Most clean energy advocates believe that the world has all the low-carbon technologies needed to effectively address climate change. In their view – what we describe as the Clean Energy Deployment Consensus – the world doesn’t need technology breakthroughs, but political breakthroughs to drive widespread deployment of clean energy technologies. This translates to a policy environment heavily weighted towards deployment subsidies, mandates, and carbon prices.
But The Information Technology & Innovation Foundation (ITIF) argues in its new report, “Challenging the Clean Energy Deployment Consensus,” that the world needs a more comprehensive Innovation Consensus that focuses on developing and deploying affordable clean energy technologies that are cost- and performance-competitive with fossil fuels. This strategy includes investing significantly more in science, research, technology development, pilot projects, and demonstration, as well as innovation-based ‘smart’ deployment policies such as government procurement and performance-based technology incentives.
Does the world have all the clean energy technologies it needs to reach transformative change? Are new, impactful clean energy technologies within close reach with additional policy support for innovation?
This is a timely and welcome report. It’s basic premise is correct: For the most part, existing technologies are not sufficiently cost-effective and competitive to satisfy ambitious climate and energy… Read more »
ITIF and the Breakthrough Institute both have consistently lobbied for a larger financial commitment to public innovation to assure a clean energy future. Their primary argument has been that current… Read more »
Thanks for the feedback, Lewis and Jane. Lewis, I’m glad you brought up the article on high electricity costs in Europe, which is something that we mention in the report… Read more »
Megan: You hit it on the target when you wrote: “The goal of climate policy should be to make clean energy cheap enough that governments and individuals no long have… Read more »
Very timely report. As the COO of an innovative biomass energy company that has been attempting to raise funding for nearly two years, we have experienced a Catch-22when it comes… Read more »
There is no such thing as a large-scale “clean” energy source. Why do I know this? Because there is this thing called the Second Law of Thermodynamics. There are no… Read more »
With the greatest respect I think you are incorrect in your statement that there are no large scale clean energy sources. In my research I came across a report from… Read more »
The fossil fuel energy we are using to make electricity is mostly being wasted, blown up all those chimneys as HOT exhaust into the atmosphere. Why is this still being… Read more »
After reading through the various posts here from various sectors there seems to be some vague consensus; 1. Make your end use of energy as efficient as it can possibly… Read more »