Posted by Ericka Dana - ICAG Sierra Membership Chair Catnip Farm, PO Box 72, Victor, IA 52221 (319) 685-4270 <[log in to unmask]> ---------- From: irenewsletter <[log in to unmask]> Date: Tue, 5 Mar 2002 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Legislative Alert: New Wind and Solar Statistics Below is yet more pertinent info. for your use when talking to your legislators! The RPS debate may happen as early as tomorrow - now is the time to call.... - Rich Dana, Iowa Renewable Energy Assoc. Program Director Sen. Charles Grassley 135 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510-1501 (202) 224-3744 [log in to unmask] Sen. Tom Harkin 731 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 (202) 224-3254 Phone (202) 224-9369 Fax (202) 224-4633 TDD [log in to unmask] As part of a larger report on the international renewables industry, Greenpeace has prepared the attached fact sheet on how the US compares with other developed countries in promoting wind and solar. This would be useful for speeches by champions this week. David Gardiner David Gardiner & Associates, LLC 3611 N. Harrison St. Arlington, VA 22207 703-237-3121 703-536-4551 FAX [log in to unmask] Wind Energy and Solar PV Statistics Wind Power: … The U.S. had more than 90% of global installed wind generating capacity in the mid-1980s; it now has 18% (our percentage share rose in 2001 as developers rushed to install capacity before the federal Production Tax Credit expired); … Germany is about 1/20 the size of the U.S., but has more than double our amount of wind power; … Denmark, with only 5 million people, is the world's leader in the manufacture of wind turbines - they provide more than 50% of the global market; in 2000, the U.S. share of global sales (including in the U.S.) was 6%. Solar PV: … From 1992-2000, U.S. electric generating capacity from solar photovoltaics grew at 16% annually - Japan's grew at 43% Germany's at 46%/year; … The U.S. grid-connected solar market is now only 31% the size of Germany's and 15% of Japan's; … The U.S. share of the global market for solar PV panels (amount of market supplied by U.S.-manufactured PV) fell from 44% in 1996 to 27% in 2001, while Japan raced ahead - now has 43% of market. If we continue with business as usual, the U.S. share is expected to decline to 2% by 2020. Misc.: … Europe has set a target of generating 22% of it's electricity with renewable energy by 2010 (and 12% of gross energy needs); … The European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) projects that Europe will have 60,000 MW of installed wind capacity by 2010; … By 2020, EWEA projects that wind energy could generate 10% of annual global electricity demand and create more than 1.7 million jobs; … The European Photovoltaics Association projects that solar PV will provide 26% of annual global electricity needs by 2040; … China has committed $4.5 billion to renewable energy and energy efficiency projects; … Japan invests about $500 million annually in subsidies for solar energy. Job Statistics: … According to the Department of Energy, wind energy provides about 5 times more jobs per dollar invested than coal or nuclear power; … The wind industry in Germany now employs 35,000 people (up from 29,000 in 2000) … Renewable energy provides more jobs per unit of energy produced, and many of the jobs are high-tech, high-wage; … 20% of electricity could come from renewables by 2020, with net employment increases of more than 700,000 jobs by 2010, and more than 1.3 million by 2020; … Imp. of global market share - manufacturing is most labor-intensive aspect; all technology that is exported means that labor required to manufacture that technology is net, not replacing conventional energy tech. Call for Clean Energy: Around world, business and government leaders are calling for a transition to a clean energy economy to address global warming, increase national security, and meet rising demand for energy worldwide. … Top level advisors under Clinton, Reagan and Nixon have urged Congress to adopt strong measures to advance renewable energy for the sake of U.S. national security. (James Woolsey, U.S. CIA director under Clinton; Admiral Thomas Moorer, Chairman Joint chiefs of Staff under Nixon, Robert McFarlane, National Security Advisor to Reagan - in letter to 16 U.S. Senators dated 19 Sept. 2001) … David Freeman of California Power Authority says "our whole system of electric power is hard to defend against attack. The worst is nuclear." … Sir Mark Moody Stuart, former CEO of Shell Oil - called on countries to expand renewable energy targets and remove subsidies for fossil fuels and nuclear power, switch some to renewables to level playing field. In poll after poll, Americans have expressed preference for investment in renewable energy technologies. (Gallop poll 8 November 2001 - 91% of Americans favor investments in new sources of energy such as solar and wind.) For more information, statistics or sources, see: "Losing the Clean Energy Race: How the U.S. Can Retake the Lead and Solve Global Warming" (February 2002) at: http://www.greenpeaceusa.org/climate/pdfs/energy_race.pdf Or contact the author, Janet L. Sawin, Ph.D. at 202-319-2495 or 301-657-2529. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - For SC email list T-and-C, send: GET TERMS-AND-CONDITIONS.CURRENT to [log in to unmask]