- Read first half of Renewable Global Status Report (REN21), 2006 update. Very useful overview of world activity in terms of renewable energy technologies used and policies.
- Read REPP 2001 report on Work and Renewable Energy. Looks at specifics of jobs required for renewable energy; largely based on surveys with 10-15 firms each in solar, wind, biomass industries. Discusses decline in labor costs as technology, scale increases. Discusses potential role for unions in training, since renewables discouraged due to lack of expertise in installation and maintenance.
- Read Kammen 2004 study. Reviews 13 studies (8 analytical and 5 I-O) on employment effects of renewable energy converstion, and does own analysis. All find more jobs with renewable energy. Discusses difference between peak and average power production; difference between long-term and temporary jobs provided. Provides suggested policies in appendix.
Met with Heidi to discuss future direction. Suggestions:
- Compile policy incentives for different countries/regions
- How are countries who have done more conversion to renewable energy faring economically? Maybe compare actual results to model predictions? Idea is to show that have not experienced decrease in growth.
- Look at how renewable energy conversion affects trade balances in countries that have done this more thoroughly. Difficulty: separating effect of renewable energy from all other things.
- Look at distributional impacts of transition to renewable energy in European countries; what it means for U.S.
- How do carbon taxes/quotas affect competitiveness of goods
Ideas:
- Compile spreadsheet of renewable energy promotion policies organized by country, policy initiative, expense (as fraction of budget), how financed. Has someone already done something like this?
- Learn more about feed-in tariffs
- District power
- Information on how incentives have shifted energy market in U.S. states with policies
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