Clean Energy Group - Publications

Clean Energy Group Publications and Reports

Climate Crash Course for Copenhagen: The Six Simple Reasons Why We Need Global Technology Collaboration

by Lewis Milford and Jessica Morey, Clean Energy Group. December 2009. This brief 8-page document addresses the “why” of international technology collaboration -- the basic reasons why global technology policies – for product development -- beyond cap and trade are needed for stabilization. The paper reviews the major reasons why the world needs coordinated and collaborative climate technology innovation and product development – in addition to emissions cap and trading. To simplify core principles, this paper explains why technology innovation is needed and why countries should pursue complementary technology innovation policies on a coordinated, global basis. The paper supports the arguments with experts’ quotations and then provides a comprehensive list of citations and key reports for further reading on each point in the Appendix.

A New International Climate Innovation Facility: Why, What and How? by Lewis Milford and Jessica Morey, Clean Energy Group. December 2009. This one page document explains the reasons to consider a new international climate innovation facility to meet the challenges of climate recovery.

International Climate Technology Innovation Initiative: Structure and Strategy: A Proposal for a Copenhagen agreement"Technology Track"

by Clean Energy Group, Meridian Institute, and Center for European Policy Studies, December 2009. This paper recommends “how” an international technology collaboration could be structured. It proposes using “virtual” and low cost “distributed innovation” Internet-based tools to accelerated technology cooperation and change – in the same way most major corporations today create collaborative products with partners outside their companies. It argues that climate policy makers should use these corporate strategies in climate, and accelerate global product development in low carbon technologies at a scale and in the time frames needed for stabilization – and to do so using new structures outside the existing institutions. This is a joint paper with the Meridian Institute and the Center for European Policy Studies.

Accelerated Climate Technology Innovation Initiative (ACT II):
A New Distributed Strategy to Reform the U.S. Energy Innovation System
(7 MB)

by Clean Energy Group and Meridian Institute, November 2009. This report from Clean Energy Group and the Meridian Institute recommends that the Obama Administration should use corporate “open and distributed innovation” strategies to accelerate research and development for clean energy and climate change technologies. Governments should use the “distributed innovation” business strategies of companies like Eli Lilly and IBM that solve problems using ideas from outside their companies; these corporations tap the best global minds to create a virtual Internet bazaar of experts to move technology ideas from lab to market. Doing research in house or funding only one center or one researcher to solve a problem is not the way modern corporations conduct research and make products anymore. This decentralized, distributed, and bottom-up approach would bring financial and intellectual property experts into the government research process earlier, accelerating commercial product development. It also could be used in the international climate negotiations to give developing countries a way to build their own clean energy technology sectors.

Link to article in the New York Times - Green, Inc. post by Jim Witkin, "Rethinking Clean Energy Innovation," November 25, 2009.
Link to article in the Climate Wire by Evan Lehmann, "Innovation: Seeking a 'global brain' to help speed up clean energy projects," November 13, 2009.

Smart Solar Marketing Strategies: Clean Energy State Program Guide, by Lyn Rosoff, SmartPower and Mark Sinclair, Clean Energy Group, August 2009. The report, based on recent research, informs states on how they can act more like retail marketers to establish the financial and energy value of solar technology for the consumer. According to the new solar marketing report, use of effective marketing strategies is the key to attracting new customers to solar and bringing this smart technology into the mainstream.

By establishing the financial value of solar, its reliability, and the many new “easy financing” programs established by states and utilities, states can explain how solar can become a smart investment. The report describes specific examples of effective marketing initiatives from across the country to assist states increase the demand for solar and achieve their clean energy goals.

Link to article on the Huffington Post by Mark Sinclair, Vice President, Clean Energy Group, on "Smart Solar Marketing," Sept. 22, 2009.

Link to article in Renewable Energy Focus US Solar Supplement by Mark Sinclair on "Creating Demand - How to Market Solar," October 2009.

Climate Technology Innovation: A New Global Strategy and Structure, by Lewis Milford and Daniel Dutcher, Clean Energy Group and Todd Barker, Meridian Institute. This new report from CEG outlines a new approach to the climate innovation process.It proposes a structure and strategy for climate innovation, with an explanation of the gaps in the current system, and the pathway forward to introduce these new recommendations into the post-2012 climate negotiations. This paper was presented at the IICTP Climate Technology Innovation meeting in Washington, DC in May 2008.

Climate Technology Innovation: Picking Winners - Some Thoughts to Consider, by Lewis Milford and Daniel Dutcher, Clean Energy Group. When a technology-based policy is discussed for long-term climate stabilization, typically a contrary argument will be made by governments and other donors should not interfere with market forces by favoring particular technologies or "picking winners." This paper sets forth some countervailing arguments for consideration. This paper was presented at the IICTP Climate Technology Innovation meeting in Washington, DC in May 2008.

Clean Energy State Program Guide - Mainstreaming Solar Electricity: Strategies for States to Build Local Markets, prepared by Mark Sinclair, Clean Energy Group and Steve Weisman, Peregrine Energy Group. April 2008. The report describes the key policies and program strategies that have emerged as effective tools for states to advance wide-spread solar deployment. The report’s recommendations are based on the input and lessons learned of the members of the Clean Energy States Alliance, a coalition of state clean energy funds working together to support renewable energy technologies.

Low-Carbon Technologies in the Post-Bali Period: Accelerating Their Development and Deployment, prepared for European Climate Platform by Christian Egenhofer, Lew Milford, Noriko Fujiwara, Thomas L. Brewer and Monica Alessi. ECP Report No. 4, December 2007. This report is based on a background study and seminar on Strategic Aspects of Technology for the UNFCCC and Climate Change Debate: The Post-Bali Technology Agenda, organized under the auspices of the European Climate Platform (ECP), a joint initiative of Climate Policy Research Programme and Centre for European Policy Studies.

New Performance-Based Standards for Standby Power: Reexamining Policies to Address Changing Power Needs, prepared for Clean Energy Group by Frank A. Felder, Ph.D., Director of the Center for Energy, Economic and Environmental Policy, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. December 2007. This paper notes that the advances in technology, the increase and changing needs for standby generation, and environmental concerns suggests a new look at standby generation codes and standards. It also suggests that policy makers should consider replacing existing standby generation policies with performance standards that would better suit the needs for standby generation, and potentially, encourage new, more energy efficiency, and environmentally friendlier technologies.

Consultative Group on Climate Innovation: A Proposed Complementary Technology Track for the Post-2012 Period, by Lewis Milford, Clean Energy Group. A paper presented at the Road to Copenhagen Conference on Leadership, Sustainable Development and Climate Change, Brussels, Belgium, 23 November 2007. This paper proposes a specific structure for a new "distributed innovation" approach to climate technology, building and expanding on the earlier recommendations of the UN Foundation and the Club of Madrid. This approach is designed to scale up existing climate technologies and to develop new breakthrough technologies. It could be one way that both developed and developing countries could collaborate effectively on technology development, deployment and finance.

Massive Climate Technology Innovation: A New Geometry of Complementary Strategies Post-2012, by Lewis Milford, Clean Energy Group. A Statement Paper presented at the Ministerial Meeting of the Gleneagles Dialogue on Climate Change, Clean Energy and Sustainable Development, September 9-11, 2007. This paper describes a complementary "climate technology innovation process" that could be pursued to scale up existing low carbon technologies and create "breakthrough" disruptive technologies in many energy sectors, including renewables and CO2 capture and storage.

A New Geometry of Complementary Climate Technology Solutions: What the Heiligendamm G8 Summit Could Mean for a Post-2012 Climate Framework, a discussion paper by Lewis Milford, Clean Energy Group. This report reviews new commitments for climate technology measures from the Heiligendamm Summit Declaration that could structure a post-2012 framework for climate mitigation that could complement cap and trade strategies. July 2007.

From Here to Stabilization: A Call for Massive Climate Technology Innovation, by Lewis Milford, Clean Energy Group. This report examines the need for low carbon technology innovation to achieve necessary reductions of greenhouse gas emissions for climate stabilization. September 2006.

Renewable Hydrogen: Technology Review and Policy Recommendations for State Level Sustainable Energy Futures by Timothy Lipman, Jennifer L. Edwards and Cameron Brooks. Prepared for Clean Energy Group. This report provides a review of the current commercial and technical status of hydrogen production techniques, a survey of notable projects in the U.S., and policy recommendations for advancing the potential of hydrogen as a clean fuel for stationary power and transportation applications. May 2006.

Integrating Fuel Cells and RPS Markets: Recommendations and Strategies for Advancing Fuel Cells, Distributed Generation and RPS Markets, prepared by Jürgen Weiss, Ph.D. and Cameron Brooks for Clean Energy Group. This report examines opportunities for improving the incentives for stationary fuel cells in the context of existing RPS programs. June 2006.

Hydrogen Energy Stations: Poly-Production of Electricity, Hydrogen, and Thermal Energy by Timothy Lipman and Cameron Brooks for Clean Energy Group. This report provides a review of the current status of "hydrogen energy stations" for combined production of electricity, hydrogen and thermal energy; a survey of notable energy station projects; and policy recommendations for advancing the potential of hydrogen energy stations as a source of clean fuel for stationary power and transportation applications. May 2006.

A Possible Turning Point for Climate Change Solutions: How Innovations in Investment, Technology and Policy Are Needed for Emissions Stabilization. Prepared by Clean Energy Group for the Montreal Strategic Climate Change Workshop on Sub-National Strategies for Clean Energy Investment, Technology Deployment and Innovation. December 2005.

Public Finance Mechanisms to Catalyze Sustainable Energy Sector Growth, prepared by BASE and UNEP in collaboration with Clean Energy Group, and with financial support of the UN Foundation. This report provides policy makers and public finance agencies with a guide that traces the investment stages of sustainable energy technology innovation and project development and highlights how public mechanisms can help address the financing barriers that hinder capital formation in this sector. December 2005.

Energy Security and Emergency Preparedness: How Clean Energy Can Deliver More Reliable Power for Critical Infrastructure and Emergency Response Missions. Prepared by Clean Energy Group. October 2005.

The Potential for Transatlantic Investment in Clean Technology - An Opportunity Assessment of the Clean Energy Sector. Prepared by Clean Energy Group and the Carbon Trust, March 2005.

This Report:

identifies a number of important barriers that hinder investment in clean energy markets;
reveals considerable enthusiasm in the transatlantic investment community for promoting new financial structures and policy mechanisms; and,
sets out next steps to gain support for the initiative through two subsequent phases of the work.

Global Clean Energy Markets: The Strategic Role of Public Investment and Innovation, by Cameron Brooks, Lewis Milford, Allison Schumacher, Clean Energy Group, May 2004.

“This report, written by the Clean Energy Group, looks at the energy industry from a disruptive point of view. If the natural process of disruption is allowed to proceed, it would bring about change that would produce critical social, economic, and environmental benefits…I hope this report helps you frame the key issues in a unique and powerful way.”

Clayton Christensen
Professor of Business Administration
Harvard Business School

Clean Energy Initiative: A Report on How Foundations, State Funds, and Social Investors Could Pursue Joint Investments, prepared by Clean Energy Group, July 2003. Lewis Milford, Philip LaRocco, and Robert Sanders.

This report follows an investigation initiated the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Surdna Foundation, and Oak Foundation designed to explore new models for clean energy investment among foundations, public funds and private investors. The Clean Energy Group worked together with E+Co and The Reinvestment Fund to undertake an investigation and draft a report about the opportunities presented by the initiative.

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Other Publications

CESA Year One: A Report on Clean Energy Funds in the US, August 2004.This is the first annual report of Clean Energy States Alliance (CESA).

CESA 2005-2006: A Report on State Clean Energy Funds, Investment and Deployment in the U.S., September 2007. This is the second biennial report of the Clean Energy States Alliance.

Leading from the States, by Cameron Brooks, Clean Energy Group. A recent article in Environmental Finance, September 2004, about how CESA members are co-operating to help transition to a low carbon economy by investing to expand clean energy markets.

Distributed Power Generation for Homeland Security: Proposal for a New Federal and State Partnership, by Lewis Milford and Ruth O'Meara-Costello, Clean Energy Group. Security Managers Institute News, Winter 2003.

Find more publications at Clean Energy States Alliance (CESA) web site.