The DOE is holding webinars at 12pm PST on Sept 1 and Sept 9 to discuss the application process for the new renewable energy Manufacturing Loan Guarantee Program. Click here to download the announcement and registration instructions.

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The U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) in Golden, Colorado has released a report titled "A Policy Makers Guide to Feed-in Tariff Design", which offers an in-dept analysis of feed-in tariff (FIT) policies in place around the world and their effectiveness in achieving specific outcomes. FITs, policy mechanisms under which electrical grid utilities are obliged to buy renewable energy from producers that connect their generation source to the grid, vary greatly in their design. The 150-page report explores different policy options in great detail.

NREL identifies the following as elements that make FIT policies successful:

• Long-term policy stability,
• Payments based on the cost of generation,
• Differentiating tariffs by technology, size, location, and resource intensity
• Guaranteed access to the grid,
• Eligibility to all end users and project developers, including some utilities, and a
• "Must take" provisions for the electricity generated.

The report addresses common critiques of FIT policy mechanisms. NREL counters the claim that FITs harm competitiveness with evidence from Europe that shows FITs actually spur private sector development in renewable energy. It emphasizes that inconsistent implementation and/or lack of long-term policy commitment tend to greatly undermine the chance of success of a FIT policy regime.

For more on this report see commentary by Sustainable Business here. Download a .pdf of the full NREL report here.

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On Monday, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) announced that the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has approved release of grant funding for the $178 million Pacific Northwest Smart Grid Demonstration Project that will create an estimated 500 jobs statewide. The project team, led by Battelle Memorial Institute with partners including the Bonneville Power Administration, utilities across the Pacific Northwest, leading smart grid companies, and the University of Washington and Washington State University - was awarded the $88.8 million grant in Nov. 2009 for Smart Grid Demonstration Project, which totals $178 with matching funds.

The project seeks to improve the region's electricity grid by installing new infrastructure to greatly enhance operational efficiency, provide energy consumers with real-time information and greater control over their energy use, with the goal of improving the overall energy efficiency system-wide and minimizing increases in the cost of power. Today's announcement signals the release of the approximately 96 percent of the funds outstanding based on approval of the team's project plan by the DOE.

A Pacific Northwest consortium consisting of Boeing, Alaska Airlines, Washington State University, and Sea-Tac, Portland and Spokane airports announced a project entitled he "Sustainable Aviation Fuels Northwest" that will will look at biomass options within a four-state area as possible sources for creating renewable jet fuel.

The project, which is jointly funded by participating entities, will begin in July and is expected to be completed in six months.  This study is the first of its kind in the US and will look at the sustainability of all aspects of the creation and use of a low-carbon, renewable jet fuel in the Pacific Northwest.

You can read the announcement from Alaska Airlines here.

Infinia Corporation, Kennewick, WA, and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratories, Richland, WA, were awarded Advanced Research Project Agency - Energy (ARPA-E) grants in the latest round of funding from the DOE-based agency responsible for advancing the most cutting edge clean energy technology available today.  Both awards were won under ARPA-E's Building Energy Efficiency Through Innovative Thermodevices (BEET-IT) funding category. 

Infinia Corp. was awarded $3 million for development of its Stirling Air Conditioner (StAC) for Compact Cooling.  The award is for a truly unique and innovative Stirling A/C concept that has the potential to revolutionize the A/C industry worldwide.  The award will fund the development of a very efficient, compact A/C with zero HFC’s, which are the very damaging greenhouse gas emitting compounds used in traditional A/C systems.  

July 02, 2010

In response to President Obama's National Export Initiative, announced on March 11, 2010, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the U.S. Department of Commerce are working with the interagency Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee (TPCC) to develop the first U.S. Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Export Strategy. The strategy lays out a framework of interagency actions aimed at doubling U.S. renewable energy and energy efficiency exports by 2015.  (view the full announcement here).

Public input is sought on the following topics:

• The effectiveness or ineffectiveness of federal government programs supporting U.S. exports of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies, including specific experiences with such federal government programs
• Specific ways in which the federal government can improve its programs to support exports of U.S. goods and services related to renewable energy and energy efficiency
• Federal activities and programs that would benefit from increased interagency cooperation
• Generally how the federal government can better help U.S. businesses export more renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies.

Comments should be received by July 10, 2010 to be considered.

Input for the strategy document should be directed to:

Julius Svoboda
Office of Energy & Environmental Industries
International Trade Administration
U.S. Department of Commerce
E-mail: newenergy@trade.gov
Phone: 202-482-4152
Fax: 202-482-5665

Please include "Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Export Strategy" in the subject line of e-mailed responses.

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Two Washington-based projects led by the University of Washington and the Northwest Energy Efficiency Council (NEEC) based in Seattle were among the 58 projects awarded funding through the DOE's Advanced Energy-Efficient Building Technologies and Commercial Building Training Programs.  The UW received $1.2 million for a $1.3 million project to develop advanced energy efficiency technologies for hospitals, with the goal of reducing by 60% energy use of hospital buildings.  NEEC received $549,169 for a $927,300 energy efficiency workforce training project.  The project focuses on "expanding the capacity of the existing national Building Operator Certification (BOC®) program by enhancing the energy efficiency subject matter content of existing curriculum and by developing a commercialization strategy for extending the BOC program’s reach to new and underserved markets."

Link to the DOE EERE press release.

Download the full list of project awards and descriptions.

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Of the 20 block grants awarded by the DOE through the nationally-competitive EECBG program this week, two went to communities in Washington State.  Olympia was awarded $2,159,021 and the Cities of Bainbridge Island and Bremerton won a combined $4,884,614.  The EECBG program funds projects such as residential, commercial, and municipal energy efficiency retrofits, efficiency improvements to transportation systems, and installations of renewable energy systems to reduce fossil fuel consumption.  (Link to the full press release)

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The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) on May 27th released a report titled “The OECD Innovation Strategy: Getting a Head Start on Tomorrow.” The report highlights the important role of innovation in overcoming the economic downturn of the last two years.  It specifically addresses how governments can encourage private innovation and enable sustainable development.

The report emphasizes that while investment in R&D is important for fostering innovation, it is critical that mechanisms are in place to effective spur technology transfer.  Other strategic recommendations for policy-making that fosters innovation include: policy signals are predictable and provide long-term incentives; policy flexibility that leaves choice of technology to firms; targeted policy geared toward specific outcomes; and a policy mix that covers the demand and supply side of the innovation cycle.

The report highlights clean energy technologies as an area with global potential for innovation to meet important societal demands.  It notes that many innovation enabling reforms are not costly or complicated, such as simplifying administrative and regulatory barriers to entrepreneurship.

Download the Innovation Strategy Key Findings here.

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