Transcript Slide 1

Renewable Energy
in the Northeast
Good Opportunities; Significant Obstacles
presented by
Warren Leon
Massachusetts Technology Collaborative
June 25. 2008
What Is Renewable Energy?
 Energy that won’t run
out if properly managed
 Solar
 Wind
 Water (rivers, tides,
waves)
 Bioenergy (plants)
 Geothermal
The Dilemma
 Renewable energy would
make a significant impact
 It’s maddeningly hard to
bring renewable energy
into widespread use,
even though the vast
majority of people in the
Northeast support it
What Renewable Energy Has
Going For It
 Urgent need to diversify




the energy supply.
Public likes the idea of
renewable energy.
Public officials and key
stakeholders support it.
Offers environmental
and economic benefits.
Favorable public
policies.
Why Renewable Energy Makes
Sense for the Northeast
 High electricity
prices
 No indigenous fossil
fuels
 Need local markets
to help start-up
companies
PV Provides Power at the Right Time
Many Barriers and Obstacles
 Permitting and siting are
difficult
 A densely populated region
with relatively little land for
development.
 Easier to prevent something
from happening than to
make something happen.
 Often essential to have
strong public support but it
generally is not enough.
More Obstacles
 Many entities have
input into whether a
project goes forward.
 The more technically
novel or complex a
change, the more
barriers need to be
overcome.
 Some public policies
don’t work as
intended.
Deciding on a Project:
One Size Does Not Fit All
 Variables






Technology
Energy Resources
Construction Costs
Local Impacts
Onsite Load
State Incentives
First Steps
 Start with the most
cost-effective, but
unlikely, technologies:
landfill gas, hydro, wind.
 Assess the resource
 Check for dealchanging incentives
(e.g., RPS, net
metering)
Second Steps
 Defer analysis of
secondary
incentives
 Consider bringing
in a private
partner/developer
 The sun shines
everywhere
 Consider thirdparty ownership
www.masstech.org