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11 April 2008
National Laboratory Director Discusses Renewable Energy
Ask America webchat transcript, April 11
Dr. Dan Arvizu, director of the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory, answered questions in an April 11 Ask America webchat on the importance of renewable energy.
Following is the transcript:
(begin transcript)
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Bureau of International Information Programs
Ask America Webchat Transcript
Chat with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory Director
Guest: Dan Arvizu, National Renewable Energy Laboratory Director
Date: April 11, 2008
Time: 11:00 a.m. EDT (1500 GMT)
Moderator: Welcome to our webchat! We look forward to your questions. The live webchat will take place today, April 11, beginning at 11:00 EDT 15:00 GMT. You may begin submitting your questions now.
Welcome! We'll begin shortly.
Dr. Dan Arvizu: Welcome all I am pleased to join the discussion today, please submit questions.
Moderator: We are accepting your questions now.
Question: What is the main reason of increasing of fossil goods' prices in the world?
Dr. Dan Arvizu: Prices for fossil fuels are increasing due to a variety of factors, including growing world energy demand, scarcity of easily extracted fossil resources, and increasing regulation to address environmental impacts from the generation and use of fossil fuels.
Q [IRC Antananarivo]: Good morning, I am Mrs. Rabariharizafimanjaka Lanto a student in the Ministry of Defense Antananarivo Madagascar, I have a few questions on renewable energy. What is the best renewable energy sources? How could everyone benefit from this renewable energy? And is this renewable energy good for the environment? Thanks for your responses.
Dr. Dan Arvizu: There is no single best renewable energy source for all situations. For each location and application, it is important to match the renewable energy resource potential (e.g. solar radiation, wind speed, etc.) and the characteristics of the renewable energy system (e.g. size, cost, intermittency, etc.) to the load or desired energy service.
Most renewable energy systems do not produce any emissions of greenhouse gases or other air pollutants (biomass is an exception, with carbon emissions depending on greatly on the source of biomass). Thus everyone can benefit through the use of renewable energy since it will reduce the rate of climate change and can reduce urban smog, acid rain, and emissions of particulates and toxic air pollutants. Also in many cases, renewable energy can improve the overall reliability of energy systems and can reduce dependence on imported fuels and create local jobs and economic development.
Q [IRC Antananarivo]: I am Feno, from Antananarivo Madagascar. My question is: how to implement that renewable energy in developing countries like Madagascar?
Dr. Dan Arvizu: There are several key factors that will accelerate renewable energy use in all countries including developing countries around the world, these included:
• Strong government policies and incentives at national and local levels.
• Active participation of the business and investment community in project development and financing.
• Conducting thorough resource and economic analysis to identify the best sites for renewable energy development and to give private firms the information needed to pursue renewable energy projects and attract financing.
• Building technical capacity to evaluate, install, and maintain renewable energy system through education and training programs.
• Establishing strong public support and awareness of the benefits of renewable energy through public outreach and education programs.
Q [Kamol2]: What is the main reason of increasing of fossil goods' prices in the world?
Dr. Dan Arvizu: Prices for fossil fuels are increasing due to a variety of factors, including growing global demand for energy, scarcity of easily extracted fossil fuel resources, and increased regulation to address environmental impacts from fossil fuel extraction, generation and use.
Q [Chat Participant]: Hello, as I am pursuing my PhD on Renewable Energies, I have always been keen to ask this question from an expert that why Federal Government of the United States does not ratify the Kyoto protocol with regard to reducing the Carbon Dioxide emissions? I understand that U.S. is taking action to reduce its CO2 emissions (more than some countries who are bonded to Kyoto Protocol) as it is the largest CO2 emitter but on the other hand U.S. is also one of the largest producers and exporters in the world, so perhaps by producing a product there in U.S. although CO2 is being emitted but it is also saved from being emitted in somewhere else in the world.
Dr. Dan Arvizu: The U.S. is implementing a broad range of policies and programs including much research, development and demonstration into renewable fuels and renewable electricity to reduce our CO2 emissions. The U.S. is also supporting the Bali Road Map to develop a comprehensive climate change treaty that engages all countries around the world.
Q [Chat Participant]: Hello, does U.S. has any obligation in terms of supplying specific amount of its electrical energy from renewables? If yes, please tell me the target and in which time horizon? Thank you.
Dr. Dan Arvizu: The U.S. does not currently have a federal requirement for a certain percentage of electricity generation to come from renewable energy. There are however, incentive to encourage adoption of renewable technologies through tax incentives and production tax credits. Additionally, there are 30 states and the District of Columbia that do have renewable energy requirements and targets of various types, many mandating 20% of electricity from renewable energy by 2020.
Q [IRC ANTANANARIVO2]: Good afternoon, I am Zo from Madagascar. We all know that we could not always depend on oil as energy sources; in addition to that oil is harmful to the environment, however renewable energy is less harmful to the environment and I think that it is also a solution to energy sources in the future. Do you have any suggestion or advice if I want to develop this renewable energy in my country, for instance could you please provide a website where I can find detailed information on wind power technology which is very interesting for me. Mainly in Madagascar energy sources is a major concern at the moment. Thanks very much.
Dr. Dan Arvizu: The NREL web-site has a wealth of good information to find out about renewable energy. Our site has detailed information on solar, wind, biomass and biofuels, and other renewable energy technologies and links to other sites and resources.
Moderator: If you have any questions for today's speaker, please submit them now. Thank you!
Q [Nasar2]: All the developed countries initially progressed by using coal power with other forms of energy. No doubt that coal is a major contributor to air pollution and environmental degradation. There are some developing countries like Pakistan -- (there are 195 billion metric tons reserves of Coal at Thar coal field in Sindh-a province of Pakistan) -- in the world who are thinking of using coal for power generation, but the environmentalists are protesting against it. Why don’t you understand that right now coal can give a major boost to the development of developed countries like all the developed countries during the industrial revolution?
Dr. Dan Arvizu: Economic growth is essential in both developed and developing countries for prosperity and quality of life. Energy is an important ingredient for economic growth. It is essential that all countries cooperate to develop and implement advanced technologies that can allow growth while also protecting the environment. Coal will continue to be an important resource for meeting energy demands around the world and for this reason much research is being conducted on methods for capturing and sequestering carbon from coal. Such carbon capture and storage methods are under development. Additionally, all countries are looking at other options for reducing demand and diversifying their energy mix.
Q [firemistic]: Which countries nowadays succeeded in finding the ways to renew energy?
Dr. Dan Arvizu: There are numerous examples of countries using renewable energy today. Several Scandinavian countries and some other countries in Europe generate a significant amount of their electricity from renewable sources. Other countries derive large fractions of their hot water from the sun. In the U.S. 26% of new electric generation capacity is from renewable energy sources. Still, other countries have committed to the use of biofuels for transportation. Key drivers are availability and the cost effectiveness of the renewable resources and the national policies. More information can be found at www.ren21.net.
Q [Amirkhon]: Dear Dan Arvizu, I am from Tajikistan. I came to United State of America to learn culture and language. Since I have been in the states I figured out that the U.S. is the richest country about energy. As a global citizen I like to be proud that everything is great.
I am afraid of the “Gas” which was $4 and will be $4 again, or may be ….? My question is about “Gas”. What do you think after 20 years what will happen to the world? I want to build new world which is healthy and peaceful. Thanks for your attention and I want good luck for you. -Amirkhon Bozorzoda, from Tajikistan a global citizen.
Dr. Dan Arvizu: I share your concern about high energy prices and with this in mind, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the U.S. Department of Energy, along with other countries around the world are working on ambitious programs to develop alternative fuels that will reduce our dependence on gasoline and other petroleum based fuels and also decrease our emissions of greenhouse gases. Additionally, we are working on advanced vehicles to reduce the consumption of energy and on low impact transportation systems. I believe that in 20 years, we will have made a successful transition to more efficient vehicles, alternative fuels, and sustainable transportation systems.
Q [Chat Participant]: What outcome of WIREC (Washington International Renewable Energy Conference)?
Dr. Dan Arvizu: WIREC was a highly successful event with many outcomes, including:
• Over 100 pledges were made at WIREC to increase renewable energy use by many countries, businesses, and organizations.
• Over 3000 representatives from 118 countries participated in the Ministerial session to discuss governmental strategies to increase renewable energy uptake, while over 4000 representatives participated in the WIREC business conference, trade show, and side events to discuss opportunities to stimulate business investment in renewable energy and to facilitate public-private partnerships.
More information can be found at www.wirec2008.gov.
Q [Chat Participant]: What your view on nuclear? To me it seems nuclear power makes some sense if we are to think about instability in oil-rich region. But nuclear waste has millennia to become stable. How do you respond?
Dr. Dan Arvizu: Nuclear power does present unique opportunity, challenges and risks. While nuclear power has an important role to play in meeting our energy needs, we must ensure that we can generate nuclear power in a sustainable, safe and reliable manner and work towards long term solutions that close the nuclear fuel cycle and ensure that there is no risk of nuclear materials proliferation.
It has been a pleasure answering your questions. Thank you for your interest and support of renewable energy as an important part of a future sustainable energy economy for all.
Moderator: We wish to thank Dr. Daniel Arvizu for joining us today. The webchat is now closed. A full transcript of today's webchat will be published (usually within one business day) to our Ask America homepage.
(Speakers are chosen for their expertise and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Department of State.)
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(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
