1. List/desc of renewable energy tax credits (federal and state) and funds for R&D (federal and state)
2. Total energy use per unit GDP for OECD country, plus breakdown by energy source
3. Description of German retrofit program
4. Description of U.S. cap and trade program for SO2
5. How will permit auction work for L-W and what is expected revenue?
Monday, May 19, 2008
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
23 April 2008
REORDERING
- Look through "best practice" publications (ACEEE, Governors, others?) to identify where our states excel.
- Use DSIRE to describe other RE & EE regulations and incentives.
- Look for anecdotal RE information: Sterzinger's bits on NV and MI, Greener Pathways report on PA wind manufacturing, OH governor piece on energy and jobs?
- Make spreadsheet of information that will be same for every state: energy mix, energy prices, projected energy use, imports/exports, how many major electric utilities, resource potential for RE, potential for RE manufacturing jobs, # cooling/heating degree days,
- Choose 2-3 most important environmental issues/Use ranking of environmental quality by states.
- Compile State of the State reports; Read SoS reports and identify 2-3 important points.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
22 April 2008
Which states are the SE region? Heidi gave me a list; Census region 06 "east south central" is AL, KY, MS, TN. Census region 05 "south atlantic" is DE,FL,GA,MD,NC,SC,VA,WV.
TODAY
TOMORROW
TODAY
- Made template for Nevada and figured out most data sources.
- Spent too long trying to figure out how to use paltry state-level data on building energy use.
- 12 hours so far this week.
TOMORROW
- Compile State of the State reports
- Make spreadsheet of information that will be same for every state: energy mix, energy prices, projected energy use, imports/exports, how many major electric utilities, resource potential for RE, potential for RE manufacturing jobs, # cooling/heating degree days,
- Read SoS reports and identify 2-3 important points.
- Choose 2-3 most important environmental issues/Use ranking of environmental quality by states.
- Look for anecdotal RE information: Sterzinger's bits on NV and MI, Greener Pathways report on PA wind manufacturing, OH governor piece on energy and jobs?
- Look through "best practice" publications (ACEEE, Governors, others?) to identify where our states excel.
- Use DSIRE to describe other RE & EE regulations and incentives.
Monday, April 21, 2008
21 April 2008
TODAY
Read Public Investment memo - wrote email to James, didn't send
Began taking notes on RE&EE Incentives and current environmental issues in NV
Took step back and decided to outline what KIND of information I would find for each state
Spent some time looking at DOE WAP site and the 2006 evaluation of NV low-income energy assistance and weatherization program.
TOMORROW
Decide on exact categories of information I'll present in each area and begin compiling information.
Read Public Investment memo - wrote email to James, didn't send
Began taking notes on RE&EE Incentives and current environmental issues in NV
Took step back and decided to outline what KIND of information I would find for each state
Spent some time looking at DOE WAP site and the 2006 evaluation of NV low-income energy assistance and weatherization program.
TOMORROW
Decide on exact categories of information I'll present in each area and begin compiling information.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
15 April 2008
TODAY
Stayed home, began writing report on fossil fuel subsidies.
Worked 13 hours so far this week.
TOMORROW
Finish report on subsidies. Finish section on FOE report. Include info on Koplow's comparisons. Other reports - maybe government? Yes! Look first at the new (April 2008) EIA report. According to it, renewables currently get almost as much in subsidies as oil, natural gas, and coal combined!
Stayed home, began writing report on fossil fuel subsidies.
Worked 13 hours so far this week.
TOMORROW
Finish report on subsidies. Finish section on FOE report. Include info on Koplow's comparisons. Other reports - maybe government? Yes! Look first at the new (April 2008) EIA report. According to it, renewables currently get almost as much in subsidies as oil, natural gas, and coal combined!
Monday, April 14, 2008
CAP Outline
Sections I may be responsible for in bold
1. “Green Growth” and “Green-Collar Jobs”
Review various definitions
Our main point: we want policies to promote a clean environment and expand
employment.
o Defining individual jobs, or job classifications as “green collar” doesn’t
seem particularly helpful; and may well be a distraction.
2. How Clean Energy/Green Growth Policies Can Promote Employment Expansion
Analytically speaking, only two main possibilities:
o Import substitution (substituting domestic energy for foreign oil)
o Relatively greater labor intensity for clean energy/energy efficiency as
opposed to energy from fossil fuels
Role of capital projects versus ongoing operations and
maintenance
• Need a careful breakdown of types of jobs created and
numbers of jobs
• Need to discuss active labor market policies for training
and job placement
Lower degree of import leakages
In addition to these two main factors, two additional sources of increased
employment through clean energy agenda
o General public investments that promote efficiency
Greater employment/dollar of state expenditure
o Stronger employment multiplier
3. Strategies to promote Green Growth
Again, only two basic possibilities:
o Lower the private costs of renewable energy/energy efficiency
o Raise the cost of fossil fuels
o Go through discussion on each
o Need to emphasize short-run and long-run considerations
Foundation for short-run stimulus program
Clean energy strategies
o Conservation
Discuss programs in U.S., cities, other countries (e.g. Germany)
Centrality of increasing efficiency in built environment
• Technologies are known, highly adaptable, easily
dispersed, low import content
o Renewable energy
Measures for promoting R&D, installation
• Again, show state of activity, bring in examples
Raising costs of fossil fuels
o Can achieve this through reducing subsidies for fossil fuels, carbon tax, or
cap-and-trade variation
o Go through evidence on price elasticities
Asymmetry between price elasticity of consumer demand for fossil
fuels versus elasticity of GDP in response to fossil fuel price
change
• Consumer demand falls more in response to price increase
than GDP; reason is conservation
• Therefore, raising carbon prices (modestly) consistent with
program focused on conservation
o EPA growth estimates from Computable General Equilibrium model
Very modest negative growth effects
Model assumes full employment; takes no account of “benefits”
o Important issue of political viability as we have discussed at CAP
May therefore want to focus first on measures to lower clean
energy costs rather than raising fossil fuels costs
4. Magnitude of Program and Estimating Employment Impacts
Need to decide on reasonable size for program
o Roughly equal to current stimulus—about $150 billion?
Also size of Iraq war budget for 2007
Can develop as second-round short-term “stimulus” as well as long-term
growth program
o Need to break out spending in terms of conservation versus renewables
75 percent conservation?
Techniques for estimating employment effects
o Employment effects per dollar spent
o Employment effects per share of GDP on energy
o Employment per given supply of BTU energy
Not a viable approach
Compare employment effects with alternatives
o Status quo
o Current stimulus program
o Military spending?
Need to break out jobs as finely as possible
o Construction industry gets big boost
Excellent in terms of counteracting current housing market slump
Show quality as well as quantity of jobs
5. Details of Program
How to finance
Examples from other initiatives
o U.S. cities and states
o Other countries
6. Program as Part of Larger Public Investment Initiative
Bridges, water control, roads
Mass transit
Replacing rail lines
Evidence on public investment and employment
o Current evidence
o Analogies with other experiences, e.g. interstate highway system
7. State/Regional Breakdowns
Nevada, Iowa, Ohio, Colorado, Florida, Michigan, Pennsylvania, “Southeast”
Adapt national model to regional settings
Role of “imports” will differ with state-based models
1. “Green Growth” and “Green-Collar Jobs”
Review various definitions
Our main point: we want policies to promote a clean environment and expand
employment.
o Defining individual jobs, or job classifications as “green collar” doesn’t
seem particularly helpful; and may well be a distraction.
2. How Clean Energy/Green Growth Policies Can Promote Employment Expansion
Analytically speaking, only two main possibilities:
o Import substitution (substituting domestic energy for foreign oil)
o Relatively greater labor intensity for clean energy/energy efficiency as
opposed to energy from fossil fuels
Role of capital projects versus ongoing operations and
maintenance
• Need a careful breakdown of types of jobs created and
numbers of jobs
• Need to discuss active labor market policies for training
and job placement
Lower degree of import leakages
In addition to these two main factors, two additional sources of increased
employment through clean energy agenda
o General public investments that promote efficiency
Greater employment/dollar of state expenditure
o Stronger employment multiplier
3. Strategies to promote Green Growth
Again, only two basic possibilities:
o Lower the private costs of renewable energy/energy efficiency
o Raise the cost of fossil fuels
o Go through discussion on each
o Need to emphasize short-run and long-run considerations
Foundation for short-run stimulus program
Clean energy strategies
o Conservation
Discuss programs in U.S., cities, other countries (e.g. Germany)
Centrality of increasing efficiency in built environment
• Technologies are known, highly adaptable, easily
dispersed, low import content
o Renewable energy
Measures for promoting R&D, installation
• Again, show state of activity, bring in examples
Raising costs of fossil fuels
o Can achieve this through reducing subsidies for fossil fuels, carbon tax, or
cap-and-trade variation
o Go through evidence on price elasticities
Asymmetry between price elasticity of consumer demand for fossil
fuels versus elasticity of GDP in response to fossil fuel price
change
• Consumer demand falls more in response to price increase
than GDP; reason is conservation
• Therefore, raising carbon prices (modestly) consistent with
program focused on conservation
o EPA growth estimates from Computable General Equilibrium model
Very modest negative growth effects
Model assumes full employment; takes no account of “benefits”
o Important issue of political viability as we have discussed at CAP
May therefore want to focus first on measures to lower clean
energy costs rather than raising fossil fuels costs
4. Magnitude of Program and Estimating Employment Impacts
Need to decide on reasonable size for program
o Roughly equal to current stimulus—about $150 billion?
Also size of Iraq war budget for 2007
Can develop as second-round short-term “stimulus” as well as long-term
growth program
o Need to break out spending in terms of conservation versus renewables
75 percent conservation?
Techniques for estimating employment effects
o Employment effects per dollar spent
o Employment effects per share of GDP on energy
o Employment per given supply of BTU energy
Not a viable approach
Compare employment effects with alternatives
o Status quo
o Current stimulus program
o Military spending?
Need to break out jobs as finely as possible
o Construction industry gets big boost
Excellent in terms of counteracting current housing market slump
Show quality as well as quantity of jobs
5. Details of Program
How to finance
Examples from other initiatives
o U.S. cities and states
o Other countries
6. Program as Part of Larger Public Investment Initiative
Bridges, water control, roads
Mass transit
Replacing rail lines
Evidence on public investment and employment
o Current evidence
o Analogies with other experiences, e.g. interstate highway system
7. State/Regional Breakdowns
Nevada, Iowa, Ohio, Colorado, Florida, Michigan, Pennsylvania, “Southeast”
Adapt national model to regional settings
Role of “imports” will differ with state-based models
14 April 2008
TODAY:
Return to research on fossil fuel subsidies
Look for bill (from Feb 2008?) that would limit some of them
Jim referenced Bingaman and Clinton estimates - find these
Review other reports on the magnitude
FORMAT for REPORT:
Discuss difficulties of estimating the subsidies
List different types of subsidies
Review estimates from 4-6 sources
TOMORROW:
Find other reports that estimate magnitude/type of subsidies. Doesn't seem to be much recent stuff out there. Review Koplow (2006) and UCS (from 1995, I think). Try google scholar, other search engines.
Return to research on fossil fuel subsidies
Look for bill (from Feb 2008?) that would limit some of them
Jim referenced Bingaman and Clinton estimates - find these
Review other reports on the magnitude
FORMAT for REPORT:
Discuss difficulties of estimating the subsidies
List different types of subsidies
Review estimates from 4-6 sources
TOMORROW:
Find other reports that estimate magnitude/type of subsidies. Doesn't seem to be much recent stuff out there. Review Koplow (2006) and UCS (from 1995, I think). Try google scholar, other search engines.
Friday, April 11, 2008
11 Apr 2008
Heidi's presentation on the GA conference on Green Growth & Green Jobs:
1. What are green jobs? Do we need to define them? Some worry that the definition will be too narrow and the "results" from studies showing the potential for green job growth will show that it is small. MA asked whether jobs would be coded for product and process so the workplace environment, for example, is good as well as the product produced. JB said we need to think about the appropriate denominator. Jobs per...$, kWh, MtCO2e? MA pointed out that more labor is a cost in cost benefit analysis - why is it better that a program creates more jobs? JB talked about the shadow wage: wage*(1-unemp rate). HT: maybe most effective argument is just that green growth won't hurt the economy. JB: point out that unemployment rate set largely by macro policy, so green policies shift type of employment but not numbers.
2. Raising price of carbon and/or lowering cost of renewables? HGP said that industry reps there thought market shouldn't be interfered with because creates uncertainty. Didn't totally understand why that would be their viewpoint. JB: everyone would be for lowering cost of renewables. Questions is at what price and who wins and who loses. Said most politically tenable solution may be to redirect FF subsidies, but can't figure out wha the magnitude is. Bingaman's office said $20 billion annually. Hillary says $50 billion. JB: very little research on how elasticity of demand (for energy?) varies across income spectrum. There is a study of fuel use and auto ownership in the UK. Possible that elasticity is higher for poorer people, and may make carbon pricing less regressive, but should think about how cutting back affects quality of life. HGP: Need to think about what sort of border adjustments necessary to make carbon taxes politically feasible. JB: Illegal under PPM rules of WTO. Probably wouldn't affect competitiveness much. Hasn't seemed to in EU. [HAS anyone researched this?]
3. Nuclear/CCS
Long discussion of nuclear, but didn't write much on this. JB: Need to stop all new production and direct lots of money into figuring out how to deal with waste. If that question can be answered, then can start generating again. Also mentioned the value of resilience (gained, for example, through dist gen) and lack of attention to it among economists. MA: Erin Baker consulted experts in area of CCS and they implied that it will be relatively cheap to make it operable. [WANT to get her notes.]
4. Public Role
Consensus that we need massive energy efficiency project. [HAS demand for energy gone up linearly with GDP?] Discussed need for regulation - people don't pick up on market signals, short-sighted. MA: lots of topics in applying behavioral economics to environmental decisionmaking - behavioral case for regulations]. JB: Not just market-based vs. regulation vs. public investment. Need all three. [DISSERTATION topic: what is appropriate role for each?]
1. What are green jobs? Do we need to define them? Some worry that the definition will be too narrow and the "results" from studies showing the potential for green job growth will show that it is small. MA asked whether jobs would be coded for product and process so the workplace environment, for example, is good as well as the product produced. JB said we need to think about the appropriate denominator. Jobs per...$, kWh, MtCO2e? MA pointed out that more labor is a cost in cost benefit analysis - why is it better that a program creates more jobs? JB talked about the shadow wage: wage*(1-unemp rate). HT: maybe most effective argument is just that green growth won't hurt the economy. JB: point out that unemployment rate set largely by macro policy, so green policies shift type of employment but not numbers.
2. Raising price of carbon and/or lowering cost of renewables? HGP said that industry reps there thought market shouldn't be interfered with because creates uncertainty. Didn't totally understand why that would be their viewpoint. JB: everyone would be for lowering cost of renewables. Questions is at what price and who wins and who loses. Said most politically tenable solution may be to redirect FF subsidies, but can't figure out wha the magnitude is. Bingaman's office said $20 billion annually. Hillary says $50 billion. JB: very little research on how elasticity of demand (for energy?) varies across income spectrum. There is a study of fuel use and auto ownership in the UK. Possible that elasticity is higher for poorer people, and may make carbon pricing less regressive, but should think about how cutting back affects quality of life. HGP: Need to think about what sort of border adjustments necessary to make carbon taxes politically feasible. JB: Illegal under PPM rules of WTO. Probably wouldn't affect competitiveness much. Hasn't seemed to in EU. [HAS anyone researched this?]
3. Nuclear/CCS
Long discussion of nuclear, but didn't write much on this. JB: Need to stop all new production and direct lots of money into figuring out how to deal with waste. If that question can be answered, then can start generating again. Also mentioned the value of resilience (gained, for example, through dist gen) and lack of attention to it among economists. MA: Erin Baker consulted experts in area of CCS and they implied that it will be relatively cheap to make it operable. [WANT to get her notes.]
4. Public Role
Consensus that we need massive energy efficiency project. [HAS demand for energy gone up linearly with GDP?] Discussed need for regulation - people don't pick up on market signals, short-sighted. MA: lots of topics in applying behavioral economics to environmental decisionmaking - behavioral case for regulations]. JB: Not just market-based vs. regulation vs. public investment. Need all three. [DISSERTATION topic: what is appropriate role for each?]
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Climate Change bills pending consideration by Senate EPW committee
- S. 280: Climate Stewardship and Innovation Act of 2007 (Introduced 2007 Jan 12. Lieberman-McCain. Obama and Clinton both co-sponsors)
- S. 309: Global Warming Pollution Reduction Act (Introduced 2007 Jan 16. Sanders. Only Democrats cosponsoring). GHG levels in 2050 80% below 1990 levels. Endorsed by a bunch of environmental groups.
- S. 1168: Clean Air/Climate Change Act of 2007 (Introduced 2007 Apr 19. Alexander and Lieberman) . 2011-2014, 2.3 bil MtCO2e; 2015-19, 2.1 bil; 2020-24, 1.8 bil, 2025 and after, 1.5 bil.
- S. 1766: Low Carbon Economy Act of 2007 (Introduced 2007 Jul 11. Bingaman-Specter.)
- S. 2191: America's Climate Security Act of 2007 (Introduced 2007 Oct 18. Lieberman-Warner.)
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
8 April 2008
YESTERDAY and TODAY:
WANT TO READ:
- Thorough reading of Pinderhughes' GCJ report (ok) and Greener Pathways report (great). See Zotero notes.
- Read reports on two more economic models of S.2191 - Banks (Clean Air Task Force) and Murray and Ross (Duke U). Neither explicit about jobs - see notes in Zotero.
WANT TO READ:
- Recent "green job" heading posts on Grist
- US DOE "Annual Report on US Wind Power Installation, Cost, and Performance Trends"
- REPP reports on potential for domestic manufacturing of wind turbine components, apparently available at bluegreenalliance.org
- JEDI model used for wind sector (at EERE site listed in Pathways report)
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
2 April 2008
AFTERNOON
Organized folders
Read Nelson, Ackerman, et al. critique of the CRA model of S.2191. Great!
Began reading/taking notes on And now a word from their sponsors...
TOMORROW
Finish last item
Organized folders
Read Nelson, Ackerman, et al. critique of the CRA model of S.2191. Great!
Began reading/taking notes on And now a word from their sponsors...
TOMORROW
Finish last item
2 April 2008
THIS MORNING
Sent Bob draft of EPA analysis of S.2191 memo
NEXT
Proofread memo and clean up
Clean up folders/make folder with everything sent to Bob
Read other reports on S.2191 models and web critiques
Analysis of fossil fuel subsidies??
Sent Bob draft of EPA analysis of S.2191 memo
NEXT
Proofread memo and clean up
Clean up folders/make folder with everything sent to Bob
Read other reports on S.2191 models and web critiques
Analysis of fossil fuel subsidies??
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Dissertation Idea
Assess capacity of U.S. to meet demand for environmental protection services/clean energy
- Green businesses
- Workers
- Training programs
Assess potential for outsourcing elements of the "green economy"
- e.g., Wind developments
Compare to other countries
- Case study of Spain - how have they retained jobs, prepared workers
- Green businesses
- Workers
- Training programs
Assess potential for outsourcing elements of the "green economy"
- e.g., Wind developments
Compare to other countries
- Case study of Spain - how have they retained jobs, prepared workers
Thursday, March 13, 2008
13 Mar 2008
TODAY
TOMORROW
- Finished"criticisms" memo and sent to Bob
- Read new Apollo GCJ report and took notes - good definition of GCJ program and identification of necessary components
- Looked through Renewable Energy World news (formerly Renewable Energy Access)
- Read new Nation article on Green Collar Jobs - "Labor's War on Global Warming"
TOMORROW
- Already worked 20 hours this week, but for next time:
- Print all memos, reports, etc. that were sent to Bob and put them in binder
- Reread GCJ notes that I sent to Bob and begin report on what I know about Green Collar Jobs
- Look up programs in Seattle; RFP requirements in Multnomah County, OR
- Read NAM and ACCF Study Highlighting the National and 50-State Economic Impacts of the Lieberman-Warner Climate Change Bill
- Download portable Mozilla so I can take Zotero with me
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
12 March 2008
TODAY
Condensed list of criticisms and began writing intro
TOMORROW
Finish criticisms; send to Bob
Look over the report that Bob emailed on economic analysis of Lieberman bill
Look over Apollo Report of case studies
Condensed list of criticisms and began writing intro
TOMORROW
Finish criticisms; send to Bob
Look over the report that Bob emailed on economic analysis of Lieberman bill
Look over Apollo Report of case studies
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
11 Mar 2008
TODAY
Continued to work on criticisms.
TOMORROW
2 hours on criticism finding and 3 hours writing a summary.
THURSDAY
Back to GCJ case study and analysis piece.
Continued to work on criticisms.
TOMORROW
2 hours on criticism finding and 3 hours writing a summary.
THURSDAY
Back to GCJ case study and analysis piece.
Monday, March 10, 2008
10 Mar 2008
TODAY
Worked from home; continued to add criticisms to list of CAP suggested policies. Going relatively slowly because am reading a bit of background information on the various policies.
TOMORROW
Pick up where I left off on the 1994 decoupling report and keep going.
Remember to add a section with general energy reform criticisms and who makes them - including criticisms of renewable energy and arguments in favor of fossil fuels.
Try to finish this section by Thursday when GCJ case study report comes out.
Worked from home; continued to add criticisms to list of CAP suggested policies. Going relatively slowly because am reading a bit of background information on the various policies.
TOMORROW
Pick up where I left off on the 1994 decoupling report and keep going.
Remember to add a section with general energy reform criticisms and who makes them - including criticisms of renewable energy and arguments in favor of fossil fuels.
Try to finish this section by Thursday when GCJ case study report comes out.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
5 Mar 2008
TODAY
TOMORROW
- Finished taking notes on Rosner 2006 report on green building in LA.
- Followed up on several of the programs I had added to the source list (highlighed these in yellow) and added them to the bottom of the case study list.
- Met with Bob
- 1. Asked me to write up what I sent him regarding green jobs initiatives. I said it would make sense to wait until the Apollo Alliance report of case studies comes out next Thursday, 3/13.
- 2. Report should discuss 1) different definition of green collar jobs; 2) what is a "green collar jobs" program; 3) critical analysis of programs that are out there (most new, small size); 4) discussion of what we need
- 3. Possibly follow up on 3 or 4 examples - successful and unsuccessful - to get a better idea of what is really going on in these programs.
- 4. Until 3/13, work on gather criticisms of green initiatives (a la criticism of Kansas governors proposal.) Who are the critics? What are their arguments? What research/methods do they use to support these arguments?
TOMORROW
- Pick up where I left off in the "criticisms" collection - who is on what side in the Kansas coal-powered plant debate. What are arguments and who is making them?
Grist: How do we define the green-job economy?
http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2008/2/19/155825/434
by Kevin Doyle, resident of Green Economy, a Boston-based training, consulting, and research firm with services for the institutions and individuals building a more sustainable world
Review of recent green job studies:
In January, Green Biz.com released State of Green Business 2008
What's the state of "green job creation" in 2008? It's mentioned under the heading "Indicators We Wish We Had" with the following rueful comment: "How many jobs are being created through all of the kinds of activities measured in this report? No one knows."
Links to some of the green jobs reports that are making the rounds can be found at the end of this post, but one thing is common to almost all of them. They agree that we need more detailed local and regional information from employers in six specific industries: green building, energy efficiency, solar energy, wind power, biofuels, and brownfields redevelopment.
#6: Massachusetts Clean Energy Industry Census (PDF) from the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (2007).
by Kevin Doyle, resident of Green Economy, a Boston-based training, consulting, and research firm with services for the institutions and individuals building a more sustainable world
Review of recent green job studies:
In January, Green Biz.com released State of Green Business 2008
What's the state of "green job creation" in 2008? It's mentioned under the heading "Indicators We Wish We Had" with the following rueful comment: "How many jobs are being created through all of the kinds of activities measured in this report? No one knows."
Links to some of the green jobs reports that are making the rounds can be found at the end of this post, but one thing is common to almost all of them. They agree that we need more detailed local and regional information from employers in six specific industries: green building, energy efficiency, solar energy, wind power, biofuels, and brownfields redevelopment.
The December issue of the Environmental Business Journal provides the 2006 revenue and projected annual growth (2007-2010) numbers for the following sectors:
- Wastewater Treatment -- $37.49 billion -- 4.6 percent
- Solid Waste Management -- $50.60 billion -- 4.2 percent
- Remediation/Industrial Service -- $11.55 billion -- 4.4 percent
- Consulting and Engineering -- $23.98 billion -- 5.2 percent
- Water Equipment/Chemicals -- $26.11 billion -- 5.6 percent
- Water Utilities -- $36.61 billion -- 4.4 percent
- Resource Recovery -- $24.13 billion -- 15.0 percent
- Hazardous Waste Management -- $ 8.99 billion -- 2.2 percent
The EBJ numbers are supported by last year's review of the top 200 environmental firms in Engineering News Record. ENR's analysis showed a 12.5 percent gain for the top 200 over the previous year, pushing total revenues for the big guys to $42.2 billion.
In a confirmation of our hopes for job creation in the clean energy and green building sector, EBJ reported that its definition of that industry grew a whopping 11.8 percent in 2006 to total revenues of $24.90 billion, with expected growth at 11.4 percent annually. Meanwhile, ENR has begun tracking the top "green contractors" in the nation.
Have read 5 of 6 reports on the resource list:#6: Massachusetts Clean Energy Industry Census (PDF) from the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (2007).
To Read
Grist article on Climate policy, auctions, and economic justice
http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2008/3/3/03457/29578
http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2008/3/3/03457/29578
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
4 Mar 2008
TODAY
Took notes on UCLA policy brief on green economic development and LA Green Building sector paper.
Wrote memo to Bob and sent along the notes I have so far.
TOMORROW
Finish notes on UCLA master's research on green building in LA
Follow up on promising leads in "sources" document - CA Solar Initiative, Seattle Green jobs, etc.
Begin looking at oil company subsidies
Took notes on UCLA policy brief on green economic development and LA Green Building sector paper.
Wrote memo to Bob and sent along the notes I have so far.
TOMORROW
Finish notes on UCLA master's research on green building in LA
Follow up on promising leads in "sources" document - CA Solar Initiative, Seattle Green jobs, etc.
Begin looking at oil company subsidies
Rosner 2006 Jobs in LA Green Building
http://www.greenforall.org/resources/la-apollo-rosner.pdf
- Report comes from a UCLA Urban Planning Master Client Project
- Asks what types of jobs are arising in the green building industry and whether any are new. Also, how green building jobs can benefit low-income communities of color.
- Case studies of 3 green buildings + interviews of green building industry reps.
- Interesting results:
- 1. Public policy is the driving force behind green building and stimulating local economic development in the green building sector. Public policy support for green building is motivated by energy conservation, cost savings, and environmental concerns.
- 2. A green building knowledge gap exists between the designers and architects who design the project and the contractors and sub-contractors who construct the project.
- 3. New job opportunities in the green building industry include: LEED certifiers, commissioners and auditors; energy auditors; recyclers; and landscapers.
- 4. Green building material manufacturing represents the most promising industry to stimulate local economic development across Los Angeles.
- 5. The most effective way to connect people from low-income communities of color with green building jobs is through union apprenticeship and worker center training programs.
- Reviews research on green energy and job creation - mostly just refers to Kammen article. Says there are jobs to be had and will depend on policy.
- p.8 California also passed a Million Solar Roofs initiative in 2006, committing $3.2 billion in incentive funds to drive consumers toward solar power over the next 11 years. The Initiative will be implemented in 2007.
- 10 Mentions the Los Angeles Manufacturing Credit phased out in 2005 that gave an additional $1.50/watt rebate to PV systems installed and manufactured in LA...The report [2004 - by LA dept of water and power - on solar incentive program] notes that LADWP trained over 300 workers in PV installation; and employs about 1000 people who spend some portion of their time in PV installation.
- 13-14 Two paragraphs illustrating the impact of policy: The IBEW (electrician’s union) training center recently completed a solar energy power project illustrating policy’s powerful impact. An IBEW training center representative explained how policy impacted the center’s decision to invest in solar power. Interest existed to create a solar training center for the union’s apprentices. However, the real push came from the future energy cost savings. The PV system cost approximately three million dollars, of which half was financed by Edison subsidies. The representative emphasized that Edison receives all of its incentive funding from the State. Therefore, finance incentives on the state level represent the true driving force behind IBEW decision to install a PV system. The system is expected to pay for itself in four years through its 800 megawatt cost savings per year. This pay off period is quicker than first anticipated due to higher performance panels being introduced to the market.
- The IBEW representative also explained that Title 24 significantly impacted energy conservation in California. Adopted in 1978, Title 24 acted as a response to reduce California’s energy consumption by setting building standards for electrical systems. The representative recalled that in 1978 the lighting trades protested the ordinance and feared that they would not be able to meet required standards. However, the lighting trades ended up successfully responding with innovations in technology. Subsequently, California’s Title 24 building standards serves as a model for energy conservation in other states.15
- LADWP put solar incentive program on hold (in 2005?), and report says that several small firms went out of business as a result.
- 16 Green building does not require different skill jobs so much as experience and retraining in green building construction for existing positions.
- 17 Two paragraphs on difficulties in green building when experience is lacking: The contractor on the job expressed that the [Lakeview Terrance Branch] library was his first and last LEED project he bid for. As LEED was just being introduced in Los Angeles at the time of construction, the contractor had no prior experience in LEED. When the Los Angeles Department of Public Works selects a contractor from a bid process, the City’s only criterion is to choose the lowest bidder. Experience in green building is not a factor.
- The contractor explained that the biggest challenge in the project was obtaining the green building materials. The contractor went through seven different sub-contractors due to inexperience and inadequate knowledge about green building materials and where to seek out fitting materials to match the project’s specifications. The contractor noted that not enough information on LEED and its requirements were offered during the bidding process. Contractors bid for the project without comprehending the full extent of work that LEED would require. The contractor explained that the biggest project issue was a lack of knowledge base on green building.
- 19 Recommends establishing a Green Building Resource Center to bring together information currently spread throughout a number of departments. Santa Monica and Chicago both have them.
- 20 Describes new jobs created by green building: LEED professionals (exam certification), energy auditors, green landscaping, building waste recycling. Recommends standards and certifications for these positions.
- 24 PV Jobs, a non-profit organization providing job placement opportunities for disadvantaged youth and adults, utilizes worker center training and union apprenticeship programs to connect their applicants with jobs.
- 25 PV Jobs works with numerous community organizations and over 50 worker centers throughout Los Angeles to integrate potential employees with union trades working on one of the nine LACCD [LA Community College District LEED certified] campus construction projects. These organizations are responsible for marketing the PV Jobs program and are the first stop for interested applicants. Union trade jobs include: painters, carpenters, floor installers, laborers, plumbers, concrete masons, sheet metal workers, electricians, and tile setters. To qualify for PV Jobs, an applicant must show one of the following employment barriers: income below 50 percent of median; homeless; welfare recipient; unemployed; single parent; and past justice system involvement.
- The first step for an interested applicant is to attend a brief orientation, proving her/his commitment. Next, the applicant is placed in the program tract. The program tract provides applicants with training and connects them with a construction trades union. Through a union position, the applicant is guaranteed health benefits and prevailing wages. PV Jobs commits 3000 working hours to each employer. This means that PV Jobs conducts regular follow-ups to ensure that constituents are truly placed at paying jobs. The union tract often moves slowly, so PV Jobs frequently places people before they are accepted in a union. At these times they are not guaranteed prevailing jobs, and the construction jobs may not even be related to the College District. Contractors may even benefit from this program. PV Job candidates are often eligible for the Work Opportunity Tax that gives employers a tax credit of up to $250, on average, per employee.
- The biggest obstacle in the process, as expressed by two PV Jobs representatives, is placing dedicated and committed applicants with the available jobs. Construction jobs are labor intensive and team oriented. The PV Jobs program tract provides job orientation and training. However, applicants may not have the right mind set for such jobs. They need to realize that they are members of a working crew. It is not excusable if a person does not show up for work. Second, many applicants lack the basic math and English skills to enter the higher skill unions, such as electricians and plumbers. A representative from the IBEW Local 11 training center in Los Angeles echoed this same challenge. The most serious obstacle facing applicants for IBEW apprenticeship programs is the lack of basic math and English skills.
- 26 National IBEW partnered with Sharp, a PV manufacturer, and developed a Sharp PV installation certificate process for union members
- 27 Unions: The PV Jobs representative, who works closely with unions and their training centers, noted that the carpenters union has an extensive training program that includes green building principles. The laborers union may feature green building elements in its construction simulation work station site. Other construction trades to consider working with for a Green Jobs Campaign are the pipetrades, finishers, and plumbers.
UCLA 2006 Economic Development Potential of the Green Sector
http://www.greenforall.org/resources/ucla-policy-brief.pdf
- Policy Brief written by Paul M. Ong (professor of urban planning and social welfare) and Rita Varisa Patraporn (graduate student?) of The Ralph and Goldy Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies. Has a more academic presentation and writing style than other reports.
- Heavy emphasis on competition and "first mover advantage" between different cities/regions of the US and between the US and abroad. e.g., "Although the odds of winning the inter-regional competition to grow the Green sector are unknown, taking the risk to implement the initiative is worthwhile because of the potential high pay off." (p.1)
- Acknowledge goal of managing growth in way that benefits disadvantaged populations.
- Recommendations aren't anything new:
- 1. Adoption of policies and programs by public agencies to promote economic development by “piggy backing” on current and projected local and regional induced demand for Green products and services. This enables the region to take advantage of locally induced demand.
- 2. Develop infrastructure and incentives for public and private investment to overcome the barriers to financing a Green sector.
- 3. Develop a “town-gown” network to promote the production, diffusion and adaptation of knowledge to ensure that a region has an edge in innovation.
- 4. Eliminate cumbersome city rules and regulations that hinder development of a Green sector; establish operating procedures that facilitate the expansion of Green firms; and promote the development of a Green industrial service park.
- 5. Match training to labor needs of the Green sector through the utilization of local community colleges and the Workforce Investment Act.
- 6. Maintain accountability by developing timely performance measurements and monitoring strategy, including outcomes for workers, firms and neighborhoods.
- 7. Establish an office to coordinate the proposed initiative and appoint a Green expert who is knowledgeable about environmental issues and economic development.
- 5 Rodino and Associates published report in 2002 on most active regions in environmental technology (LA, Chicago, Philadelphia, NY, Boston)
- 7 Emphasis on lower costs through economies of scale and agglomeration (clustering of related businesses in geographic space)
- Authors say they do not know the optimal size of the sector or the role of agglomeration, but they also do not define the "green sector"
- 9 Emphasis on assessing region's strengths and weaknesses, including current environmental regulations (as demand driver), strengths of existing firms and research institutions, capital markets, governance structure, skills mismatch,...
- 12 Importance of linking environmental policies to local economic development to meet new demand for services and goods (e.g., need trained workers for water and energy conservation, green building, etc).
- 14 Regarding job training: A systematic and consistent forum between community colleges, Workforce
- Investment Boards and firms needs to exist. Such a discussion would benefit the growth of the Green sector, as firms are able to fulfill their labor needs with an appropriately skilled and trained work force. This ensures a region’s lead as a place where a firm’s labor needs can be met uniquely and unlike anywhere else in the country. For example, Los Angeles Trade Technical College links its students with firms that construct the campus’ Green buildings. The College’s architecture program trains and places College students into jobs specifically for constructing campus Green buildings.20 In addition, the California State Employment Development Department currently has a solar training program. Simultaneously, there are proposals in the California state legislature (AB2617 Saldana) to support funding for this solar energy-training program.21 (p.14)
- Authors are thinking about LA, but recommendations and need to coordinate actions apply to everyone. Focus is definitely on economic development (become a winner instead of a loser) instead of environmental protection (in which a more collaborative approach would be called for). Mention the role of government as being simply a coordinator, but it is clear that government intervention needed in several areas to bring together all the components.
Monday, March 3, 2008
Overview of Federal Workforce Development Policies
http://www.greenforall.org/resources/workforce-alliance.pdf
- Great overview of 16 different federal programs that allocate funding to training activities, spread over a number of departments./
- 11 When Congress authorized WIA, it stipulated that these different types of service should be provided to clients in a particular sequence, with the expectation that program participants could be deemed eligible for the next, higher-cost form of service only if they had failed to secure employment after receiving the lower-cost services. This approach has dramatically decreased the amount of training provided under WIA relative to previous federal programs.
- 14 How training works under WIA: WIA requires that training services be provided primarily
- through vouchers, known as Individual Training Accounts (ITAs), rather than through the contract method used under JTPA to purchase services from training providers. WIA participants needing training are supposed to receive an ITA, which they can use to purchase services from any organization on their local WIB’s “Eligible Training Provider” (ETP) list.
- 18 In 2004, 48.5 percent of adult WIA exiters received training, compared to 76.3 percent of adults who participated in training during the last year of JTPA (PY99).
- Did not read whole document, but may be useful in talking about poor transitional assistance
Worldwatch report for UNEP - Green Jobs - 2007
Worldwatch. 2007. Green Jobs: Toward Sustainable Work in a Low-Carbon World (preliminary report). Prepared for the UNEP, ILO, ITUC Green Jobs Initiative. Nairobi: United Nations Environment Program. www.unep.org/civil_society/Publications/index.asp
- Final report is due out in April 2008. Skimmed this report - did not read many sections.
- Thorough (133pp.) synthesis of the info and studies out there on employment effects of RE, energy efficient building, transport, agriculture. Also details environmental problems that create need for green employment and potential barriers. Acknowledges that much useful data does not exist. Lots of stats; 44 pp. of citations.
- Executive summary of this report is slightly more detailed version of the UNEP Background Paper on Green Jobs cited above
- Notes underdevelopment of green jobs in developed world, with exceptions of China and Brazil (ethanol production?)
- “As the German government has done, governments should also commission in-depth modeling and econometric efforts to analyze not just direct green jobs but also those that are related in a more indirect manner” (p.xiii)
- Worldwide employment estimates for recycling (1.5 million)
- Not all “green” jobs are automatically good for workers – electronics recycling (xiv), bad conditions in biofuel growing/production and potential to push people off land (xv) Carbon capture and sequestration is capital intensive; jobs/$million expected to be low (xvi-xvii) “
- As the Stern Review notes, real levels of R&D in low-carbon technologies have actually fallen sharply in recent decades” (xxvii)
- Problems with clean development mechanism (CDM) include skewed allocation of development projects (toward China, away from Lat Am and Africa); costs of certification around 14-22% of value of selling carbon credits from project; piecemeal approach of companies looking for cheap carbon credits (p.xxix)
- Skilled green jobs: “At the cutting edge of technology development for wind turbine or solar PV design, for instance, specialization has progressed to the point where universities need to consider offering entirely new study fields and majors” (p.xxx)
- Not all green jobs easy to recognize or count: “For instance, a particular piece of specialty steel may be used to manufacture a wind turbine tower without the steel company employees necessarily being aware of that fact” (p.8)
- Research on “rebound effect” – extent to which improved efficiency results in increased use (e.g., in cars, AC use, etc.) (p.9)
- Discusses need to move business focus from increasing labor productivity to increasing energy and materials productivity (p.12-13)
- Potential contradiction between renewables as a global source of jobs and renewables as part of national competitive economic strategies – e.g., desire to maintain export market stands in the way of technology transfer (p.60)
3 Mar 2008
TODAY
TOMORROW
- Continued compiling resources/taking notes on GCJs. Didn't get through a whole lot - Pinderhughes, UNEP/Worldwatch, ASES, CIPHER/SCOPE.
- Skimmed the Workforce Alliance report on federal workforce development programs/funding. Good report! Not sure if it will be useful.
- Am getting away a bit from the "case study" task - the UNEP and ASES reports are about more macro-level job creation - numbers, rather than specific green collar job case studies.
- Still, the idea of case studies of GCJs is a bit ambiguous. Includes descriptions of jobs in green industries? Probably want case studies of Green Collar Job programs, which are likely to be training programs to put disadvantaged individuals into "green" industry jobs. Examples of these are few and will probably be covered in upcoming Apollo Alliance report. Do more in depth study of them? Or do "green collar jobs" case studies mean something different?
TOMORROW
- Take notes on the UCLA policy brief (p.16) - remember to include CA state solar training program (still exists?)
- Other WIA training programs that focus on green jobs?
- Write up memo for Bob - maybe a synthesis of what I know plus companion documents with the case study blurbs and annotated bibliography.
House bill - increase taxes for big oil and renew PTCs
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/27/AR2008022702635.html?hpid=topnews
- would rescind a tax break for the five biggest oil companies and use the revenue to boost incentives for wind and solar energy and energy efficiency
- Heads to senate: "fourth time in the past year that Democrats have tried to get the package adopted."
- Supporters of the measure noted that rescinded tax breaks would amount to less than 2 percent of the profits of the five biggest oil companies. Even if the companies were to pass along that entire cost to gasoline consumers, it would amount to about a penny a gallon.
- Republicans mostly supported the bill's renewable energy provisions, worth about $8 billion.
- But at the heart of the floor debate was a provision to exclude oil and gas companies from a tax break given to U.S. manufacturers in 2004. Two years earlier, Congress had given a subsidy to manufacturers -- not including the oil industry. When the World Trade Organization ruled that the subsidy was a violation of trade accords, Congress instead came up with a provision that effectively lowered the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 32 percent over a number of years. In addition to the traditional manufacturers that would have received the earlier subsidy, the new tax break was extended to Hollywood studios, architectural and engineering firms, and oil and gas companies.
- RENEWABLES PROVISIONs
- To spur renewable energy, the bill would extend the production tax credit, now 2 cents a kilowatt hour, for wind for three years; after 2009, tax credits would not be able to exceed 35 percent of the value of a wind project.
- The 30 percent investment tax credit for solar projects would be extended eight years for commercial customers and six years for residential customers. The current maximum credit for homeowners would be doubled to $4,000.
- The legislation would also channel $2 billion into clean renewable energy bonds, which would help finance renewable energy investments by the country's politically powerful rural electric cooperatives. The bill would also expand tax credits for the installation of pumps for motor fuel with 85 percent ethanol and for purchases of plug-in hybrid vehicles.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Dissertation Idea
Use GIS maps to assess job potential from various energy/environmental projects - RE installation, public transit creation, energy efficiency, etc.
Tom's Harvard magazine had an article about PHEVs, but the environmental studies professor who wrote it also was studying wind potential across the US and there was a map of wind resources by state there.
Tom's Harvard magazine had an article about PHEVs, but the environmental studies professor who wrote it also was studying wind potential across the US and there was a map of wind resources by state there.
Dissertation Idea
Create metric for analyzing success of energy policy measures on several fronts:
1. Environmental protection
2. Energy security
3. Job provision
4. Cost?
Maybe more of a polisci topic?
1. Environmental protection
2. Energy security
3. Job provision
4. Cost?
Maybe more of a polisci topic?
Thursday, February 28, 2008
28 Feb 2008
TODAY
Finished Urban Agenda GCJs report. Went through it very slowly. :(
TOMORROW
Organize a memo and write synthesis of what I have learned so far. Think about section headings for types of "initiatives", like:
1a. Subsidized training programs
1b. Non-subsidized training programs
2a. Environmental initiatives, with job awareness
2b. Environmental initiatives, without job awareness
3. Policies/government projects/advisory councils
4. Service programs
Include discussion of existence of green collar jobs whenever an environmental initiative is carried out, even if jobs aren't explicit purpose. What does including job requirements in policy do? What kind of requirements should be included (e.g., training programs, pay/benefit requirements, type of individual recruited, union, etc.)? Need for demand for workers and supply of workers to match.
Questions to ask about environmental policies:
Will U.S. jobs be created, and if so, how many?
What kinds of jobs will be created (type, pay/benefits, union, education/experience necessary)?
Who will get the jobs?
Discuss who is studying green jobs and what kinds of reports are available.
Finished Urban Agenda GCJs report. Went through it very slowly. :(
TOMORROW
Organize a memo and write synthesis of what I have learned so far. Think about section headings for types of "initiatives", like:
1a. Subsidized training programs
1b. Non-subsidized training programs
2a. Environmental initiatives, with job awareness
2b. Environmental initiatives, without job awareness
3. Policies/government projects/advisory councils
4. Service programs
Include discussion of existence of green collar jobs whenever an environmental initiative is carried out, even if jobs aren't explicit purpose. What does including job requirements in policy do? What kind of requirements should be included (e.g., training programs, pay/benefit requirements, type of individual recruited, union, etc.)? Need for demand for workers and supply of workers to match.
Questions to ask about environmental policies:
Will U.S. jobs be created, and if so, how many?
What kinds of jobs will be created (type, pay/benefits, union, education/experience necessary)?
Who will get the jobs?
Discuss who is studying green jobs and what kinds of reports are available.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
27 Feb 2008
TODAY
Finished going through the case study section on the Green for All website. Ended up with 13 pages of their blurbs + notes on the various projects.
Began reading and taking notes on the Urban Agenda report on Energy Efficiency and GCJs in NYC.
TOMORROW
Synthesize what I learned so far and draft a memo for Bob that gives overview of
1. What is out there, as far as Green Collar job programs and research
2. Issues - what is the difference between an environmental initiative and a green collar job initiatve
Look into the Seattle green collar jobs site - referenced on the former Northwest Environment Watch website.
Clean up/put together memo on appearances of phrase Green Collar Jobs
Finished going through the case study section on the Green for All website. Ended up with 13 pages of their blurbs + notes on the various projects.
Began reading and taking notes on the Urban Agenda report on Energy Efficiency and GCJs in NYC.
TOMORROW
Synthesize what I learned so far and draft a memo for Bob that gives overview of
1. What is out there, as far as Green Collar job programs and research
2. Issues - what is the difference between an environmental initiative and a green collar job initiatve
Look into the Seattle green collar jobs site - referenced on the former Northwest Environment Watch website.
Clean up/put together memo on appearances of phrase Green Collar Jobs
Urban Agenda - Growing Green Collar Jobs: Energy Efficiency
http://www.greenforall.org/resources/ggcjenergyefficiency.pdf
Well-written and well-documented report on the types of jobs created by demand for energy efficiency in NYC. Good blend of description of energy efficiency improvements, descriptions of jobs created, information from and on people/organizaions working in these sectors. Very conscious of need to blend job requirements with energy efficiency legislation.
workforce growth;
• develop green collar employment and training
programs, including sector specific training and
advanced training for technical an professional
jobs;
• support green technology R&D and expose
workers to new technology and skills;
• create referral, placement, and job retention services
in partnership with labor and the public and
private sectors; and
• support the creation of green collar career ladders
in growth industries.129
unemployed and underemployed;
• develop comprehensive training and education
programs to prepare entry-level, incumbent, and
transitional workers for permanent green collar
employment;
• provide paid green collar work experience at prevailing
wages;
• work with unions and the private sector to develop
placement and referral services for Corps graduates;
• involve New York City’s existing support services,
training, and job placement programs; and
• ensure that Corps participants do not displace existing
workers.
Well-written and well-documented report on the types of jobs created by demand for energy efficiency in NYC. Good blend of description of energy efficiency improvements, descriptions of jobs created, information from and on people/organizaions working in these sectors. Very conscious of need to blend job requirements with energy efficiency legislation.
- Focus on NYC
- First report in a series
- Must ensure that jobs created by PlaNYC are "green collar jobs": "A green collar job is more than simply a job in an environmental field. It also provides a family sustaining wage, safe working conditions, and chances for career advancement" (3)
- Two definitions of environmental justice: Environmental justice is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people, regardless of background or status, in the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. The environmental justice movement responds to the reality that power plants, landfills and other environmental hazards are often sited in low-income communities and communities of color without their participation in the decision-making process.14 Environmental justice has also come to mean the equitable distribution of the benefits of the green economy: green collar jobs, community reinvestment, and clean technology.15 Organizations like the Ella Baker Center in Oakland, Strategic Concepts in Organizing and Policy Education (SCOPE) in LA, Sustainable South Bronx, the United Puerto Rican Organization of Sunset Park (UPROSE), and Urban Agenda recognize that green collar jobs can help redress past injustice while creating economic opportunity.16
- Includes profiles: Miroslav (maintainance supervisor of a green apt building), Buddy (electrician who installs meters and wiring), Meghan (operating engineer), Bill (building superintendent, trainer, and unionmember),
- 10 The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) projects that its statewide energy efficiency and alternative energy programs will create and sustain, on average, more than 8,600 jobs over a 19-year period.34 Governor Eliot Spitzer, in his April 2007 address launching the 15 x 15 energy efficiency initiative, predicted that this initiative will create 41,000 jobs statewide.35
- List of tasks/projects involved in energy upgrades
- 10-11 Quite detailed description of knowledge needed by energy auditor
- 11 The creation of standardized job titles and skill requirements is in progress as the auditing field develops. At the moment, NYSERDA is leading the process. NYSERDA has developed a suite of energy efficiency incentive programs for existing buildings, and requires building owners to hire NYSERDAapproved auditors in order to receive incentives under the Multifamily Building Performance Program.
- 15 An extensive study of municipal building retrofits in Canada, conducted by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, estimated that every $1 million invested in building retrofits creates 20 person-years of employment, mainly in the construction phase.57
- 17 A lack of projects has slowed the adoption of energy efficiency skills by workforce development programs. The slow development of the energy efficiency workforce, especially in more specialized areas like auditing and energy engineering, has in turn reinforced the slow growth of energy efficiency projects.
- Reviews roadblocks to realizing efficiency gains; similar to Joel Rogers COWS paper
- 18 The median Standard Payback Time (SPT) for the average retrofit is now seven years for institutional facilities, four years for hospitals, and just three years for commercial, industrial, and office buildings.66
- 35 Statewide, low-income people spend, on average, up to 15 percent of their monthly income on energy. Eighty percent of these expenditures leave low-income communities, going to power companies rather than local businesses.81
- 36 The New York City Housing Authority administers the City’s public housing developments as well as the Section 8 housing voucher program. NYCHA’s 344 aging developments—some sixty years old—house 412,281 low-income New Yorkers, 5 percent of the City’s total population.89...NYCHA’s utility costs currently account for approximately 20 percent of the operating budget and 37 have increased over 42 percent in the last few years.90 In this context, energy efficiency programs that lower the costs of operating NYCHA housing are especially important.
- 20,37 - Energy efficiency upgrades in affordable housing stymied by delays in HUD approval for using capital funds
- 31 Discusses need for maintenence staff to understand and be on board with energy efficiency requirements
- 24 Meter Service Providers use smart meters, real-time pricing, and sophisticated mapping tools to pinpoint when and how their clients use energy. Create energy management plans. Staff includes meter readers, analysts, billers, accountants, electricians, metering technicians, IT professionals, engineers, and project managers.
- 25 Companies in the emerging field of strategic energy asset management can help large power consumers tap into government demand-response programs by reducing their reliance on power from the grid at times of peak system usage, and collecting the targeted government subsidies...Jobs in strategic energy asset
- management include: • Account managers. Account managers work with client facilities managers to design the energy management program. • Energy analysts. Energy Analysts advise clients on how to tap into market-based opportunities, such as carbon trading or renewable energy credits.
- 26 Yet, the biggest hurdle to growing green collar jobs in this field may be the skill levels required for some positions. While ConsumerPowerline has beenable to recruit qualified meter installers from the telecommunications industry and utility companies, they have had more difficulty finding staff members who possess the requisite level of engineering, energy, or financ experience to be managers or analysts. Izzi explains, “A lot of these jobs aren’t established within a career services office….[Many people] might not have the track record for doing what we want to do.”
- 27 Offers recommendations on Green Collar Jobs:
- Working with the Workforce Investment Board (WIB) to collect workforce, employer, training, and education data in emerging green industries.
- Creating a Green Workforce Career Center to:
workforce growth;
• develop green collar employment and training
programs, including sector specific training and
advanced training for technical an professional
jobs;
• support green technology R&D and expose
workers to new technology and skills;
• create referral, placement, and job retention services
in partnership with labor and the public and
private sectors; and
• support the creation of green collar career ladders
in growth industries.129
- Developing a Green Collar Jobs Corps to help New Yorkers succeed in the City’s expanding green economy. A Green Collar Jobs Corps would:
unemployed and underemployed;
• develop comprehensive training and education
programs to prepare entry-level, incumbent, and
transitional workers for permanent green collar
employment;
• provide paid green collar work experience at prevailing
wages;
• work with unions and the private sector to develop
placement and referral services for Corps graduates;
• involve New York City’s existing support services,
training, and job placement programs; and
• ensure that Corps participants do not displace existing
workers.
- 28 Emphasizes that job "supply" creation must be combined with governmental measures to create demand: efficiency mandates, carbon reduction emission mandates, support of green businesses, etc.
- 30 PlaNYC: If all of the PlaNYC 2030 efficiency initiatives are implemented, the City projects a 14 to 15 percent reduction in energy consumption citywide by 2015.6 Ten percent of the
- 2007 municipal energy budget—$81.2 million—has been earmarked for municipal building energyefficiency improvements, and the Plan proposes making this annual allotment permanent.7
- 35 Lack of energy auditors: Richard Cherry, President and CEO of the Community Environmental Center (CEC), sees the lack of qualified auditors and engineers as “the major bottleneck” in growing the energy efficiency market. “No one is coming out of schools trained in energy auditing work,” he explains. Yet, CEC Green Building Specialist Katherine Carredu notes, “There is a great demand for people with computer skills and building mechanical-system knowledge who can perform the energy modeling analyses for new and existing buildings of all types.” Organizations like CEC are competing for the same workers with engineering firms and corporation who can pay larger salaries.78
- 39 Commissioning and retro-commissioning = assessment, testing, and balancing of a building's systems and controls. If possible, should be person who designed the building's energy systems. If not, engineer.
Green Jobs Act follow up
Learned from this FAQ sheet - http://www.greenforall.org/resources/faq_greenjobsact07.pdf
that the 2007 Energy bill authorized but did not appropriate $125 million for the Green Jobs training program. Expect this to be done in late 2008, despite the fact that several parts of the program are supposed to begin 6 months after passage (June 2008).
Also describes the 5 parts of the program and how much money is going to each.
that the 2007 Energy bill authorized but did not appropriate $125 million for the Green Jobs training program. Expect this to be done in late 2008, despite the fact that several parts of the program are supposed to begin 6 months after passage (June 2008).
Also describes the 5 parts of the program and how much money is going to each.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
26 Feb 2008
Met with Bob yesterday to talk about work plan and dissertation ideas.
Work plan:
1. Case studies of [job creation through green growth?] Bob mentioned Hermann Scheer's book Solar Economy and said there may be some international examples in there.
2. Types of subsidies given to fossil fuels. Different definition of subsidies.
3. Criticisms of green growth plans. E.g., the governor of Kansas has apparently come under criticism for his. Learn why.
Plan of attack:
Compile sources for #1 (and maybe #2). Begin with Green for All website.
Dissertation discussion:
Mostly comforting - talked about how it's natural to have vague ideas at this point.
Technical stuff should follow ideas, not other way around.
Anything having to do with green collar jobs will be useful and make a contribution.
I mentioned public/private several times - Bob noticed this
Tradeoff between clean energy and jobs? e.g., what if could Reduce GHGs by 90% w/ no jobs vs. reduce GHGs by 70% with lots of job creation.
Program evals of green growth jobs creation plans.
END OF DAY
Spent day going through resources page at Green for All website http://www.greenforall.org/resources/spotlight.html
Followed leads where appropriate; ended with Richmond, CA
Seems like a number of cities have projects in the works, but few have begun projects. Not a whole lot of information available on the programs.
New report to come out in March 2008 (?) with case studies - a guide for cities in creating Green Collar jobs, sponsored by Apollo Alliance, CAP, COWS.
Questions: Many "green collar jobs" are created through projects to reduce energy use/clean up environment - are we looking for projects that explicitly name job creation as an objective? Need to clarify what, exactly, I am looking for.
TOMORROW
Begin with Solar Richmond and continue down list.
Look over the Sources page for other reports/online resources that could be easily found.
Move on to fossil fuel subsidies if break is needed.
Work plan:
1. Case studies of [job creation through green growth?] Bob mentioned Hermann Scheer's book Solar Economy and said there may be some international examples in there.
2. Types of subsidies given to fossil fuels. Different definition of subsidies.
3. Criticisms of green growth plans. E.g., the governor of Kansas has apparently come under criticism for his. Learn why.
Plan of attack:
Compile sources for #1 (and maybe #2). Begin with Green for All website.
Dissertation discussion:
Mostly comforting - talked about how it's natural to have vague ideas at this point.
Technical stuff should follow ideas, not other way around.
Anything having to do with green collar jobs will be useful and make a contribution.
I mentioned public/private several times - Bob noticed this
Tradeoff between clean energy and jobs? e.g., what if could Reduce GHGs by 90% w/ no jobs vs. reduce GHGs by 70% with lots of job creation.
Program evals of green growth jobs creation plans.
END OF DAY
Spent day going through resources page at Green for All website http://www.greenforall.org/resources/spotlight.html
Followed leads where appropriate; ended with Richmond, CA
Seems like a number of cities have projects in the works, but few have begun projects. Not a whole lot of information available on the programs.
New report to come out in March 2008 (?) with case studies - a guide for cities in creating Green Collar jobs, sponsored by Apollo Alliance, CAP, COWS.
Questions: Many "green collar jobs" are created through projects to reduce energy use/clean up environment - are we looking for projects that explicitly name job creation as an objective? Need to clarify what, exactly, I am looking for.
TOMORROW
Begin with Solar Richmond and continue down list.
Look over the Sources page for other reports/online resources that could be easily found.
Move on to fossil fuel subsidies if break is needed.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Energy efficiency and jobs - Nov 2007 - COWS
SEIZING THE OPPORTUNITY (FOR CLIMATE, JOBS, AND EQUITY) IN
BUILDING ENERGY EFFICIENCY
http://www.cows.org/pdf/rp-energyefficiency.pdf
BUILDING ENERGY EFFICIENCY
http://www.cows.org/pdf/rp-energyefficiency.pdf
- 300 billion sq ft of building space in US
- Given huge potential, asks why market for retrofits doesn't work
- Barriers to realizing savings from retrofits: poor info, lack of access to capital, split incentives (you pay energy bill but don't own property), limited tenancy, fear of disruption from retrofitting, risk aversion/skepticism, competing alternative uses of capital
- How to fix: radically lowered risk and transaction costs for owners/tenants AND reliable capture of savings for external investors
- Presents an organizational model to achieve these goals with 6 entities: coordinator (calls it E2 - gov't, public-private, NGO, etc.), utility that puts E2 efficiency services on bill, energy customer willing to pay for retrofit work on bill if repayment lower than energy savings, bank willing to loan money to E2 if can aggregate large number of customers, energy auditor, contractor
Community Jobs in the Green Economy - Apollo Alliance and Urban Habitat - 2007
http://www.cows.org/pdf/rp-communityjobs_040307.pdf
Profiles of workers in green industries - shows pathways from training programs/apprenticeships through attainment of high-wage jobs
Energy Efficiency Retrofit Jobs
• Auditing energy use in existing buildings
• Manufacturing materials and devices
• Installing efficient lighting and heating systems
• Installing insulation, windows, and appliances
Jobs in Solar PV
• Manufacturing parts for solar PV systems
• Assembling solar panels
• Installing solar panel systems on rooftops
• Maintaining and repairing solar PV systems
Wind Energy Jobs
• Manufacturing parts for wind turbines and towers
• Constructing wind farms
• Operating and maintaining wind turbines
Solar Water Heater Jobs
• Manufacturing parts
• Assembling finished heating systems
• Installing the heaters
• Providing regular maintenance
• Marketing and selling systems to consumers
Geothermal Heat Pump Jobs
• Manufacturing equipment and parts
• Installing the heat pump system
Renewable Fuel Jobs
• Growing and harvesting crops for feedstock
• Collecting waste oils for feedstock
• Manufacturing parts for production facilities
• Constructing production facilities
• Working in the production facility
• Distributing and marketing fuel
Profiles of workers in green industries - shows pathways from training programs/apprenticeships through attainment of high-wage jobs
Energy Efficiency Retrofit Jobs
• Auditing energy use in existing buildings
• Manufacturing materials and devices
• Installing efficient lighting and heating systems
• Installing insulation, windows, and appliances
Jobs in Solar PV
• Manufacturing parts for solar PV systems
• Assembling solar panels
• Installing solar panel systems on rooftops
• Maintaining and repairing solar PV systems
Wind Energy Jobs
• Manufacturing parts for wind turbines and towers
• Constructing wind farms
• Operating and maintaining wind turbines
Solar Water Heater Jobs
• Manufacturing parts
• Assembling finished heating systems
• Installing the heaters
• Providing regular maintenance
• Marketing and selling systems to consumers
Geothermal Heat Pump Jobs
• Manufacturing equipment and parts
• Installing the heat pump system
Renewable Fuel Jobs
• Growing and harvesting crops for feedstock
• Collecting waste oils for feedstock
• Manufacturing parts for production facilities
• Constructing production facilities
• Working in the production facility
• Distributing and marketing fuel
- Many of the clean energy strategies that we recommend in New Energy for Cities [an Apollo Alliance report] involve some sort of government subsidy or tax break to private companies that produce, buy, sell or distribute energy efficient or clean energy products. Cities can and should attach job quality and job training standards to these types of subsidies to achieve greater public benefit.
- Tactics: apprentice utilization requirements [through Project Labor Agreements (PLAs), the agreements between units of government and contractors carrying out publicly funded projects]; local hiring policies; wage policies; give extra renewable energy credits to utilities that have apprenticeship/training program; community benefits agreements
- p18 Workforce intermediaries (WIs), also known as “regional training partnerships,” are partnerships among regional economic development stakeholders, including businesses, unions, technical and community colleges, job training programs, community organizations, and local an state workforce development officials. Rather than being one-size-fits-all approaches, they are place-specific partnerships that work to develop and implement pathways for career advancement and family supporting employment for low-skill workers. Successful WIs in Milwaukee, San Antonio, Seattle. No real headway into green economy yet.
- p19 Profiles of LA and Richmond, CA.
- City of of LA commissioned a study to identify which sectors of the energy economy the city already has in place; and then to determine which of these sectors currently provide high-quality jobs and career ladder opportunities. http://www.economicrt.org/summaries/Green_Tech_synopsis.html . LA Apollo Alliance also identifying public buildings ripe for retrofitting.
- City of Richmond, CA enlisted Urban Habitat to help create a green development plan
- Good resource list; contains most of the RE&EE/jobs reports that Heidi refers to
Green New Deal - The Corps Network - 7 pager
http://www.greenforall.org/resources/greennewdeal.pdf
The “Green New Deal” and Service and Conservation Corps
Sally T. Prouty, President and CEO, The Corps Network
The Green Jobs and Service Collaborative’s Green New Deal
The “Green New Deal” and Service and Conservation Corps
Sally T. Prouty, President and CEO, The Corps Network
- The Corps Network, as a member of the Green Jobs and Service Collaborative, calls for a “Green New Deal” [Could not find any other web info on the green jobs and service collaborative]
- Explicit goal - to change lives of disconnected young people
The Green Jobs and Service Collaborative’s Green New Deal
- We propose $10 billion in new funds over the coming decade for enhanced national environmental service combating climate change, including Americans of all ages but with prime focus on a Clean Energy Corps, where low-income disconnected young men and women in Service and Conservation Corps would improve energy efficiency in their communities while preparing for jobs in the green economy.
- We also propose $50 billion for state and local green jobs development during that time, to provide low-income and working-class Americans with the training and other assistance they need to gain jobs in the clean energy economy. At least half this new investment should go toward job preparation, matching, and retention efforts for the unemployed or poor. This investment will pay for itself in direct energy savings, increased worker productivity, reduced social service and health costs, and reduced green house gas emissions.
- $140 billion for a revolving loan fund will help to capitalize this work. Supplemented with other public dollars from states and cities, and used throughout to leverage private capital investment, the fund would be paid for through realized energy savings.
- Green Jobs and Service Collaborative (institutional affiliations for identification purposes only)—Jeremy Hays (Apollo Alliance), Bracken Hendricks (Center for American Progress), Van Jones (Ella Baker Center for Human Rights/Green for All), Ian Kim (Ella Baker Center), Billy Parish (Energy Action Coalition), Sally Prouty (The Corps Network), Joel Rogers (UW-Madison/ COWS/Center for State Innovation), Gene Sofer (Susquehanna Group), Lisbeth Shepherd (Innovations in Civic Participation), Susan Stroud (Innovations in Civic Participation).
- Cites the ASES RE&EE job figures
- In low-income communities, weatherization has been an economic stimulus, supporting 8,000 technical jobs in low income communities nationwide, which represents 52 jobs for every $1 million invested by the Department of Energy. Increasing the number of homes weatherized an other conservation investments will create new jobs. According to a cost-benefit analysis conducted by Oak Ridge National Laboratory, every dollar invested in weatherization produces $3.71, of which $1.83 is energy-related benefits and $1.88 is non-energy-related.5 [5 US Department of Energy, “Non-Energy Benefits of Weatherization, January 2003,” p. 1, summarizing results of Martin Schweitzer and Bruce Tonn, Non-Energy Benefits from the Weatherization Assistance Program, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, April, 2002.]
- Within AmeriCorps, and as a sizable new initiative, the Clean Energy Corps will take
environmental service to scale, using the experienced infrastructure of America’s Service
and Conservation Corps. We propose funding at $300 million a year for a decade.
Annually this would increase the number of Corpsmembers to 40,000, double the number
of Corps, result in 2 million hours of service, and generate over half a million unpaid
volunteers in green service. - Examples: Weatherization corps projects in MT, OH CA; Light and water household retrofits in Denver; Rebuild or retrofit houses in WI
CAP 5-pager on GCJs in DC
http://www.greenforall.org/resources/cap-bracken.pdf
Hendricks and Goldstein, Ctr for Am Prog, 5 Oct 2007
Hendricks and Goldstein, Ctr for Am Prog, 5 Oct 2007
- Cites ASES (Mgmt Info System) report on number of RE&EE jobs
- "Green collar jobs are quite diverse, covering a host of environmentally-related employment opportunities from entry level unskilled labor, to technical positions requiring certification, to professions based on college or graduate degrees."
- "For the purposes of the DC effort, the largest opportunities and central goals are to develop small businesses and a labor market capable of filling the pipeline of demand created by 1) the new Green Building Law, 2) potential responses to storm water management policies, 3) forthcoming comprehensive energy policies, 4) lead paint abatement, 5) river restoration, and 6) a city-wide commitment to reducing carbon emissions to fight climate change."
- LSDBE - Local, Small, Disadvantaged Business Enterprises
- 3 strategies for GCJ workforce development: apprenticeship and training - union- and employer-based; assisting local firms to participate in green markes; recruiting regional/national firms to locate in area
- To move forward quickly in developing this effort, the following should be top priority
• Who can we bring to the table now, in job training and on the employer side?
• What employers and industries can move most quickly into creating green collar
jobs?
• What public and non-profit programs can be easily expanded or enhanced to
serve the green collar jobs market?
• What additional research needs must be answered in the short term to design an
effective and strategic program?
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
12 Feb 2008
Today:
Met about DC proposal. Bob will send responses to questions today.
Looking through CAP proposal and CAP env/energy website.
Watched video for Capturing the Energy Opportunity - more show than substance
Bush's energy budget analysis: http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2008/02/energy_budget.html
More support for fossil fuels, less for renewable energy, cutting efficiency/weatherization funding.
Says Science articles on biofuel show need for sustainable fuels; cites jobs associated with ethanol production.
Bush pulled FutureGen (first big CCS demo project) off line due to cost overruns.
House hearing on cap-and-trade in Jan - should auction rather than give away. Discuss some problems with European system, including giveaway, lack of transparency, constant rule changes. Podesta advocated 10/45/45 plan outline in CAP's report.
[Check Washington Post article on green jobs; also Time magazine and CNN feature on Situation room]
Van Jones' Green Collar jobs article on Huffington Post, good links to green collar programs: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/van-jones/memo-to-candidates-green_b_82967.html
Second WSJ post on Environmental Capital blog about Green Collar Jobs http://blogs.wsj.com/environmentalcapital/2008/02/01/take-two-green-collar-jobs/
reviews different definitions of the term. We've come across most of them: cites Pinderhughes (blue collar jobs in green businesses); ASES report (90% are "light green collar" like lawyers, accountants, etc.) and the Green Collar Careers blog (http://greencollar.wordpress.com/2008/01/04/green-collar-subjects-and-sectors-part-1/).
NPR Green Collar Jobs story (3 min)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=17307587
Bay area shortage in GCJs. Gov't run training program in Richmond - interview trainee. Interviews Pinderhughes. Defines GCJs as manual labor jobs in green industries.
Notes on Bob's CAP Proposal:
Public investment on public-sector-led initiatives is most effective short-term policy intervention - should finance green growth initiatives, esp. new building construction and retrofitting.
Questions in need of further explication -
1. C/B analysis & credible estimates of gov't expenditures needed to make CAP program elements effective (e.g., low-carbon transport infrastructure)
2. Employment effects (compared to BAU)
3. Regional effects: Differences in effective policies in different regions. How are C/Bs distributed among regions and how to be fair?
4. Need to have solid grasp of 1-3 to ensure effectiveness as countercyclical policy.
Proposed study - study series of alternate growth paths:
0. BAU energy infrastructure; S-R and L-R scenarios
1. Cap and trade - problematic on its own, since imposes new costs on producers and consumers
2. Cap and redistribute on progressive basis (Jim Boyce's paper)
3. Divide revenues between redist and green investments. CAP study proposes 10% transitional assistance, 45% to low-income households, 45% to new green growth investments (of $746 billion over 2009-2018). But is $335 billion over 10 years enough to support green investments and provide effective countercyclical measure? Small % of military budget.
4. Appropriate level of fiscal support for green initatives decided through C/B analysis, employment effects, regional effects, countercyclical effects.
Employment effects of alternative spending targets, a la the demilitarization report, but more extensive and carefully specified. Also provide region-by-region estimates.
Employment effects of state-level public investment programs
PERI study showing that public investment (not just public spending) correlated with higher job growth.
For CAP study, will synthesize relative employment effects analysis with public investment as job creator analysis. Can also generate relative distributional effects.
Reviewed Bob & Heidi's demilitarization report: http://www.peri.umass.edu/fileadmin/pdf/other_publication_types/PERI_IPS_WAND_study.pdf
Were not able to look at renewable energy, since info wasn't yet available. Possible to do more thorough study for CAP lacking this, and probably other, data?
Used IMPLAN?
[Bob and James' study referenced in CAP proposal not yet available.]
Intro to IMPLAN - from Univ of FL
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/FE168
Basic (serves non-local markets) and service (serves local markets) industries. Not differentiated based on what they produce, but who they produce for. Division helps direct and indirect effects.
Met about DC proposal. Bob will send responses to questions today.
Looking through CAP proposal and CAP env/energy website.
Watched video for Capturing the Energy Opportunity - more show than substance
Bush's energy budget analysis: http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2008/02/energy_budget.html
More support for fossil fuels, less for renewable energy, cutting efficiency/weatherization funding.
Says Science articles on biofuel show need for sustainable fuels; cites jobs associated with ethanol production.
Bush pulled FutureGen (first big CCS demo project) off line due to cost overruns.
House hearing on cap-and-trade in Jan - should auction rather than give away. Discuss some problems with European system, including giveaway, lack of transparency, constant rule changes. Podesta advocated 10/45/45 plan outline in CAP's report.
[Check Washington Post article on green jobs; also Time magazine and CNN feature on Situation room]
Van Jones' Green Collar jobs article on Huffington Post, good links to green collar programs: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/van-jones/memo-to-candidates-green_b_82967.html
Second WSJ post on Environmental Capital blog about Green Collar Jobs http://blogs.wsj.com/environmentalcapital/2008/02/01/take-two-green-collar-jobs/
reviews different definitions of the term. We've come across most of them: cites Pinderhughes (blue collar jobs in green businesses); ASES report (90% are "light green collar" like lawyers, accountants, etc.) and the Green Collar Careers blog (http://greencollar.wordpress.com/2008/01/04/green-collar-subjects-and-sectors-part-1/).
NPR Green Collar Jobs story (3 min)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=17307587
Bay area shortage in GCJs. Gov't run training program in Richmond - interview trainee. Interviews Pinderhughes. Defines GCJs as manual labor jobs in green industries.
Notes on Bob's CAP Proposal:
Public investment on public-sector-led initiatives is most effective short-term policy intervention - should finance green growth initiatives, esp. new building construction and retrofitting.
Questions in need of further explication -
1. C/B analysis & credible estimates of gov't expenditures needed to make CAP program elements effective (e.g., low-carbon transport infrastructure)
2. Employment effects (compared to BAU)
3. Regional effects: Differences in effective policies in different regions. How are C/Bs distributed among regions and how to be fair?
4. Need to have solid grasp of 1-3 to ensure effectiveness as countercyclical policy.
Proposed study - study series of alternate growth paths:
0. BAU energy infrastructure; S-R and L-R scenarios
1. Cap and trade - problematic on its own, since imposes new costs on producers and consumers
2. Cap and redistribute on progressive basis (Jim Boyce's paper)
3. Divide revenues between redist and green investments. CAP study proposes 10% transitional assistance, 45% to low-income households, 45% to new green growth investments (of $746 billion over 2009-2018). But is $335 billion over 10 years enough to support green investments and provide effective countercyclical measure? Small % of military budget.
4. Appropriate level of fiscal support for green initatives decided through C/B analysis, employment effects, regional effects, countercyclical effects.
Employment effects of alternative spending targets, a la the demilitarization report, but more extensive and carefully specified. Also provide region-by-region estimates.
Employment effects of state-level public investment programs
PERI study showing that public investment (not just public spending) correlated with higher job growth.
For CAP study, will synthesize relative employment effects analysis with public investment as job creator analysis. Can also generate relative distributional effects.
Reviewed Bob & Heidi's demilitarization report: http://www.peri.umass.edu/fileadmin/pdf/other_publication_types/PERI_IPS_WAND_study.pdf
Were not able to look at renewable energy, since info wasn't yet available. Possible to do more thorough study for CAP lacking this, and probably other, data?
Used IMPLAN?
[Bob and James' study referenced in CAP proposal not yet available.]
Intro to IMPLAN - from Univ of FL
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/FE168
Basic (serves non-local markets) and service (serves local markets) industries. Not differentiated based on what they produce, but who they produce for. Division helps direct and indirect effects.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Renewable Energy Access - 9 Feb 2008
Feed in tariff good for Germany, not right for US
http://www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/news/recolumnists/story;jsessionid=6525A7D0C06BFF51CD515B11ABB42CE8?id=51362
RE firms compete for talent in tight markets
http://www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/news/story;jsessionid=6525A7D0C06BFF51CD515B11ABB42CE8?id=51408
Cambridge Energy Research Associates report - Future of Clean Energy
http://www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/news/infocus/story;jsessionid=6525A7D0C06BFF51CD515B11ABB42CE8?id=51396
First commercial-scale tidal energy installation in Ireland
http://www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/news/story?id=51414
RE&EE Workforce Training Conference- Hudson Valley Community College
https://www.hvcc.edu/energyconference/
http://www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/news/recolumnists/story;jsessionid=6525A7D0C06BFF51CD515B11ABB42CE8?id=51362
RE firms compete for talent in tight markets
http://www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/news/story;jsessionid=6525A7D0C06BFF51CD515B11ABB42CE8?id=51408
Cambridge Energy Research Associates report - Future of Clean Energy
http://www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/news/infocus/story;jsessionid=6525A7D0C06BFF51CD515B11ABB42CE8?id=51396
First commercial-scale tidal energy installation in Ireland
http://www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/news/story?id=51414
RE&EE Workforce Training Conference- Hudson Valley Community College
https://www.hvcc.edu/energyconference/
11 Feb 2008
Today:
Pick up where I left off with McCain-Lieberman bill. When done with PPT report, look through excel spreadsheets to try to better understand model.
Familiarize with all federal CC legislation.
Look at state/regional/local CC legislation.
End of day:
Finished taking notes on M-L bill. Held off on looking more closely at models (if this is even possible. May be proprietary). Combed through economic analysis performed by EIA and took some notes, not as extensively.
Began looking at Low Carbon Economy Act (Sen Bingaman) and taking notes.
Discussed statistical questions posed by DC people with Heidi. Difficult to know up front what survey will look like or who to include.
Read quickly through CAP proposal.
Tomorrow:
9:30 meeting to discuss DC questions
Read through DC proposal
Begin thinking about CAP stuff? - See what DC meeting brings up.
Pick up where I left off with McCain-Lieberman bill. When done with PPT report, look through excel spreadsheets to try to better understand model.
Familiarize with all federal CC legislation.
Look at state/regional/local CC legislation.
End of day:
Finished taking notes on M-L bill. Held off on looking more closely at models (if this is even possible. May be proprietary). Combed through economic analysis performed by EIA and took some notes, not as extensively.
Began looking at Low Carbon Economy Act (Sen Bingaman) and taking notes.
Discussed statistical questions posed by DC people with Heidi. Difficult to know up front what survey will look like or who to include.
Read quickly through CAP proposal.
Tomorrow:
9:30 meeting to discuss DC questions
Read through DC proposal
Begin thinking about CAP stuff? - See what DC meeting brings up.
Friday, February 8, 2008
8 Feb 2008
Today: Review of climate change legislation and gov't agency economic analyses
1. Read popular accounts of what is contained in legislation - take notes on main parts. Try to gauge how much support there is, likelihood of passing.
2. Comb through actual legislation to fill in holes.
3. Look at economic analyses and try to understand how model worked and what assumptions were made, particularly concerning discount rate, assumed cost increases, price of carbon, etc.
Began with McCain-Lieberman act - see memo. Still going through the "full report" which is in powerpoint form. Resume on p. 61 of PDF.
1. Read popular accounts of what is contained in legislation - take notes on main parts. Try to gauge how much support there is, likelihood of passing.
2. Comb through actual legislation to fill in holes.
3. Look at economic analyses and try to understand how model worked and what assumptions were made, particularly concerning discount rate, assumed cost increases, price of carbon, etc.
Began with McCain-Lieberman act - see memo. Still going through the "full report" which is in powerpoint form. Resume on p. 61 of PDF.
Thursday, February 7, 2008
7 February 2008
Got CAP project - awaiting details/instructions. Bob said they mentioned McCain-Lieberman bill and Stern Review. Will look these over.
Looked over Washington DC RFP and related documents.
EPA page of economic analyses of climate change mitigation programs:
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/economics/economicanalyses.html
Looked over Washington DC RFP and related documents.
EPA page of economic analyses of climate change mitigation programs:
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/economics/economicanalyses.html
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
6 February 2008
Completed summary of 2007 energy bill and sent to Bob
Continued memo on biomass stats.
Tomorrow:
Search US code for references to biomass/biofuel: http://uscode.house.gov/search/criteria.shtml
Continued memo on biomass stats.
Tomorrow:
Search US code for references to biomass/biofuel: http://uscode.house.gov/search/criteria.shtml
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
5 February 2008
Continued summary of 2007 Energy Bill - purpose is to give idea of what is in bill (which technologies/programs are being supported) and to give appropriation amount, if available.
Later - compare this to CAP report. Many similar programs, but need to check for differences in content/scope/funding.
Tomorrow
1. Finish summary, filling in details on biofuels and CAFE parts (4 hours).
2. Finish biofuels/biomass memo - incorporate findings from Ann's printouts and ask Heidi about biomass job findings. Check the major energy/employment reports (Kammen, etc.)
Later - compare this to CAP report. Many similar programs, but need to check for differences in content/scope/funding.
Tomorrow
1. Finish summary, filling in details on biofuels and CAFE parts (4 hours).
2. Finish biofuels/biomass memo - incorporate findings from Ann's printouts and ask Heidi about biomass job findings. Check the major energy/employment reports (Kammen, etc.)
Monday, February 4, 2008
4 February 2008
Energy bill/energy legislation memo for Bob:
H.R.6 - Renewable Fuels, Consumer Protection, and Energy Efficiency Act of 2007.
Passed 13 Dec 2007
Text of bill: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c110:H.R.6.ENR:
ENR committee 2-page summary of HR-6: http://energy.senate.gov/public/_files/HR6EnergyBillSummary.pdf
Internal Revenue Code of 1986: Sec. 45 - Electricity produced from certain renewable resources, etc. http://www.taxalmanac.org/index.php/Internal_Revenue_Code:Sec._45._Electricity_produced_from_certain_renewable_resources%2C_etc.
Tomorrow:
1. Finish memo about energy bill - be sure to focus on biomass/biofuel. Also, add bit about current PTCs for biomass.
2. Work on biomass fact sheet.
H.R.6 - Renewable Fuels, Consumer Protection, and Energy Efficiency Act of 2007.
Passed 13 Dec 2007
Text of bill: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c110:H.R.6.ENR:
ENR committee 2-page summary of HR-6: http://energy.senate.gov/public/_files/HR6EnergyBillSummary.pdf
Internal Revenue Code of 1986: Sec. 45 - Electricity produced from certain renewable resources, etc. http://www.taxalmanac.org/index.php/Internal_Revenue_Code:Sec._45._Electricity_produced_from_certain_renewable_resources%2C_etc.
Tomorrow:
1. Finish memo about energy bill - be sure to focus on biomass/biofuel. Also, add bit about current PTCs for biomass.
2. Work on biomass fact sheet.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Nevada Gets First U.S. Solar Thermal Plant
Nevada Gets First U.S. Solar Thermal Plant
Las Vegas, Nevada [RenewableEnergyAccess.com]
Ausra Inc. announced it is building the first U.S. manufacturing plant for solar thermal power systems in Las Vegas. The 130,000-square-foot, highly automated manufacturing and distribution center will produce the reflectors, towers, absorber tubes and other key components of the company's solar thermal power plants.
"With market-priced solar power, we are entering the Solar Decade, in which massive construction of solar plants will take place."
--Bob Fishman, President and CEO, Ausra
In November 2007, Ausra and California utility PG&E announced a power purchase agreement for a one-square-mile, 177-megawatt (MW) power plant. Ausra's new facility will manufacture the solar field equipment for the PG&E project and for other power projects throughout the southwest. The factory will be capable of making over 700 MW of solar collectors per year and will begin regular operation in April 2008.
"Americans want clean power, and are tired of the market fluctuations, price increases, and pollution from fossil power plants. With market-priced solar power, we are entering the Solar Decade, in which massive construction of solar plants will take place. We are investing now in the systems and capacity to serve that need," said Bob Fishman, president and CEO of Ausra.Mass Commonwealth Solar Program
http://www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/news/story?id=50893
December 18, 2007
Massachusetts Announces Commonwealth Solar Program
Boston, Massachusetts [RenewableEnergyAccess.com]
The Massachusetts Division of Energy Resources announced the state's new Commonwealth Solar program designed to encourage the use of solar photovoltaic (PV) power by offering rebates that reduce the cost of solar panels and installation. The new program, which makes use of existing renewable energy funds, is expected to result in the installation of more than 27 megawatts of solar power capacity over the next four years. Under Commonwealth Solar, businesses and residences that install PV systems from 2008-2012 will be eligible for rebates averaging $3 per watt at the start of the program. Rebates will be higher for installation of Massachusetts-manufactured solar panels, and they will decline with the size of the installation. "This is the kind of renewable energy program envisioned in the Green Communities legislation that unanimously passed the House of Representatives last month," said Massachusetts House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi. "It is important to move swiftly and to use all available resources to reduce our dependence on imported fuels."
December 18, 2007
Massachusetts Announces Commonwealth Solar Program
Boston, Massachusetts [RenewableEnergyAccess.com]
The Massachusetts Division of Energy Resources announced the state's new Commonwealth Solar program designed to encourage the use of solar photovoltaic (PV) power by offering rebates that reduce the cost of solar panels and installation. The new program, which makes use of existing renewable energy funds, is expected to result in the installation of more than 27 megawatts of solar power capacity over the next four years. Under Commonwealth Solar, businesses and residences that install PV systems from 2008-2012 will be eligible for rebates averaging $3 per watt at the start of the program. Rebates will be higher for installation of Massachusetts-manufactured solar panels, and they will decline with the size of the installation. "This is the kind of renewable energy program envisioned in the Green Communities legislation that unanimously passed the House of Representatives last month," said Massachusetts House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi. "It is important to move swiftly and to use all available resources to reduce our dependence on imported fuels."
Energy Bill Update
- Energy bill signed into law by Bush on 19 Dec 2007
- DOES NOT include the renewable portfolio standard (RPS) or investment/production tax credits for renewables
- Does include the Green Jobs Title (Title X) that I wrote memo about
- Renewable fuel standard (RFS) of 36 bill gallons by 2022 (5x current levels)
- CAFE std of 35mpg by 2020
- Federal buildings must use Energy Star or other designated energy efficient products by end of fiscal 2013
- New appliance efficiency standards in Energy Policy and Conservation Act
- Establish Office of High-Performance Green Buildings in US Gen Services Admin
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
CAP Report - Capturing the Energy Opportunity
Podesta, J., T. Stern and K. Batten (2007). Capturing the Energy Opportunity: Creating a Low-Carbon Economy. Washington, D.C.: Center for American Progress, November.
p. 20 Problems with EU emissions trading scheme
Safety and cost information on underground CO2 storage
- Part of "Progressive Growth" CAP's economic plan for next administration
- pp. 36-37: summary of recommended policies with columns for "what does it do?" "environmental benefits," and "economic/job benefits." No consistent methodology for assessing economic/job benefits - what does BP have in mind to add meat? In many cases, the recommended size/expense of the program is not discussed, which would make I-O analysis hard.
- 21,36 Cap and trade emissions to achieve 80% reduction of 1990 levels by 2050. All permits auctioned. Create $75 bill in auction rev annually over first 10 years. Estimate based on 10 studies, by EIA EPA, MIT, Tellus, and several private authors (ftnt 44). 10% to compensate businesses in energy intensive sectors (and affected shareholders, employees, communities). 45% to offset energy price increases for low- and moderate-income Americans. 45% to science&tech innovation "across the board" and funding for RD&D, tax incentives, other initiatives. STILL VAGUE - NOT CLEAR HOW MONEY IS ALLOCATED.
- 36 Eliminate tax breaks and subsidies for oil and gas. Generate $6 bill annually over 10 years "for investment in low carbon policies" described in the paper. Numbers from Friends of Earth 2006 report (ftnt 45).
- TRANSPORTATION: how much will these policies cost? who will benefit? who administers?
- Higher CAFE stds: 40mpg by 2020 and 55 by 2030. MANDATE - NO DIRECT GOV'T COST.
- Feebates: surcharge on gas guzzlers goes toward rebates for efficient vehicles of same class. REVENUE NEUTRAL (ADMIN COSTS).
- Manufacturing retooling incentives: promote production of fuel efficient vehicles. COST?
- Healthcare for hybrids: legacy healthcare cost support in return for production of more efficient vehicles. COST?
- Efficient vehicles tax credit: $4000 for most efficient vehicles, regardless of technology. COST?
- Plug-in hybrid tax credit: $8000 for first 1 million plug-ins. COST - up to $8 bill.
- Alternative Fuel Standard: 25% low-carbon transport fuels (incl. electricity) by 2025
- Variable Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit (VEETC): update to make credit vary with price of oil
- Low-Carbon Fuel Standard: reduce lifecycle emissions from transportation fuels by 10% by 2020
- Renewable Fuels Certification Program
- Alternative fuel pumps mandate: 15% of fuel pumps (incl. charging stations for PHEVs) provide low-carbon fuels in any county where 15% vehicles can run on these fuels
- Mass transit and smart growth. MORE SPECIFIC PLANS?
- ELECTRICITY:
- National Energy Efficient Resource Standard: utilities meet 10% energy savings through efficiency upgrades by 2020
- Decouple utility sales from profits
- Grid upgrade: increase efficiency of transmission, encourage dist. gen
- Appliance energy efficiency standards
- Building efficiency: improving building codes, retrofitting public buildings, incentivize deployment of dist gen, energy efficient housing grants and mortgages
- Renewable Electricity Standard (RPS): 25% by 20
- Tax credits and low-interest loans for renewables: SPECIFICS?
- CO2 sequestration: commercial demonstration projectsqu
- Emissions standards and CO2 capture funds for new coal-fired facilities
- Green gov't purchasing: vehicles, low-carbon fuels, energy efficiency, RE
- Taxpayer investments should reduce and withstand the effects of global warming. HOW TO INSTITUTIONALIZE?
- Gov't partnerships to develop CC adaptation strategies: with state and local gov't, non-profits, businesses
- White House National Energy Council: prioritize global warming
- Energy Innovation Council: interagency group, develop multi-year national energy RD&D strategy
- Energy Technology Corporation: finance and execute large-scale, commercially viable demo projects
- Clean Energy Investment Administration: loan guarantees for clean energy projects
- Clean Energy Job Corps: training for "green collar" workers
- More low-carbon energy RD&D: more than double current investment
- Create E-8 group of countries: developed and developing countries, devoted to confronting ecological/resource issues
- Investment in developing countries' energy/environment sectors
p. 20 Problems with EU emissions trading scheme
Safety and cost information on underground CO2 storage
8 Jan 2008
Back from break. Won't be doing Heidi's phone calls, as planned, so I have January to research.
Began yesterday by reading Ctr for American Progress (CAP) Nov 2007 report titled "Capturing the Energy Opportunity." Need to talk to Bob about what, exactly, I should be doing.
Tomorrow:
Go through CAP report again and fill in notes and questions. Begin looking into questions identified, as well as sources from footnotes that seem interesting.
Began yesterday by reading Ctr for American Progress (CAP) Nov 2007 report titled "Capturing the Energy Opportunity." Need to talk to Bob about what, exactly, I should be doing.
Tomorrow:
Go through CAP report again and fill in notes and questions. Begin looking into questions identified, as well as sources from footnotes that seem interesting.
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