
Utilities must lead way to clean-energy model
Date: Sunday, July 27, 2008 @ 23:08:26 UTC Topic: General
BY DANIEL M. KAMMEN |Daniel
M. Kammen is founding director of the Renewable and Appropriate Energy
Laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley, and a member of
the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
When we hear criticisms of the Long Island Power
Authority's
experimental energy projects, we need to keep in mind that utilities
have a critical role to play in making the transition to a clean-energy
economy, which is one of the greatest challenges of the 21st century.
LIPA has spent $54 million in research and development since 1998,
according to consumer watchdogs cited in Newsday, including ventures in
fuel cells, windmills and solar power. Legitimate questions are being
raised about accountability and oversight. But commitments to
innovation always carry a certain amount of risk-taking, and there's no
doubt of LIPA's need to be involved in R&D. In fact, a good case
can be made that even a higher investment level was warranted - some of
which is inherently risky.
Frustration with federal inaction in
this field has generated a wave of energy innovations at the city and
state level, including financial help for developing or deploying solar
energy, wind power, and the capture of energy from landfills, as well
as incentives to promote efficiency in homes and businesses. Utilities
are vital players in this process, since they interface directly both
with energy production systems (some of which they own), and with
consumers.
Utilities are uniquely positioned to champion
low-carbon energy supply and demand management options while putting
into effect energy-efficiency and demand-management strategies to save
ratepayers money and lower carbon emissions right away....
Full article: http://www.newsday.com/news/opinion/
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