This Year In Clean Energy - What A Ride

RenewableEnergyWorld.com
December 22, 2009
by Scott Sklar, The Stella Group

The year 2009 started off with a bang for the clean energy industries -- encompassing energy efficiency, renewable energy, clean distributed generation -- for manufacturers, project developers, installers -- the whole family of industries. President Obama assumed office in January '09 and by February the Stimulus Bill (ARRA) was signed into law, extending the portfolio of clean energy tax credits, but also setting in motion billions of dollars of loan guarantees and grants.

President Obama has made clean technology and cleantech jobs a centerpiece of his Administration, and I attended one public meeting during the first week of December where Secretary of Interior Salazaar, VA Governor Kaine (also head of the Democratic National Committee), and Cathy Zoi, USDOE Assistant Secretary EE/RE, all waxed eloquently on why fast adoption and scale-up of clean technologies are essential in order to create jobs, supplant energy imports and reduce emissions.

Congressional leadership has driven both energy and climate legislation; and even allowing a temporary installation of two U.S.-made wind turbines (one by Mariah Power and the other by Southwest Windpower) to remain at the base of the U.S. Capitol on the grounds of the U.S. botanical gardens — clearly symbolic of the commitment to clean energy technologies.

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