NDN Blog

Rep Paul Tonko to Discuss Urgency of Clean Energy Economy at NYC Energy Forum

Invite: Monday, October 24, 2011 at 12:00Noon  The New York Clean Energy Forum will host Congressman Paul Tonko. This luncheon event will be held in the Slocum Room at the Harvard Club 35 W 44th Street New York.

Congressman Paul Tonko (NY-12) is a highly respected and well known leader in the energy and environmental community both in New York and nationally.  His luncheon address, “Federal Government and the Clean Energy Economy – Carpe diem” will address our pressing need for an national energy blueprint.  

Congressman Tonko is a nationally recognized expert on energy and environmental issues in the House of Representatives.  An engineer by training, he served as Chair of the New York State Assembly Standing Committee on Energy before he was appointed as President and CEO of NYSERDA (New York State Energy Research and Development Authority) While at NYSERDA, Tonko earned a reputation for his work to advance an aggressive green agenda for businesses and residents throughout New York State.

 His extensive energy background and his commitment to the environment have made him a rising star on the Energy and Environment Subcommittee of the House Science and Technology Committee. 

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Combining his considerable expertise in finance, science, technology and layering it with today’s political realities, Jack Hidary gave an excellent presentation to our New York Clean Energy Forum this morning.  His speech, entitled The Gamechanger:  China’s Unstoppable Clean Energy Exports, centers on the fact that China makes a rigorous and massive business plan every five years.  That plan, coupled with the enormity of China’s population, landmass, and financial resources, puts a footprint on every country and every major business in this global economy.  Ignore this five year plan at your peril.

According to Jack, clean energy is front and central to China’s economic plans.  “Do not underestimate the Chinese speed and alacrity in this area”, he points out, “we tend to think in a linear fashion, China thinks exponentially. At this point, our economy is unprepared for China’s exponential dynamic.”  The plan includes targeting Solar, LED light bulbs, Electric Vehicles, and Batteries.  Electric Vehicles are a huge initiative for China and their plan is to develop batteries at 60 kW capacities in the next six months.  Using their considerable resources, China intends to take solar, currently at $1.20 kw, to $.50 kw within the year. Amazing.

As Jack points out, this could very well be an economic boom for the United States.  China is taking a page of Japan’s automobile industry playbook.  Following in the footsteps of Honda and Toyota, who have automobile manufacturing plants throughout the USA, four Chinese solar companies are building plants in the USA this year alone -with plans for more in the future.   This makes for the initial creation of construction jobs in our country, especially building trades which is where our economy has lost the most jobs.  In addition, installation jobs, which unlike manufacturing jobs cannot be outsourced, will grow to accommodate these investments in clean energy and could be a massive job creation for the USA. 

Already, Hidary demonstrates, there are at a minimum 100,000 jobs in wind and solar manufacturing and installation today.  This 100,000 is compared to the 87,800 jobs in the coal industry which provides a majority of our electricity today.  Think of the opportunities for the future.

A critical factor states Hidary, is for political and industry leaders of our country to sit down with China and work together to see how we can leverage this technological potential between China and the USA.  Currently there is no economic policy to encourage collaboration in this area. 

This October our New York Clean Energy Forum with Michael Moynihan will host two very important leaders who have made a significant impact in the energy and environmental community.

The first event, October 4, will be with noted environmental leader Jack Hidary who will speak on:  The Gamechanger:  China’s Unstoppable Clean Energy Exports.

Jack is a long time friend of NDN/New Policy Institute.  He built his career as an entrepreneur in finance and technology and is currently building companies in the clean technology sector.  In 1995, Jack co-founded and served as CEO of EarthWeb/Dice and completed a record breaking IPO and secondary for a total raise of over $150 million. Dice is the leading IT job board today and is listed on the NYSE as DHX.

Hidary is the founder and Chairman of Samba Energy, the leading marketplace for commercial solar projects and financing.  Samba’s marketplace has driven down the cost of commercial solar and  increased the return on investment for companies using the market for their solar programs.  In 2001 Jack founded the Hidary Foundation to catalyze scalable, self-sustaining programs in clean energy and economic development.  The event will be in the President's Room of the Harvard Club, 35 W 44th Street, New York, NY.

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Later in October, I am so pleased to have Congressman Paul Tonko (NY-12) deliver a luncheon address on October 24 in the Slocum Room of the Harvard Club.  Anyone involved in utility issues in the state of New York know that Congressman Tonko (NY-12) is a leading expert on energy and environmental issues in the House of Representatives.  His background as CEO of NYSERDA (New York State Energy Research and Development Authority) and Chair of the Energy Committee in the NY Assembly have made him a rising star on the Energy and Environment Subcommittee of the House Science Committee. This event will be in the Slocum Room of the Harvard Club, 35 W 44th Street, New York, NY.

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Our panel today, The Economic Ramifications of Wind Energy and the Relevance of Tax Credits, was hugely successful.  Our panelists did a magnificent job of presenting the case for investment of wind energy in spite of the current political climate. 

Markian Melnyk, our renewable rock star, did not disappoint. He gave a compelling case for offshore wind technology.  After hearing his presentation, I have no doubt of the viability and future success of Atlantic Wind Connection.  An overall investment of $30 billion dollars in offshore wind technology will yield electrical benefits, congestion relief, reduce CO2 to taking 3 million cars off the road and job creation to 130,000 to 260,000 full time equivalent ears of employment.  Markian is not necessarily an advocate for Production Tax Credits and leans more toward the establishment of a Clean Energy Standard. 

Rob Gramlich outlined the spectacular success of the wind industry over the past 10years. Wind represents an astounding 35% of all new generation capacity and they are the second largest source of new installed capacity – after natural gas.  A nascent industry compared to traditional sources, wind garners 2.3% of U.S. electricity.  The wind industry has over 400 facilities in 43 states and the domestic content of wind is up 60% from 25% a short time ago.  Rob is an advocate of production tax credits and demonstrated how PTC helped boost the economy of wind energy.

Laura Haynes clearly presented the realities of wind energy and other renewable energy in the political climate of the 112th Congress.  She outlined Senator Carper’s legislation, Incentivizing Offshore Wind Power Act which provides the offshore wind industry with enhanced stabiltiy by extending investment tax credits for the first 3,000 MW of offshore wind facilities - an estimate of 600 wind turbines.

Our panel today is the fifth in our Clean Energy Solution Series to showcase the leaders, companies, ideas and policies who are hastening our transition to a cleaner, safer and more distributed energy paradigm of the 21st Century.

I am totally psyched about our panel tomorrow on the economic ramifications of wind energy, the footprint of the 112th Congress, and will tax credits survive the Supercommittee.  Response to this panel has been huge, so I suggest that you plan on getting to this event a little early to grab a seat.

The popularity of this event has a lot to do with the quality of our panelists:

Markian Melnyk is a superstar of new wind energy development.  He literally wrote the book on Offshore wind. Seriously, it’s called “Offshore Power” and you can find it on Amazon. He has an amazing ability to break down complicated issues into an easily accessible concepts. Markian took a sabbatical from his law firm to research and write the book. His research into the need for a backbone transmission line formed the basis for the Atlantic Wind Connection project.

Rob Gramlich has forgotten more about wind energy and transmission issues than most of us know.  He dreams in Energy Transmission.  To give you an example, he is the only non NDN staff person I know that is totally conversant with Michael Moynihan's paper Electricity 2.0.

Laura Haynes is one of those staffers who has “both sides of her Hill ticket punched” – i.e., she has worked in both the House of Representatives and in the U.S. Senate.  As the Director for Energy and Environment for Senator Tom Carper, she is very knowlegable on offshore wind transmission.  This past July, Senator Carper introduced the Incentivizing Offshore Wind Power Act which privides the offshore wind industry with enhanced stabiltiy by extending investment tax credits for the first 3,000 MW of offshore wind facilities - an estimate of 600 wind turbines.

Michael Moynihan, Director of our Clean Energy Initiative is a well know thought leader in the issue of the modernization of the Electric Grid System.

All in all this should be an excellent panel and I look forward to seeing everyone tomorrow.

Invite: Tuesday, October 4, 2011 at 8:30am.  The New York Clean Energy Forum will host noted environmental leader Jack Hidary to speak on:  The Gamechanger:  China’s Unstoppable Clean Energy Exports.  This event will be held at the Harvard Club 35 W 44th Street in the West Room I&II in New York, NY.

Jack is a long time friend of NDN/New Policy Institute.  He built his career as an entrepreneur in finance and technology and is currently building companies in the clean technology sector.  In 1995, Jack co-founded and served as CEO of EarthWeb/Dice and completed a record breaking IPO and secondary for a total raise of over $150 million. Dice is the leading IT job board today and is listed on the NYSE as DHX.

Hidary is the founder and Chairman of Samba Energy, the leading marketplace for commercial solar projects and financing.  Samba’s marketplace has driven down the cost of commercial solar and thus increased the return on investment for companies using the market for their solar programs.

In 2001 Jack founded the Hidary Foundation to catalyze scalable, self-sustaining programs in clean energy and economic development.  He serves on the advisory board of NREL and is a member of the Board of Trustees of Xprize.

 Please RSVP today.

Invite:   Tuesday, September 27th at 12 Noon.  The Clean Energy Initiative will host for an insider look at Wind Energy: The Economic Ramifications of Wind Energy and the Relevance of Tax Credits.  This will be held in the NDN event space at 729 15th Street NW, Washington, DC. 

This lunchtime discussion will highlight the burgeoning wind economy and discuss how current budget debates might impact the industry in the years ahead.  We are proud to offer a terrific set of experts to guide our conversation.  Joining us will be:

Markian Melnyk, President of Atlantic Wind Connection
Rob Gramlich, Senior Vice President of Public Policy, American Wind Energy Association
Laura Haynes, Senior Policy Director for Energy and Environment, Senator Tom Carper (D)
Michael Moynihan, Director of the NDN's Clean Energy Initiative will serve as Moderator

This panel is the fourth in our "Clean Energy Solution Series" to showcase the leaders, companies, ideas and policies who are hastening our transition to a cleaner, safer and more distributed energy paradigm of the 21st Century.

The fast-growing wind sector averaged 3.2 percent of the nation’s electricity over the months between January and April 2011, according to the Energy Information Administration’s Electric Power Monthly report.

Since 2007, wind energy has installed 35 percent of America’s new electrical generating capacity, more than twice coal and nuclear combined. During the second quarter of 2011 the Wind Industry installed 1,033 MW of electrical generating capacity versus 709 MW during the same period last year, up 46 percent for the same quarter last year.

The Production Tax Credit is critical to the expansion of wind energy.  Combined with state renewable electricity standards, the Production Tax Credit  has been a major driver of wind power development over the past 7 years. It provides a 2.2 cent per kilowatt-hour tax credit for the first ten years of electricity production from utility-scale turbines. But Congress has repeatedly gone back and forth between extending and retiring the PTC.

Originally enacted as part of the Energy Policy Act of 1992, there have been four extensions of the provision, and on three occasions it has been allowed to sunset. This "on-again/off-again" status contributes to a boom-bust cycle of development that plagues the wind industry However, AWEA analysts cautioned that without stable policy such as an extension of the Production Tax Credit, set to expire in 2012, the industry’s recovery will stall.

Please RSVP today!

The mantra of the House Republican led Energy and Commerce Committee has been to eliminate the Environmental Protection Agency.  Barring that, the Republican leadership (Fred Upton (MI), Chair, Joe Barton (TX), Ed Whitfield (KY), John Shimkus (IL) and Cliff Sterns (FL)) vow to do away with as many, what they call ‘onerous’, EPA regulations as possible.   Lisa Jackson, the head of EPA and other EPA officials have been called to testify before various committees of the House Energy and Commerce Committee so many times, they could almost call 2123 Rayburn, House Energy and Commerce Hearing Room, their second home. 

These actions have kept wily Democratic members of the Committee such as Congressmen Henry Waxman (CA), Ed Markey (MA), and John Dingell on the defensive for much of the past year.

Much of the legislation, aimed at EPA regulations have passed through the committee and will eventually pass the House.  This legislation will likely fail in the Senate.  Conference Committee can result in compromise which will have some negative effect on EPA’s regulatory authority.

The GOP Presidential candidates have taken up the same Anti-EPA mantra.  Texas Governor Rick Perry is probably the most vocal in his opposition to EPA environmental regulations and called for an immediate moratorium on environmental regulation. Prayer, not regulations, is the answer according to Perry.  Last year, his administration filed suit against EPA to block the agency from regulating greenhouse gas emissions.  He fought EPA to defend his state’s ‘flexible’ air pollution permits for oil and gas refineries. 

Michelle Bachman has been quoted as say she “wants to padlock the EPA’s doors".  To her, the EPA is the evil heavy handed regulatory agenda of the Obama Administration. 

Mitt Romney is backing away from his earlier position as Governor to capture carbon and find solutions for reduced emissions of pollutants and greenhouse gases. 

Because of the exceptionally weak economy, the GOP is using their EPA bashing rhetoric to erroneously link environmental regulation to jobs and the economy by suggesting that we cannot afford measures that impose greater costs on business and consumers.  Michelle Bachman called the EPA the “job-killing organization of America” 

There is simply no evidence that the Environmental Protection Agency has eliminated any jobs in our country.  If anything, listening to the GOP talk about the aggressive EPA, one might think that EPA, itself, has employed thousands just to impose ‘onerous’ regulations on our business. 

This anti EPA rhetoric may work well in the Republican primary, but it probably will not play in a general election.  Most polls will show that the American people are concerned about air and water pollution and want more clean energy.

"Our electricity supply is changing, like it or not, there is a role for government policies that take these changes into account, including FERC's recent transmission planning and cost allocation rule."  Joe Kelliher, Executive Vice President of NextEra Energy and former Chair of FERC from 2005-2009 during his presentation our panel discussion, Transmission Reform:  What Does It Mean for Renewables?

Yesterday’s panel discussion was a huge success.  Our panelists did an amazing job of pointing our how they believe last weeks FERC rulemaking will affect their industry.

Bill White, the well respected leader in clean energy  from the Energy Future Coalition, did a brilliant job of outlining  the main provisions of the FERC ruling. 

Joe Kelliher, former Chair of FERC under the George W Bush Administration and currently Executive Vice President for Federal Regulatory Affairs of NextEra Energy, laid out the broader implications of how this FERC ruling on regional cost sharing will change the picture for wind developers and the renewable industry by ensuring a more balanced and fair cost allocation for the building of transmission lines.

Joe was followed by Nina Plaushin, Vice President of Federal and Legislative Affairs at  ITC Holdings.  ITC Holdings is one of the largest transmission developers in the country and Nina pointed out how this ruling will create a new framework where interstate, regional, and interregional transmission projects may be fully considered and then linked to cost allocation authority.  In the future, this new framework should allow large scale transmission proposals to receive a fair evaluation that accounts for all of the benefits they generate for an entire region.

Tom Vinson, Director of Regulatory Affairs at American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) pointed out how wind’s phenomenal growth will be positively impacted by the FERC ruling. This FERC ruling should result in more reasonable costs for building new transmission lines enabling wind and other renewable resources to take a far larger share of the energy market.

Michael Moynihan, Director of our Clean Energy Initiative, gave an overall perspective of the positive effects of this FERC ruling on the renewable industry. 

This panel, the third in our Clean Energy Solutions Series, will be followed this September by a panel on the Deployment of Large Scale Renewable Energy in September.  We will not have any panels during the month of August.

This morning's panel discussion, Transmission Reform: What Does It Mean for Renewables?, the third in our Clean Energy Solution Series, was an enormous success.  We had a quality group of panelists who did a magniicent job of shining a spotlight on and illuminating the the recent FERC rulemaking on transmission reform, espeically as it applied to renewables.  The Q&A was substantive, and thought-provoking.  And we had a more than packed house - thanks to everyone who came by

I'll have more to say tomorrow about this great panel, but I'll leave you with a quote from Joe Kelliher, former Chair of FERC and currently VP of NextEra Energy, the largest supplier of wind energy in the nation:

"Our electricity supply is changing, like it or not, there is a role for government policies that take these changes into account, including FERC's recent transmission planning and cost allocation rule."