Iowa Global Warming

Secretary of Energy Stephen Chu pledged 93 million dollars for wind energy research and development Wednesday during his visit to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado. Chu emphasized that this move would facilitate the president’s goal of switching ten percent of the nation’s electricity sources to renewable sources by 2012. 

The funding is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. 26 billion of the 100 billion dollars available for clean energy funding has been allocated since February and it is hoped that this amount will grow to 70 percent by Labor Day. Chu also pledged 100 million dollars to the laboratory for building upgrades to its biorefinery. 

Because of the state of the economy, the secretary also promised to speed up the loan-making process so that projects can begin faster. In the past, it has taken up to four years for loans to be approved, but Chu stressed that the economy cannot wait that long. “We want to launch projects quickly and logically that will provide enduring value,” he said.

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I’m back from the two day RE-AMP conference, and I’m both excited and tired. Tired because it’s been a long two days – an early breakfast-to-night, fully loaded, nonstop kind of long. Excited because two days of meeting people and learning about all the work being done throughout the entire RE-AMP midwest network has left me feeling inspired.

There’s a lot happening – in all of the eight states represented our partner organizations are advancing climate solutions, and progress has never been more tangible. Renewable energy, energy efficiency, passenger rail and other mass transit options are moving forward – and dirty coal projects are being shelved or reconsidered.

For me, a highlight of the conference was Heaster Wheeler of the Detroit NAACP. Heaster may not seem a likely ally, but he made clear that we have common obligations, common challenges, and common opportunities. We’re all in this together, and we’re all going to have to work together; while there may be challenges and difficulties, the opportunity is great.

One last piece of encouragement: President-Elect Obama has named Nobel Prize winner Steven Chu to the post of Secretary of Energy, a position that will oversee the crucial issues of energy and climate for the Obama Administration. Not only does Chu have the knowledge, he has vision, and this selection is a clear signal that Obama is serious about reform, scientific integrity, and the new energy economy.

But it’s not over yet – now comes the heavy lifting, and we’ve got to carry the load. So… time to crash, because it’s back to work tomorrow. Can’t wait!

“Many of our best basic scientists realize that this is getting down to a crisis situation.”
-Steven Chu on global warming