

The pressure is also on congress and the Bush Administration to pass a law that would extend the federal tax credits for wind and solar energy that are due to expire at the end of the year. Congressional leaders might use the venue to call for prompt action as it could be seen as hypocritical for the U.S. to bring world leaders together when it doesn't have its own house in order.

Also speaking at the event will be renewable energy and political luminaries including:

Christopher Flavin, President, WorldWatch
Nancy Floyd, Founder and Managing Partner, Nth Power
Vinod Khosla, Founder and CEO, Khosla Ventures and Sun Microsystems
George E. Pataki, Former Governor of New York,
Tim Pawlenty, Governor of Minnesota
Jeffrey Sachs, Director, Earth Institute
Nobuo Tanaka, Director General of International Energy Agency
Mayors from cities around the world

(Matter Network will be out in force covering the event and has been selected as an official media partner.)