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Clean Energy Coalition/Ann Arbor, MI

JOB SUMMARY
Clean Energy Coalition, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, seeks a Program Director. This is a senior leadership position with responsibility for the management and oversight of program supervisors, project managers, project associates, part-time interns, and volunteers, as well as responsibility for the direct management of identified projects as needed.

This leader will assist team members in the development and implementation of building- and transportation-related clean energy projects and programs that serve a core statewide target market, as well as increasing opportunities outside of Michigan. These projects focus on reducing fossil fuel consumption by expanding the use of: alternative fuels, advanced vehicle technologies, non-motorized transportation alternatives, renewable energy technologies, energy efficient building retrofits and new construction projects, behavioral changes, innovative financing programs, as well as other ground-breaking initiatives.

The Program Director works closely with other leaders and staff under the guidance of the Executive Director. In addition to daily management activities, as a member of the management team for the organization, the Program Director will participate in the development of performance expectations and metrics for both his or her team and the organization, provide input to policy and strategic decisions, and consistently demonstrate the professional behaviors and attitude expected of a leader at Clean Energy Coalition.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
• Bachelor’s (required) or Master’s degree (preferred) required in business administration, public administration, city and regional planning, economics, engineering, natural resource management, social work, or any related fields, or equivalent work experience in the above mentioned areas.
• Minimum of five years of project management experience.
• Minimum of five years of supervisory experience, however leadership potential will be considered in combination with experience provided there is a willingness to participate in management workshops or individual coaching.
• Demonstrated experience leading others and successful management of teams.
• Demonstrated ability to influence buyers and develop new revenue sources.
• Extremely detail-oriented.
• Demonstrated organizational and leadership skills.
• Self-starter, enthusiastic, innovative, and capable of meeting challenges and pressing deadlines.
• Team player with troubleshooting and multitasking skills.
• Superior written and verbal communication skills.
• Proven commitment to energy and environmental issues.
• Solid computer skills including proficiency in using basic Microsoft and/or similar software products such as word processing, spreadsheet, presentation, email, web, database applications, and capacity to work in Mac OS environment.
• Experience with environmental issues, alternative fuels, alternative vehicle technologies, energy efficiency, and/or renewable energy projects preferred.

JOB DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
• Daily management of team members including:
o Direct supervision of program supervisors, project managers, project associates, part-time Interns, and volunteers. At a minimum, work is to include: weekly one-on-one goal setting and troubleshooting meetings, completion of annual performance reviews, quarterly review of annual goal accomplishment and progress with professional development plans, onboarding of new hires, and hiring and termination processes.
o Development and oversight of team goals and metrics.
o Anticipation, prevention, or resolution of problems and issues; communicating concerns as appropriate.
o Providing technical support and communicating trends and new technologies.
o Mentoring and guiding staff in their personal and professional development.
• Work with the organization’s business development staff to identify and develop new business opportunities.
• Develop and implement new services and initiatives that drive revenue growth and mission accomplishment.
• Work with the leadership team to ensure project, team, and organizational performance metrics are achieved.
• Management of client relationships as needed.
• Support cross-functional staff (primarily executive director, business operations director, business development manager, and communications manager) as needed and required.
• Serve on the organization’s management team; contribute to short and long-term organizational planning and strategy.
• Serve as a role model for teamwork and a culture of collaboration.
• Participate and lead the development and streamlining of processes for both team and organization.
• Identify and overcome regional barriers to adopting clean energy technologies.
• Develop and implement public awareness campaigns.
• Plan, market, and conduct clean energy trainings.
• Collect and calculate economic and environmental savings accrued, including cost-benefit analyses.
• Provide ongoing consultation to related organizations and industry leaders.
• Organize and write reports.
• Conduct ongoing evaluation of clean energy projects and make recommendations for improvements to the executive director and other staff.
• Contribute to written communication materials such as newsletter, website, presentations, grant proposals, and reports.
• Coordinate digital, print, and voice communications.
• Provide oversight, implementation, tracking, and reporting on grant activities as prescribed by each individual grant.
• Attend community forums, meetings, and events, and make individual and public presentations on Clean Energy Coalition’s mission, services, and needs when necessary.
• Act as a spokesperson for Clean Energy Coalition.
• Perform other duties as assigned and collaborate with other staff on work as needed.

SALARY & BENEFITS
• Commensurate with experience.
• Competitive benefits package.

APPLICATION DETAILS
• This position is open until filled; no phone inquiries please.
• Clean Energy Coalition is an EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER committed to diversity and consideration of all applicants for all positions without regard to color, ethnic background, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, age, and disability status.
• Qualified individuals should electronically submit a cover letter, resume, and professional references, addressed to: Sean Reed, Executive Director, and emailed to employment@cec-mi.org. Include “Program Director†in the subject line.

Apply To Job

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Clean Energy Coalition/Ann Arbor, MI

JOB SUMMARY
Clean Energy Coalition, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, seeks a Program Director. This is a senior leadership position with responsibility for the management and oversight of program supervisors, project managers, project associates, part-time interns, and volunteers, as well as responsibility for the direct management of identified projects as needed.

This leader will assist team members in the development and implementation of building- and transportation-related clean energy projects and programs that serve a core statewide target market, as well as increasing opportunities outside of Michigan. These projects focus on reducing fossil fuel consumption by expanding the use of: alternative fuels, advanced vehicle technologies, non-motorized transportation alternatives, renewable energy technologies, energy efficient building retrofits and new construction projects, behavioral changes, innovative financing programs, as well as other ground-breaking initiatives.

The Program Director works closely with other leaders and staff under the guidance of the Executive Director. In addition to daily management activities, as a member of the management team for the organization, the Program Director will participate in the development of performance expectations and metrics for both his or her team and the organization, provide input to policy and strategic decisions, and consistently demonstrate the professional behaviors and attitude expected of a leader at Clean Energy Coalition.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
• Bachelor’s (required) or Master’s degree (preferred) required in business administration, public administration, city and regional planning, economics, engineering, natural resource management, social work, or any related fields, or equivalent work experience in the above mentioned areas.
• Minimum of five years of project management experience.
• Minimum of five years of supervisory experience, however leadership potential will be considered in combination with experience provided there is a willingness to participate in management workshops or individual coaching.
• Demonstrated experience leading others and successful management of teams.
• Demonstrated ability to influence buyers and develop new revenue sources.
• Extremely detail-oriented.
• Demonstrated organizational and leadership skills.
• Self-starter, enthusiastic, innovative, and capable of meeting challenges and pressing deadlines.
• Team player with troubleshooting and multitasking skills.
• Superior written and verbal communication skills.
• Proven commitment to energy and environmental issues.
• Solid computer skills including proficiency in using basic Microsoft and/or similar software products such as word processing, spreadsheet, presentation, email, web, database applications, and capacity to work in Mac OS environment.
• Experience with environmental issues, alternative fuels, alternative vehicle technologies, energy efficiency, and/or renewable energy projects preferred.

JOB DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
• Daily management of team members including:
o Direct supervision of program supervisors, project managers, project associates, part-time Interns, and volunteers. At a minimum, work is to include: weekly one-on-one goal setting and troubleshooting meetings, completion of annual performance reviews, quarterly review of annual goal accomplishment and progress with professional development plans, onboarding of new hires, and hiring and termination processes.
o Development and oversight of team goals and metrics.
o Anticipation, prevention, or resolution of problems and issues; communicating concerns as appropriate.
o Providing technical support and communicating trends and new technologies.
o Mentoring and guiding staff in their personal and professional development.
• Work with the organization’s business development staff to identify and develop new business opportunities.
• Develop and implement new services and initiatives that drive revenue growth and mission accomplishment.
• Work with the leadership team to ensure project, team, and organizational performance metrics are achieved.
• Management of client relationships as needed.
• Support cross-functional staff (primarily executive director, business operations director, business development manager, and communications manager) as needed and required.
• Serve on the organization’s management team; contribute to short and long-term organizational planning and strategy.
• Serve as a role model for teamwork and a culture of collaboration.
• Participate and lead the development and streamlining of processes for both team and organization.
• Identify and overcome regional barriers to adopting clean energy technologies.
• Develop and implement public awareness campaigns.
• Plan, market, and conduct clean energy trainings.
• Collect and calculate economic and environmental savings accrued, including cost-benefit analyses.
• Provide ongoing consultation to related organizations and industry leaders.
• Organize and write reports.
• Conduct ongoing evaluation of clean energy projects and make recommendations for improvements to the executive director and other staff.
• Contribute to written communication materials such as newsletter, website, presentations, grant proposals, and reports.
• Coordinate digital, print, and voice communications.
• Provide oversight, implementation, tracking, and reporting on grant activities as prescribed by each individual grant.
• Attend community forums, meetings, and events, and make individual and public presentations on Clean Energy Coalition’s mission, services, and needs when necessary.
• Act as a spokesperson for Clean Energy Coalition.
• Perform other duties as assigned and collaborate with other staff on work as needed.

SALARY & BENEFITS
• Commensurate with experience.
• Competitive benefits package.

APPLICATION DETAILS
• This position is open until filled; no phone inquiries please.
• Clean Energy Coalition is an EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER committed to diversity and consideration of all applicants for all positions without regard to color, ethnic background, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, age, and disability status.
• Qualified individuals should electronically submit a cover letter, resume, and professional references, addressed to: Sean Reed, Executive Director, and emailed to employment@cec-mi.org. Include “Program Director†in the subject line.

Apply To Job

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Clean Energy Coalition/Ann Arbor, MI

JOB SUMMARY
Clean Energy Coalition, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, seeks a Program Director. This is a senior leadership position with responsibility for the management and oversight of program supervisors, project managers, project associates, part-time interns, and volunteers, as well as responsibility for the direct management of identified projects as needed.

This leader will assist team members in the development and implementation of building- and transportation-related clean energy projects and programs that serve a core statewide target market, as well as increasing opportunities outside of Michigan. These projects focus on reducing fossil fuel consumption by expanding the use of: alternative fuels, advanced vehicle technologies, non-motorized transportation alternatives, renewable energy technologies, energy efficient building retrofits and new construction projects, behavioral changes, innovative financing programs, as well as other ground-breaking initiatives.

The Program Director works closely with other leaders and staff under the guidance of the Executive Director. In addition to daily management activities, as a member of the management team for the organization, the Program Director will participate in the development of performance expectations and metrics for both his or her team and the organization, provide input to policy and strategic decisions, and consistently demonstrate the professional behaviors and attitude expected of a leader at Clean Energy Coalition.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
• Bachelor’s (required) or Master’s degree (preferred) required in business administration, public administration, city and regional planning, economics, engineering, natural resource management, social work, or any related fields, or equivalent work experience in the above mentioned areas.
• Minimum of five years of project management experience.
• Minimum of five years of supervisory experience, however leadership potential will be considered in combination with experience provided there is a willingness to participate in management workshops or individual coaching.
• Demonstrated experience leading others and successful management of teams.
• Demonstrated ability to influence buyers and develop new revenue sources.
• Extremely detail-oriented.
• Demonstrated organizational and leadership skills.
• Self-starter, enthusiastic, innovative, and capable of meeting challenges and pressing deadlines.
• Team player with troubleshooting and multitasking skills.
• Superior written and verbal communication skills.
• Proven commitment to energy and environmental issues.
• Solid computer skills including proficiency in using basic Microsoft and/or similar software products such as word processing, spreadsheet, presentation, email, web, database applications, and capacity to work in Mac OS environment.
• Experience with environmental issues, alternative fuels, alternative vehicle technologies, energy efficiency, and/or renewable energy projects preferred.

JOB DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
• Daily management of team members including:
o Direct supervision of program supervisors, project managers, project associates, part-time Interns, and volunteers. At a minimum, work is to include: weekly one-on-one goal setting and troubleshooting meetings, completion of annual performance reviews, quarterly review of annual goal accomplishment and progress with professional development plans, onboarding of new hires, and hiring and termination processes.
o Development and oversight of team goals and metrics.
o Anticipation, prevention, or resolution of problems and issues; communicating concerns as appropriate.
o Providing technical support and communicating trends and new technologies.
o Mentoring and guiding staff in their personal and professional development.
• Work with the organization’s business development staff to identify and develop new business opportunities.
• Develop and implement new services and initiatives that drive revenue growth and mission accomplishment.
• Work with the leadership team to ensure project, team, and organizational performance metrics are achieved.
• Management of client relationships as needed.
• Support cross-functional staff (primarily executive director, business operations director, business development manager, and communications manager) as needed and required.
• Serve on the organization’s management team; contribute to short and long-term organizational planning and strategy.
• Serve as a role model for teamwork and a culture of collaboration.
• Participate and lead the development and streamlining of processes for both team and organization.
• Identify and overcome regional barriers to adopting clean energy technologies.
• Develop and implement public awareness campaigns.
• Plan, market, and conduct clean energy trainings.
• Collect and calculate economic and environmental savings accrued, including cost-benefit analyses.
• Provide ongoing consultation to related organizations and industry leaders.
• Organize and write reports.
• Conduct ongoing evaluation of clean energy projects and make recommendations for improvements to the executive director and other staff.
• Contribute to written communication materials such as newsletter, website, presentations, grant proposals, and reports.
• Coordinate digital, print, and voice communications.
• Provide oversight, implementation, tracking, and reporting on grant activities as prescribed by each individual grant.
• Attend community forums, meetings, and events, and make individual and public presentations on Clean Energy Coalition’s mission, services, and needs when necessary.
• Act as a spokesperson for Clean Energy Coalition.
• Perform other duties as assigned and collaborate with other staff on work as needed.

SALARY & BENEFITS
• Commensurate with experience.
• Competitive benefits package.

APPLICATION DETAILS
• This position is open until filled; no phone inquiries please.
• Clean Energy Coalition is an EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER committed to diversity and consideration of all applicants for all positions without regard to color, ethnic background, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, age, and disability status.
• Qualified individuals should electronically submit a cover letter, resume, and professional references, addressed to: Sean Reed, Executive Director, and emailed to employment@cec-mi.org. Include “Program Director†in the subject line.

Apply To Job

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Something extraordinary happened in Iowa earlier this month. Almost nobody noticed.

On March 7, the Iowa Senate Agriculture Committee passed a bill that would encourage ownership of small-scale wind power by the state’s farmers. What’s extraordinary is that the bill passed unanimously, supported by the committee’s eight Democrats and five Republicans, backed by both the Iowa Farmers Union and the Iowa Environmental Council.

In other words, what we’ve got here is a bona fide example of bipartisan clean-energy policy. And you thought there was no such thing!

As far as I can tell, the only stories that have been written on this are one by wind analyst Paul Gipe and another by the (low-key but consistently excellent) Midwest Energy News.

But … it’s Democrats and Republicans working together to support distributed clean energy! That is a milestone and, I hope, a sign of things to come. Let’s take a moment to celebrate.

OK, enough of that. Now I’ll explain all the caveats and qualifications and reasons not to get too excited yet.

The bill is quite specific: It is a feed-in tariff for wind power installations of 20 megawatts or less on agricultural land. “Feed-in tariff” (FIT) means that utilities are required to contract with those who install wind turbines on their land to pay a fair price for the power they produce, as determined by the Iowa Utility Board, for 10 years. (There are all kinds of technical legal questions here about who has the authority to set rates, but I’ll do you a favor and skip over them.)

Feed-in tariffs are popular in other countries, most notably Germany, and they’re responsible for most large-scale adoption of distributed energy. But only a handful of U.S. states and cities have passed them, and those FITs have been fairly modest.

For now, the Iowa bill only applies to agricultural land, and only to wind (which is unusual for feed-in tariffs, which tend to be solar-focused). And it caps the growth of distributed wind at half the utility’s sales growth the previous year. As it stands, that would mean about 60 MW of distributed wind power capacity a year — not a huge deal in the grand scheme of things (Iowa already has 5,137 MW of wind capacity installed), but pretty beefy relative to other U.S. FITs.

Why is this so cool, other than the bipartisan aspect? It would start to shift some of the benefits of Iowa’s wind boom into the hands of the state’s citizens. Iowa’s wind industry is growing quickly. The state is third in the nation in wind capacity, behind Texas and California. In 2012, it produced more wind power than California — almost 25 percent of its total electricity use.

But right now virtually all of that wind power comes from big farms owned by multinationals. Contrast that to Germany, where over half the country’s renewable energy is locally owned. With local ownership, more of the economic benefits of wind stay within Iowa. Just as importantly, with local ownership, more Iowans have direct experience with, and a stake in, clean energy. As I’ve said before, encouraging distributed energy creates political constituencies. And in Iowa that constituency now crosses party lines.

Or at least it kinda does. The bill still faces an extremely steep path to becoming law. First it must go before the full Senate, which is controlled by Democrats. (There, the bill’s backers say they may add solar and biomass to the qualifying technologies.) Assuming it passes, it must also pass through the House, which is controlled by Republicans, and be signed by the governor, who is a Republican.

Most dauntingly, the bill has yet to face the full brunt of opposition. It kind of snuck through the committee at the last minute and took the industry by surprise. But have no doubt: Fossil fuel companies and big utilities will throw a ton of money and lobbying at this thing, trying to kill it. And they have a ton of money to throw. The bill’s backers, bless their hearts, seem well-meaning but not particularly media savvy and in no way prepared to cope with the onslaught. The bill could very well be strangled by industry money before it gets any farther. (Hey, national green groups and climate campaigners — maybe you should get involved!)

Nonetheless, I think this is an early glimpse of things to come. Cynics and libertarians will say, “Yeah, of course it’s bipartisan, it’s farmers angling for a subsidy. What could be more bipartisan in the Midwest?” And, well, yeah. That’s kind of the point. In the real world, legislation is rarely passed on the basis of the public good alone. Bills pass when they are backed by powerful constituencies. Now, in Iowa, a state smack in the middle of the American Heartland, wind energy has powerful constituencies backing it! That’s a big deal. Other constituencies will see farmers reaping the benefits of local energy and they’ll want a piece of the action. Soon local ownership of clean energy will come to seem the right and privilege of everyone living in the state. Iowan voters will have a personal stake in seeing clean-energy industries continue to grow. Hallelujah!

As I’ve said for years, bipartisan, pragmatic action on clean energy will emerge first in states where clean industries become large and politically powerful. That’s finally beginning to happen, though it’s still early in the game. And it’s happening in purple and red states, pushing a wedge between state and federal Republicans. A savvy movement would exploit that wedge.

Here’s hoping this is only the first of many similar stories.

Filed under: Article, Business & Technology, Climate & Energy, Politics

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Community Energy, Inc./Radnor, PA

Company Overview
Community Energy is a leading developer and marketer of renewable energy with offices in Pennsylvania and Colorado. Our mission is to ignite the market and develop the supply of fuel-free energy. Backed by our successful track record and driven by a team passionate for leading the way on renewable energy, we deliver clean energy solutions to utilities, businesses, institutions and individuals.

Our retail division has an established retail market base and reliable brand in delivering wind and solar power to our customers. Community Energy, Inc. is independently-owned and headquartered in Radnor, PA. For more information please visit http://www.communityenergyinc.com.

Position Description
Community Energy is seeking self-starters with a passion for promoting clean energy. Promote clean, homegrown wind and solar power and make a difference by signing up new residential and small business customers in Community Energy’s local green power in Philadelphia. The Outreach Associates will work closely with Community Energy’s overall sales and marketing team. This role is community-oriented and grassroots.

Responsibilities
- Enroll new customers in clean energy
- Part-time preferred; full-time available based on results
- Weekend work required
- Recruit new green power outreach team members
- Sales and Marketing Channels Include:
- Event Marketing (Fairs, Concerts, Festivals)
- Tabling at retail locations (Natural Stores, Farmers Markets)
- Presenting to community/environmental groups
- Grassroots networking through local organizations/neighborhoods

Qualifications/Requirements
- Enthusiasm for & knowledge about the renewable energy industry
- Excellent verbal communication skills
- Experience in community involvement or organization preferred
- Ability to learn quickly and retain new information
- Sales / Marketing experience preferred

Details
Additionally, Community Energy seeks candidates who are flexible, able to prioritize efficiently, take responsibility and initiative in their fields, have demonstrated focus, success, and motivation, and who are looking to be part of a rapidly-growing, hard-working, good-humored team of individuals.

Interested Candidates: Please email cover letter and resumé. Email subject should read “Clean Energy Sales and Outreach Associateâ€.

All offers of employment are contingent upon the successful completion of a background check, references and verification of legal right to work in the U.S. Community Energy, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

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Pure Logic Clean Energy/Fort Collins, CO

Ft Collins Solar Energy Firm is offering a full time position- Assistant Operations Manager. This role is to support the Operations Manager and assist with the following tasks and responsibilities.
• Coordination and Supervision – Coordinate, manage and monitor the workings of various departments in the organization.
• Financial – Review financial statements and data. Utilize financial data to improve profitability. Prepare and control operational budgets. Control inventory. Plan effective strategies for the financial well being of the company.
• Best Practices – Improve processes and policies in support of organizational goals. Formulate and implement departmental and organizational policies and procedures to maximize output. Monitor adherence to rules, regulations and procedures.
• Human Resources – Plan the use of human resources. Organize recruitment and placement of required staff. Establish organizational structures. Delegate tasks and accountabilities. Establish work schedules. Supervise staff. Monitor and evaluate performance.
• Production – Coordinate and monitor the work of various departments involved in production, warehousing, pricing and distribution of goods. Monitor performance and implement improvements. Ensure quality of products. Manage quality and quantity of employee productivity. Manage maintenance of equipment and machinery. Provide technical support where necessary.
• Communication – Monitor, manage and improve the efficiency of support services such as IT, HR, Accounts and Finance. Facilitate coordination and communication between support functions.
• Sales, Marketing and Customer Service – Manage customer support. Plan and support sales and marketing activities.
Education, Skills and Experience:
Education:
Bachelors degree in construction management, finance, business, etc. Candidates without degree, but with exceptional experience and skills will be considered.
ASSISTANT OPERATIONS MANAGER
Skills:
• Strong computer literacy skills including a solid understanding of emailing, file sharing, facebook , twitter, etc. is a must
• Strong communication skills with staff, suppliers, customers is a must.
• A strong knowledge specifically of Microsoft Office and Macintosh Office programs is a must. Knowledge of Quickbooks, Salesforce, Dropbox is preferred.
• Ability to work independently and follow through without supervision.
• Ability to handle and prioritize long task lists in every area mentioned above.
• A strong attention to detail and organization is a must.
• Ability to supervise and carry out operational mandates with confidence.
Experience
• Minimum 1 year experience performing similar duties
• Supervisory experience preferred
• Construction management experience preferred
• Solar PV experience preferred
Requirements
• Background test, skills testing and interview will be required prior to being hired.
• Valid Co Drivers license
Compensation:
• $20-$25/per hour DOE
• 40 Hours week

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Renewable energy is clean, sustainable, non-polluting, reduces our dependence on fossil fuels, improves the health of communities surrounding power plants, and protects the natural environment. Who could be against it?

Answer: The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a lobbying group that is active in drafting and advocating controversial state legislation. It’s not just interested in energy: In recent years ALEC has supported Arizona’s restrictive immigration legislation, the “Stand Your Ground” gun laws associated with the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, and voter identification laws proposed in many states. ALEC’s priorities for 2013 [PDF] include making it harder to bring product liability suits against manufacturers of defective products, ending traditional pension plans for public employees, promoting the diversion of public education funds into private schools and online education schemes, and supporting resistance to “Obamacare” health policies.

When it comes to energy, ALEC wants to speed up the permitting process for mines, oil and gas wells, and power plants — and to eliminate all state requirements for the use of renewable energy. The latter goal is packaged as the “Electricity Freedom Act.” In numerous states, ALEC has used studies by Suffolk University’s Beacon Hill Institute (BHI) to claim that the “Electricity Freedom Act” will free ratepayers from the allegedly immense costs and job losses of renewable energy standards.

In a recent study for the Civil Society Institute, my colleagues and I at Synapse Energy Economics analyzed the ALEC studies of the costs of renewable energy. Our report [PDF] found fundamental flaws in both the energy data and the economic modeling used by BHI.

The ALEC/BHI energy analysis begins with wild overstatement of the costs of wind energy. They develop low-, mid-, and high-cost scenarios, just as if they were doing a reasonable job of reflecting uncertainty. Yet there is more than a decade of data available on actual costs of wind power in the United States — and the ALEC/BHI low-cost estimate is higher than the costs paid in essentially every real-world transaction to date. We added the ALEC cost estimates to a graph of actual wind transactions created by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (see graph below; “PPA” means purchased power agreement). We had to extend the vertical axis upward in order to display ALEC’s astronomical mid- and high-cost estimates.

There are other problems in the ALEC energy analysis. It assumes that expensive backup capacity is always needed, and always runs, when wind energy is used. New transmission capacity to connect renewables to the grid is assumed to be almost as expensive as generation; one of the data sources cited in the ALEC report actually estimates transmission costs at one-fourth the ALEC level. In reality, states with above-average reliance on wind power have below-average electricity rates; this would be impossible if wind power were as expensive as ALEC claims.

Having exaggerated the cost of electricity from renewables, the ALEC studies go on to exaggerate how much will be needed. Their estimates of the expected growth in electricity use per customer are far above those developed by the Energy Information Administration’s Annual Energy Outlook, the widely cited government forecast of near-term energy supply and demand. This inflates the projected per-household costs of renewable energy, and makes it appear unduly difficult to meet demand with increases in renewables and energy efficiency.

The ALEC/BHI economic analysis is equally unsound. BHI uses STAMP, an idiosyncratic model that has never appeared in academic publications, or in work by anyone outside BHI. STAMP is a computable general equilibrium (CGE) model, developed by BHI to analyze tax policy changes. Like most (though not all) CGE models, STAMP assumes that there is automatic full employment for all those who are willing to work. Thus the failure of Keynesian stimulus programs is built in by assumption.

Yet despite the full employment assumption, STAMP routinely reports huge estimated job losses from government policies such as renewable energy standards. This is done by assuming hypersensitivity to tax rates. In STAMP world, higher tax rates lead to higher prices, decreasing demand for goods and hence demand for labor, causing a reduction in wage rates. At lower wage rates, fewer people choose to work; in addition, more people are assumed to migrate out of the area and fewer migrate in. While there is still full employment for all who are willing to work, there are fewer willing workers after a tax increase — allowing STAMP to estimate job losses.

To connect this to the attack on renewable energy, STAMP assumes that an increase in electricity rates is paid by businesses everywhere and passed on to customers in higher prices. So higher electricity rates function as a sales tax, with all the job-destroying effects STAMP always sees in taxes. (If all you have is a hammer … )

University of Arizona economist Alberta Charney has examined STAMP’s findings for her state. Charney compared three models’ analyses of a combined $1 billion increase in state taxes and $1 billion increase in state government spending. The IMPLAN and REMI models, widely used to study employment impacts, both projected that Arizona would gain about 8,000 net new jobs from this package; STAMP estimated a net loss of about 9,000 jobs. Charney attributed this to the biased assumptions underlying STAMP’s treatment of government spending and taxes.

It’s no wonder that ALEC favors BHI’s economic model: STAMP has never seen a government program that it liked or a tax cut that it disliked. Those who want an objective analysis of the costs and benefits of renewable energy, however, will need to look elsewhere.

Filed under: Article, Business & Technology, Climate & Energy, Politics

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You know what’s fun? What’s fun is watching young people figure out how to change the world they’ve inherited.

Case in point: Billy Parish. When I first met him, he’d just dropped out of Yale. Not because he couldn’t hack it. Because he didn’t think it was as important as fighting climate change. And so he built the Energy Action Coalition, the nationwide student mobilization against global warming. And he built it in a particular way, as a coalition of like-minded groups on hundreds of campuses — he was charismatic, but he put his charisma to use helping to leverage many disparate voices into one force.

As he got older, he let others take over the student movement, and he went to work looking for practical solutions to the same crisis. Given his skills and drive, he could have become a conventional entrepreneur, starting some solar start-up that would make deals and build projects and collect revenues. But his basic sense never wavered: What we needed was a way for communities to work together.

And so, Monday, Solar Mosaic starts accepting investments. If you live in New York or California, or you are an “accredited investor” in other states, you can invest money; it will be used to put up solar panels on a grand scale, and the revenues will pay you a nice rate of interest. It’s a way, one of the first, to put lots of individuals’ money to work building the future we need.

To me, it’s far more exciting than the news that Warren Buffett just bought a couple of California solar plants. Yes, that’s good confirmation that the solar business is a strong one — that it makes sense to the guys with the green eyeshades, not just the wild-eyed greens. But if we’re going to take this to scale, it’s going to require unleashing even more money than Buffett controls — it’s going to take a society-wide effort. You can see something like it underway in Germany, where the Energiewende drive has put solar panels on top of millions of roofs — most of them paid for and owned not by big utilities but by small cooperatives and churches and the like.

As of Monday, investors will be able to put their money into the roof of a New Jersey convention center — but also the roofs of two affordable housing projects in California. (As the good book notes, the sun shines on rich and poor alike). I’ve already got a solar panel on my own roof — I’d look to put one on somebody else’s. (And I wouldn’t mind making 6 percent on my investment, which is Solar Mosaic’s going rate).

Right now the student movement that Billy Parish helped spark has grown to epic proportions — on 192 campuses students are demanding that their boards of trustees divest their holdings in fossil fuel companies. If they succeed, it will help a good deal, for we need ways to reduce the political power of those companies who are holding back the future.

And it will help even more if they take those funds and put them into projects like Billy Parish’s — actuarially sound, ecologically sound, and spiritually sound. Building community is at least as important as building solar panels. If we can do both at the same time, we’ve got a fighting shot at a workable planet.

Filed under: Article, Climate & Energy

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Editor’s Note: Welcome to Grist’s presentation of Alex Steffen’s new book Carbon Zero. We’ll be posting a new chapter every day this week — here’s the full table of contents. This post will tell you a little more about the project. And if you like what you read, you can order Carbon Zero from Amazon.

Before we get on with the business of reimagination, though, we have to pause for some clarification on the matter of energy.

The first response many of us have to the climate crisis is simple: We need cleaner energy. This is not illogical. Most of the emissions warming the Earth come from burning dirty fossil fuels. So, we think, replacing those dirty power sources with clean energy sources should solve the problem. When we first ponder the challenge of making carbon zero cities, most of us fly immediately to the idea of cities covered in solar panels and powered by fields of wind turbines.

But seeing climate change mainly as an energy-generation problem — rather than an energy-use problem — will mean failure. To meet the climate crisis and win, we need to not only change the kind of energy we use, but also (and even more importantly, to my mind) completely rethink our relationship with energy.

The clean energy supply challenge

My support for clean energy is unequivocal. Obviously, we need to be moving quickly towards a world where all the energy we use comes from clean sources. Wind, solar, geothermal, and hydro all have very, very low emissions. (Nuclear is less climate-friendly, once the costs of mining uranium and storing the waste for the necessary 25-100,000 years are factored in, but some smart people like to include nuclear in the clean energy mix.) A world that ran only on these energy sources would be profoundly more sustainable.

Here’s the problem: If we continue using energy as we have, we won’t become a world run on clean energy. Business as usual, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), would see global energy demand jump 44 percent by 2030. The International Energy Agency (IEA) warns that with current policies we may see more than a doubling of world energy use by 2050.

In other words, to “zero out” our emissions solely by using clean energy, we’d have to replace all the dirty energy used on the planet today — the coal, oil, and gas which provide transportation, heating and cooling, electricity, food, and manufactured goods to 7 billion people — with solar, wind, and other clean energy. Essentially we’d need to replace all of the energy used everywhere on the planet. And then — because energy demand is expected to double by 2050 unless we change direction — we’d need do it again, within the next 40 years.

That may be impossible, given even the boldest plans for clean energy production. Energy entrepreneur Saul Griffith gives an excellent talk (available here) in which he illustrates how enormous a job it would be to meet our current energy demand — much less doubled demand — with clean energy sources. We’re talking, after all, about amounts of clean energy generation that are hard to even fathom, much less plan for: forests of wind turbines off all our coastlines and blanketing the high plains, huge fields of solar panels, nearly every river on Earth dammed, and so on.

It’s true that clean energy innovation is proceeding at a rapid pace. I believe that as clean energy generation drops in price, simple economics will drive a shift to solar and wind. I believe carbon pricing, the elimination of fossil fuel subsidies, and changes in public opinion can massively accelerate that shift. But I don’t believe this will happen on a large enough scale, quickly enough, to make clean energy production the sole (or even primary) focus of climate action while world energy consumption doubles. That’s absurd.

The brutal realities of energy politics

For one thing, some of the largest companies and wealthiest people on the planet are determined to slow the spread of clean energy. These powerful interests are actively hostile to clean energy deployment, have war chests of tens of billions of dollars, and operate what’s probably the nastiest, smartest, best-funded political lobby in history.

If we bet on clean energy as our climate strategy, in order to win we must produce massive amounts of clean energy very quickly; yet our ability to get new clean energy sources up and running brings us into direct conflict with forces (oil prices, national regulators, financial markets, international agreements) that are often largely out of our control. The energy sector is especially subject to political delay, and in the U.S. and Canada, clean energy shows no sign of breaking free of the political logjam.

It’s true that external events might break up that logjam for us. The wildcard here is oil prices and their effects. Since we are likely past peak production of oil (and the oil supplies that remain are increasingly lower in quality, harder to get to, or both), prices are essentially certain to rise over time. The only question is by how much. The EIA forecasts oil prices rising to $110 a barrel in 2015 and $130 in 2030. Many other forecasters see much higher oil prices, up to $200 a barrel or more by the end of this decade.

Quickly rising oil prices will make transitioning to more efficient energy uses and clean energy sources easier. Slow-rising oil prices will make it harder. For oil companies, the ideal is that prices rise enough to make them maximum profits without rising high enough to spur a rapid transition. As Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal admitted recently to CNN, “We don’t want the West to go and find alternatives, because, clearly, the higher the price of oil goes, the more they have incentives to go and find alternatives.” (Alwaleed also owns the fourth-largest stake in Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp, which may help explain some of that company’s climate denialist stances.) Another lead Saudi official told Reuters that climate treaty negotiations are “one of the biggest threats that we are facing.”

The worst-case scenario is that prices remain low for a decade or two, then skyrocket. That would mean rising emissions, followed by a severe strain on the global economy, making transition more expensive and difficult, and it would likely lead to an economy that has high emissions and low growth. The best-case scenario would see steadily rising costs starting now, so that we have the ability and incentive to transition quickly. Which scenario plays out is, unfortunately, essentially out of the control of advocates, and even most national governments. Politics severely constrains our ability to choose our energy sources.

The other energy path

We can choose how we use energy, though.

I’m not talking about efficiency — if by efficiency, we mean doing the same things, better. We tend to think of our economy and its energy demand as more or less a given, and efficiency gains as something that happens slowly and incrementally to improve that economy. For instance, many economists make predictions with apparent confidence that in order to generate X amount of economic growth we will need Y amount of energy. The theory is we’re already doing the right things; all we can hope for is to do them a little differently, a little more efficiently. (Others, like Amory Lovins, say we can do them much more efficiently, but most efficiency experts still see the overall patterns of our lives changing little.)

The way we live now, though, is not the pinnacle of prosperity: Progress didn’t end with 20th-century city-building approaches. Sprawl, malls, and highways aren’t the last word in wealth.

The greatest lever for changing the nature of prosperity is our cities. Cities abound with opportunities for transformation. In fact, the workings of almost every system in almost every city can be redesigned to use less energy while leaving us more prosperous.

And using less energy means a lot less demand for energy generation. Designing out energy and materials use within a city creates cascading reductions all the way down the supply chains that serve that city. Because these supply chains are full of waste (no industrial process is perfectly efficient and many industrial systems today pay at best passing attention to energy efficiency), reducing the need for the final product in a system often produces incredible savings as that reduced demand echoes out.

Let’s look at an example. When we turn on an air conditioner, the energy used to cool the room is a small fraction of all the energy used to power the machine. How? First of all, engineers tell me even the most efficient air conditioners only put out about one-quarter as much cooling energy as the energy they take in; the rest is wasted in the process of cooling the air. But in order to produce even that blast of cold air, electricity flowed into the home through the power grid. Along the way, energy was wasted in transmission line losses. The power plant on the other end of that power grid usually wastes vast amounts of energy generating electricity (coal-fired plants can waste half of the energy they generate by burning the coal that feeds them). The result can easily be that 10 times as much power is generated as is actually used to cool the room. This doesn’t even begin to account for the energy costs of manufacturing air conditioners, stringing power lines, mining coal, or building power plants (or maintaining that whole system).

As long as we rely on that air conditioner alone to make a building livable on a hot summer day, the best we can do is try to make each of these steps (power generation, electricity transmission, air conditioner operation) less wasteful.

However, as we’ll see in the second chapter, the building itself can also change. Buildings can be designed (and retrofitted) to require much less air-conditioning (or even none). Cities can be landscaped and designed to keep urban temperatures lower. And, of course, cultural norms can change from expecting a chilly but stuffy room in the middle of summer to being happy with a not-too-warm room that has natural ventilation. A city with buildings designed for natural cooling, shaded by street trees, and lived in by people who don’t expect to wear wool suits in midsummer — such a city might well do away with many of its air conditioners. In so doing, the citizens of that city would not only cut the energy use of their air conditioners, they’d essentially eliminate the need to generate perhaps 10 times that amount of energy in the first place. Make enough buildings cooler, get rid of enough air conditioners, and cascading energy savings mean pretty soon you’re closing down coal plants.

The power of cities

Cities offer the leverage for these sorts of changes. National and international standards and policies matter, of course, but the vast majority of decisions on things like building standards, urban design, and infrastructure are made at the local level. Cities are where demand reduction happens.

And many of the opportunities to cut energy use are mutually reinforcing, meaning that the more of them our cities pursue at the same time, the more affordable big shifts in energy use become. (Combine the synergies of these urban solutions with the fact that energy prices are predicted to become a major drag on urban economies, and big energy-use reductions not only become feasible, they show themselves to be engines of economic growth.)

Instead of achieving emissions cuts by trying to build wind turbines that outcompete coal plants (on a political playing field tilted against them), these cities eliminate our need for coal plants to begin with. We’ll still need a lot of wind turbines. But supplying clean energy to cities that use a small fraction of the energy they do today is a much cheaper and more achievable goal than trying swap the entire power system with clean alternatives.

The ability to drop energy demand and meet that lower demand with realistically deployable clean energy makes carbon-zero cities possible. If a city can reduce its energy use by 90 percent, covering the remaining 10 percent with clean energy is an entirely achievable task (and one amenable to a “local energy” approach). Balancing the remaining (non-fossil-fuel) emissions with ecological restoration efforts that soak up CO2 would then result in a carbon zero city — a city that in effect produced no net greenhouse-gas emissions at all. Indeed, carbon zero cities could over time become climate-repairing cities, their actions drawing more greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere than they emit.

If we build them right, carbon zero cities will outshine the cities we live in today. The idea that high energy use equates high quality of life is an outdated 20th-century one. People will live better in carbon zero cities, in part because of their lower energy use. Communities will be more vibrant and healthier; streets will more walkable and safer; local businesses will thrive; entrepreneurial opportunities will increase; and neighborhoods will be better prepared to survive hard times, whether those hard times come in the form of storm surges or skyrocketing oil prices. We’ll be thankful we acted while there still was time. Our kids and grandkids will be even more grateful.

So, climate change is likely unsolvable as an energy problem, but it looks entirely solvable as a cities problem. What follows is my best educated guess at what a workable set of such urban climate solutions might be.

Coming tomorrow: Urbanism: ‘Carbon Zero,’ chapter 3

Filed under: Cities, Climate & Energy

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Lawyers for Clean Water/San Francisco, CA

Lawyers for Clean Water, Inc. is a small, team-oriented, public interest law firm providing representation to environmental groups in litigation and administrative advocacy designed to protect and enhance the aquatic environment through the enforcement of environmental laws. Additional information about Lawyers for Clean Water’s cases and staff can be found on our website at: lawyersforcleanwater.com. Lawyers for Clean Water is seeking an environmental litigator. Responsibilities will include assisting with management of the firm’s current caseload, as well as developing new cases and working with our non-profit client organizations to address water pollution issues impacting their members. Tasks will include developing a case, setting a case management schedule, conducting discovery, opposing and drafting motions, and working to resolve actions whether through settlement or trial. This position provides an excellent opportunity to collaborate with clients and other experienced environmental practitioners to develop new strategies to protect and clean up our local waterways. Candidates must have an active California Bar license and should have some experience in working at a litigation firm. A demonstrated commitment to environmental protection, the ability to work effectively with co-counsel, and a sense of humor are required. Lawyers for Clean Water offers an excellent compensation and benefits package, with opportunity for advancement.

Please send a cover letter, resume, 2-3 current references, and a writing sample, by December 10, 2012, to:

Lawyers for Clean Water, Inc.
1004-A O’Reilly Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94129

or click on the "Apply to this Job" link below.

No phone calls please.

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