NEW ENERGY CHANGE – TOO MUCH FOR SOME & NOT ENOUGH FOR OTHERS

The Clean Energy & Environmental Accomplishments of Senate Democrats in the 110th & 111th Congress
Congressional Desk, April 29, 2010 (American Chronicle)

"Senate Democrats have been…[pushing for New Energy and Energy Efficiency] since regaining the majority in 2006…This Fact Sheet details the many legislative clean energy and environmental accomplishments Senate Democrats have achieved during the 110th and 111th Congresses.

"The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) enacted a number of important energy and environmental provisions aimed at creating jobs while simultaneously improving the environment. The most significant of these provisions is the historic investment in clean energy. The law provided $66.8 billion…[in] tax incentives, federal funding, and loan guarantees providing for a significant expansion of clean energy deployment, job creation, and a better environment…[The Recovery Act, ARRA, is accelerating] the development of clean energy technologies…"

Boosted by Recovery Act funds (click to enlarge)

"Wind. In 2009, the United States broke all previous records by installing over 10,000 megawatts (MW) of new wind energy…[increasing] the nation´s total wind energy generating capacity by 40 percent (25,000 MW to 35,000 MW)…Solar…[T]he nation´s total solar energy electrical capacity surpassed 2,100 MW and total thermal capacity reached nearly 24,000 megawatts-thermal. The 481 MW increase in the nation´s solar electricity generation represents a 37 percent increase…Geothermal…[An installed capacity] increase of 176 MW…surpassed the combined total of newly installed geothermal from the previous three years (2006, 2007, and 2008). Even more promising, another 161 MW of geothermal were in the final stages of development…and more than 7,000 MW are in earlier phases…

"Going forward, [the Recovery Act] is projected to continue to spur growth in clean energy deployment…[T]he nation is expected to deploy 10,000 more megawatts of electricity from renewable energy resources in 2010 than it would have had the legislation not been passed. Further, the Outlook anticipates that, by 2020, the United States will generate 37,000 more megawatts of electricity from renewable energy resources than it would have…"

Boosted by Recovery Act funds (click to enlarge)

"In terms of job creation…Wind. In 2009, the number of people employed in the wind energy industry reached 85,000…an increase from 50,000 two years ago…[W]ind manufacturing facilities also increased by 39 and the United States now has over 200 facilities…Solar…[T]he number of people directly employed by the solar industry rose to approximately 25,000, an increase of approximately 25 percent from 2008 levels…[With an additional 7,000 induced jobs, solar’s impact was 17,000 new jobs.] Going forward…the total number of jobs in the solar industry or supported by its supply chain [should reach] 60,000 by 2010…Geothermal…[T]he7,000 MW of geothermal energy under development will create 29,750 permanent jobs…

"In terms of the environment, the EIA has projected that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will avert the energy-related emission of approximately 225 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent between 2011 and 2013."