A suite of new energy innovation and sustainable energy development reports have recently been released. The Sustainable Energy in America Factbook, published in partnership by BloombergNEF and the Business Council for Sustainable Energy, provides updates on industry information and trends for the U.S. energy economy. It reports that while overall greenhouse gas emissions fell 2.7% from 2018 to 2019 and dropped 4.1% in the past decade, transportation sector emissions rose 5% in the past decade and are the largest contributor to overall greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for 29%. It also found that while natural gas remains the king of electricity generation (accounting for 38% of all consumption in 2019), renewable energy generation is on the rise (18% of consumption in 2019 compared to 10% in 2010). Finally, it highlights the leadership role that states are increasingly playing in establishing renewable energy targets.
The 10th Annual National Solar Jobs Census 2019, published by the Solar Foundation, reports a 2.3 percent increase in solar jobs in the past year – with the strongest job growth in the southeast – and a 167% percent increase in American solar jobs over the past decade. It also reports a continued decline in solar panel costs, with utility scale solar falling to 94 cents per watt for utility scale projects.
Energy Innovation: Supporting the Full Innovation Lifecycle was published by the American Energy Innovation Council and makes twelve recommendations for Congress to achieve energy technology development and deployment, including increased funding for certain programs within the U.S. Department of Energy and additional institutional mechanisms to support early-stage commercial projects.
ASCE supports the development of clean and renewable energy sources while encouraging energy conservation and recommends adoption of a federal energy policy that carefully assesses needed changes, including energy sources such as renewables and distributed generation, as a way to raise our nation’s “D+” energy grade.