Comments on: U.S. Energy Secretary Announces $350M for Clean Energy Tech in Developing World

By: Copenhagen: A 2-Week Wrap-Up, Photos

Copenhagen: A 2-Week Wrap-Up, Photos — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 20:01:56 +0000

[...] U.S. Energy Secretary Announces $350M for Clean Energy Tech in Developing World [...]

By: Tiffany

Tiffany — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 15:49:19 +0000

As the most stable country to do business within Latin America, Chile is proving to be a launching ground for renewable energy. Alternative Latin Investor looks at the progress and requirements of investing in wind farms within the country…. might be worth checking out.

http://www.alternativelatininvestor.com/renewable.php

By: Laina Greene

Laina Greene — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 04:50:47 +0000

I am glad some monies are being committed from the US. The European Commission has committed 3 billion as of early last week. Even Denmark offered an additional $240M last Thursday. The numbers being talked about in the plenary sessions now are $200B per year, and tensions are really high. Having the Africans walk out yesterday led to a 3 hour delay waiting around for the session to start (and this included Ministers from many countries and even the President of Maldives). The divide is wide and the fact that the US choses to not ratify Kyoto and wants to stat giving carbon reduction numbers as of 2005 as opposed to 1990 is part of the problem. 17% carbon reduction levels from 2005 levels proposed for US is I am told only 3% from Kyoto.

As someone who has been here in Copenhagen since Monday last week, I must say this has been very disappointing. I listened to a talk from Steve Chu on Sunday and he said it was time the US did its part and he was cheered on, but then he went on to talk about technology solutions from the US. People now have the impression the US is only interested in exporting its clean technology rather than focus on its own cuts. And yes, this funding is a good step but in the context of the tensions in these negotiations, a drop in the ocean,

14th Dec will start a day of intense negotiations and many NGO delegates will not even be allowed in. Whilst some nations seem to understand the urgency to have commitments made before their Heads of State come and that the world is waiting for a deal, other nations are still arguing procedure and transparency and insisting on Kyoto first then new commitment, so I think bulk of commitments will still be made at the last minute so it seems, and if at all.

By: Terrence Murray

Terrence Murray — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 20:01:44 +0000

That’s an interesting development. It, in some ways parallels what’s going on in Copenhagen where developed countries are arguing that they can’t afford to fight climate change without funding from industrialized nations. At the end of the day, yes clean energy works but it’s also extremely expensive. For the most part, wind or utility-scale solar remains a “rich-country” technology. The DOE funding just announced is fairly modest but it is a start and it does highlight the ongoing issue of the North – South “clean energy gap”.