Steady but modest progress on renewable energy adoption found

The world has "steady but modest progress" in improving global access to electricity and safe cooking fuels, energy efficiency and the world energy renewable sources add mix energy-unit industry Manager at the World Bank-sustainable energy Department at a recent press conference in London, Vivien Foster said.

Were representatives of the three agencies (the World Bank, the World Energy Council and UK based charity start time gap) behind the sustainable energy for all (SE4ALL) global tracking report, last week published Precis on the one hand, clarify and answer questions from journalists. The report describes the baseline of the sponsored programme towards their goals for 2030 works.

The three 'pillars' (access to electricity, energy efficiency and more renewable energies) of the SE4ALL program are "a very complex story," according to foster renewable energy. She praised the renewable energy revolution in the past 20 years, with its dramatic expansion of wind and solar energy. But the problem, they said, is, that renewable energy from a very small base line amount are grown worldwide demand for energy considerably has increased share of renewable energy so the total final energy consumption which is small world consumption (TFEC); the revolution has produced only a jump from 2 percent in global equities, she said.

The energy mix of the world, the report says, make 18 percent renewable energy and renewable energy sources are about half of the new energy projects. However, foster pointed out that more than half of that amount is traditional biomass used for cooking in developing countries, while another quarter modern bioenergy. "So overall three quarters which we call renewable bio-energy, is" said they and the sustainability of most of this is not well understood. "An upper limit so the 18 percent really, because an unknown part is not sustainable," she said. The medium-term agenda for the SE4ALL team to improve, for example by tracking deforestation includes the definition of "renewable", she said.

As traditional biomass explained most of the global renewable energy foster is the continent of least developed have the largest share of renewable energy now (two-thirds of the global renewable energy used today in Africa and Asia), and this percentage is declining, since these continents modernize and update, for example, on liquid fuels, which tend to cook fossil fuels. The opposite trend features in the developed world: for example Europe has doubled its share of renewable energies since 1990. The net effect of these countervailing trends in the course of time you said, is not known.

Since biomass supply is limited and that hardly increasing global use of traditional biomass, i.e. other renewable energies "must quadruple" 2030 compensate foster initiatives such as SE4ALL try to solve people, said. Has been enormous progress in the past 20 years, said you, "but the world is moving very fast and it is hard to keep. Progress is only slightly before the huge increase in population and energy consumption. Do we move forward,"warned"We must run even faster."

Another problem is that the three '' pillars '' of the program SE4ALL are connected to each other, the team said. For the necessary scale-up, which is possible to renewable energies, energy efficiency must be achieved so that less energy is consumed. Access to electricity is the UN priority, but it must be implemented with energy efficiency and renewable sources, which built. Foster - said there is "a small amount of tension" between the objectives of access and increase of renewable energies, in particular with the aim, solid biomass for cooking, to replace because it tends to replace liquid fossil fuels.

The SE4ALLs said foster renewable energy goals, significant financing scale ups are needed. Currently, all projections (such as the International Energy Agency-new policy scenario, in which nations meet only their existing commitments) fall far short of the goal, double the amount in the global mix up to the year 2030.

Going forward, the report team plans to also associate investment plans and marketing within the finance community and to involve the industry in promoting technology and know transfers all over the world. "Business must be part of the solution," said Christophe free, World Energy Council Secretary General, and political risk must be reframed. Governments must "take risks not to understand these goals, and that translate into policy," he said.

"We need to work very seriously on the political environment," said foster. Currently, the project partners discuss countries "enable environments" for renewable energies introduction. All sectors of renewable energies a sustainability Protocol over the medium term need to foster, as the international hydro power Association-new sustainability said Protocol. And fossil fuels subsidies must be reduced, said free. He said these subsidies "there is to fight poverty, but they are not really doing." We can confirm only on the whole, today, that we are not the best way to structure of subsidies." The more discussion needs, he said.

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Energy Department Offers $5 Million to Spur EV and Alt Fuels Adoption

The Energy Department on May 8 announced that up to $5 million in funding is available this year to help expand the use of alternative fuel vehicles, including electric vehicles (EVs), in cities and towns across the country. The funding will help cut through red tape for homeowners and businesses, provide training for mechanics and first responders, and support community planning to expand fueling infrastructure. The Energy Department anticipates awarding 10 to 20 projects this year to be completed within two years. The support of alternative fuel vehicles is part of a strategy to increase energy security in the United States, reduce emissions, and help drivers save money.

This initiative will help communities streamline and quicken permitting processes, and coordinate alternative fuel vehicle and EV infrastructure deployment across state, regional, and local governments. Selected projects will also help communities build workforces with the skills to facilitate these vehicles and infrastructure by training first responders and mechanics. In addition, they will provide resources, such as educational materials and tools, to help consumers understand the economic and environmental benefits of alternative fuel vehicles, and to choose the right vehicle for their needs.

The Energy Department seeks proposals that address barriers to the adoption of these vehicles, provide safety training, coordinate initiatives, and drive market development and transformation to make alternative fuel vehicles and fueling infrastructure widely available. Proposed projects should cover each of these areas. This funding opportunity does not provide for the purchase or installation of vehicles or infrastructure. DOE strongly encourages organizations to form teams that include one or more active, designated Clean Cities coalition as well as other partners with relevant experience and expertise. Applications are due by June 18, 2012. See the Energy Department Progress Alert and the funding opportunity announcement.

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Plan of the Coalition deals to speed up adoption of Plug-In electric vehicles

Consumers, the Nissan leaf and other EVs available under one of the PEV dialogue group proposed plan found.
Credit card: Nissan

A coalition of automakers, utilities, environmental groups, government officials and DOE on March 13 described joint recommendations for speeding up the adoption of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) nationwide. The PEV dialogue group convened its recommendations will be presented last year by the Center for climate and energy solutions (C2ES), an event of Washington, D.C..

The report which provides Group, a plan of action to integrate plug-in electric vehicles with the U.S. power grid, overwhelm a roadmap for a concerted action of the public and private sectors to ensure that PEV comfortably can connect owner in their cars without the grid. It is nationwide recommended steps to ensure compatible regulatory approaches to balance public and private investment in the charging infrastructure and better consumer information on PEVs. Support in the coming months C2ES DOE clean cities funded coalitions working in dozens of communities across the country to the local PEV to develop deployment plans.

C2ES works with the PEV-dialogue group and others to promote the implementation of the plan. Last year, nearly 18,000 PEVs in the United States were sold; in the next year or two, all the big automakers want to have models on the road. Some PEVs have how the Nissan leaf rely completely on battery operated, during the Chevy Volt and other backup to extend engines enough their driving. Distribution of PEVs, which use little or even no petrol, can significantly reduce U.S. reliance on imported oil and reduce harmful tailpipe emissions. See press release C2ES.

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