SOLAR TODAY - January/February 2009

perspective

Barack Obama should move aggressively toward a secure energy future.

SOLAR TODAY

Leading the Renewable Energy Revolution

Yes, We Can By BRAD COLLINS

SOLARTODAY.ORG

The election of Barack Obama climaxed an eventful summer and fall. Election night very nearly eclipsed a number of events critical to the progress of renewable energy.

After a two-year campaign by advocacy organizations, on Oct. 3 Congress finally passed, and President George Bush signed, an extension of fed-

eral production and investment tax credits for renewable energy technologies. In the waning days of the 110th Congress, and in the wake of the mid-September credit crisis, the Senate managed to add the extension to the massive Emergency Economic Stabilization Act.

A second important event was the annual Solar Power International conference. The nation’s largest solar trade show broke all records in mid-October, attracting some 17,000 attendees. More important than the attendance record was the level of business conducted. More important than that was the attitude in San Diego. In stark contrast to the rest of the American economy, the solar industry, its vendors and suppliers were optimistic about the future. The future for solar is bright.

The election results cap the good news for those of us pushing low-carbon alternatives toward business-as-usual status. President-elect Obama has consistently endorsed renewable energy and energy efficiency as key to his vision for America’s future. Many, including the American Solar Energy Society, are providing the new administration and Congress with a wish list of programs and policies to assist in making this vision a reality. We all appreciate that the options available are limited by the dire global economic environment. On the other hand, that economic reality demands dramatic action in the first 100 days of the new administration.

Since Franklin D. Roosevelt took office in

Brad Collins is the executive director of the American Solar Energy Society ( ases.org).

the depths of the Great Depression, Democratic presidents have moved quickly in their “honeymoon” weeks. Within 100 days —

• Roosevelt drafted the Emergency Banking Act to strengthen the banking system, established the Civilian Conservation Corps, signed the Federal Emergency Relief Act, created the Tennessee Valley Authority to manage the Tennessee River and established the Securities and Exchange Commission;

• Harry Truman announced the end of World War II, signed the United Nations Charter and met with Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin in Potsdam, Germany;

• John F. Kennedy signed an executive order to create the Peace Corps;

• Lyndon Johnson pushed the Civil Rights Act through the House of Representatives;

• Jimmy Carter signed the Emergency Natural Gas Act and announced a plan to increase coal production and energy efficiency as ways to reduce our dependence on foreign oil;

• Bill Clinton launched the task force on national health care reform and signed the Family and Medical Leave Act.

Big, bold things all. What would be a big, bold set of initiatives for the first 100 days of the Obama administration? See page 14. The complete list of the ASES policy recommendations is available at ases.org/policy2009. But let me suggest three measures that could have immediate traction:

• Energy efficiency in federal buildings is low-hanging fruit. A crash program to upgrade government facilities would have an immediate positive impact on the economy, on the federal budget and on the nation’s carbon footprint. The U.S. government is the largest owner of buildings in the world. The program would employ thousands and boost energy-efficiency businesses across the country. And the result would be a dramatic savings in energy costs for the federal budget. Giving citizens incentive to do the same with private properties would reduce energy costs for all of us, by cutting demand — just as reducing the demand for petroleum led to a sharp decline in the price of gasoline.

Continued on page 53

Editorial

Brad Collins: Executive Director/Publisher publisher@solartoday.org Regina Johnson: Editor/Associate Publisher editor@solartoday.org Brooke Simmons: Manager of Online Publishing Seth Masia: Managing Editor Allison Gray: Art Director Lydia Pottoff: Assistant Art Director Dona McClain: Publications Manager/Editorial Assistant Richard Haight: Proofreader

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SOLAR TODAy (ISSN: 1042-0630) is published nine times per year by the American Solar Energy Society, 2400 Central Avenue, Suite A, Boulder, Colorado 80301-2843, 303.443.3130, FAX 303.443.3212, ases@ases.org, ases.org. Copyright © 2009 by the American Solar Energy Society Inc. All rights reserved.