Meeting the Energy and
Climate Challenge
U.S. Center
15th Conference of the Parties
Copenhagen
14 December, 2009
2
President Barack Obama, United Nations, 23 September 2009
“The danger posed by climate change cannot be denied.
Our responsibility to meet it must not be deferred….
“Future generations will look back and wonder why we
refused to act; why we failed to pass on an environment
that was worthy of our inheritance.
“And that is why the
days when America
dragged its feet on this
issue are over.”
3
Bell Labs solar cell - 1954
First transistor Pentium CPU
Ted Maiman and the
first laser - 1961
American innovations have transformed the world
The Internet
4
Learning Curves: crystalline silicon and thin-film technology
Solar modul purch se costs are expected to go fr m
$2/Wp to $1/ Wp within 1-2 years.
Full installed costs are now at $4/ Wp.
5
Solyndra 110MW Solar Panel Fab
Fremont, California
Solyndra Solar Panel
The Department of Energy has begun making loan
guarantees for the first time since the 1980s
SOURCE: 2009 Global Clean Energy RD&D Gap Analysis by the IEA for the MEF Global Partnership
$32 billion
$14 billion
~$5 billion
$37 billion
$19 billion
$74 billion
$37 billion
We are working with our partners in the Major Economies
Forum to identify and fill the global R&D spending gap
Total annual RD&D spending need
(High and low estimates)
Est. public spending need (50% of total)
Current public
RD&D spending
Current spending gap is
between $14 – 32 billion!
7
DOE and Predecessors
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
$5,000
$6,000
$7,000
1950
1960
1970
1980
1990
2000
2010
2020
Year 2000 USD (Millions)Sources: AAAS; Kennedy School
OPEC oil crisis
Recovery
Act
Total energy RD&D spending by the Department of
Energy and predecessor agencies
8
In the U.S. the Recovery Act is making an $80 B
down payment on a clean energy economy
The Recovery Act added:
The Department of Energy’s base budget funding
for clean energy technologies is ~$3 B
• $2.4 B for advanced batteries and transportation
infras