Week in Renewables: Obama vs. Public Opinion, and New Energy Bets
To commercialize renewable energy technologies, must we first believe in climate change? The question deserves closer examination after this week’s Presidential address and the concurrent release of a major study.
“The naysayers, the folks who would pretend that this is not an issue, they are being marginalized,” said President Barack Obama during his speech at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. “There are going be to those who make cynical claims that contradict the overwhelming scientific evidence when it comes to climate change, claims whose only purpose is to defeat or delay the change that we know is necessary.”
One might wonder what Obama’s definition of marginalization is, then, given that his remarks came alongside a new Pew Research Center study showing a decline from 71 percent to 58 percent in Americans who see evidence of climate change. Only 35 percent see climate change as a problem.
The numbers are sinking despite scientific consensus, international demonstrations and bizarre pranks, suggesting that changing opinions will require more than rhetoric. And if the poll accurately depicts American sentiment, it might be time to once again talk about other reasons renewables like solar, wind and geothermal power would be useful.
Another study points the way: the National Research Council said Tuesday that coal and oil bear a “hidden cost” of $120 billion each year, mainly in added healthcare costs. Climate change costs weren’t considered.
Obama did emphasize that energy entrepreneurs are pushing new frontiers in technology, and that falling behind could risk the leading position the U.S. still holds internationally.
One need not look far for the competition, as China is moving ahead aggressively with its clean energy plans. It’s even moving in on overseas markets — Duke Energy signed a deal with China’s ENN Group to develop solar power projects in the U.S.
A key idea is to foster risky technology bets that might not otherwise find backers. Following up on earlier promises, the U.S. Department of Energy said that it will begin awarding research grants for cutting-edge energy technology in a program modeled on the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), which helped create many of today’s military technologies.
In the realm of existing energy technologies, this week wasn’t a big one for new deals or announcements. Two industry tidbits: Suntech released a new solar panel meant for utilities, and Siemens Energy began testing a super-sized wind turbine.
A little more disappointing: environmental delays are continuing with solar projects in the California desert. Also, a national high-speed rail network would cost $600 billion, according to the pro-rail U.S. High Speed Rail Association, so don’t expect a TGV in your backyard anytime soon.
Chris Morrison, a reporter on energy, renewables and climate change, is the former lead cleantech writer for VentureBeat. Follow him on Twitter.
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