14 December 2009

Major Emitters to Deliver Energy Technology to Developing World

U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced the Climate REDI program at the COP-15 conference in Copenhagen.

By Stephen Kaufman
Staff Writer

Washington — Developing countries will receive easier access to clean and renewable energy technology such as solar and LED lights, as well as financing and improved information sharing, through a five-year, $350 million plan announced by the Obama administration December 14.

According to a White House fact sheet, under the Renewables and Efficiency Deployment Initiative, known as Climate REDI, the United States will provide $85 million for the plan, with contributions also coming from the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate Change (MEF), a group of countries including the United States that are collectively responsible for more than 85 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions.

The four components of the Climate REDI program will “accelerate deployment of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies in developing countries — reducing greenhouse gas emissions, fighting energy poverty and improving public health for the most vulnerable, particularly women and children,” the fact sheet said.

The program to accelerate deployment of solar home electricity systems and LED lanterns targets those without electricity who must otherwise use kerosene, which is more expensive and emits dangerous fumes and pollutants. It will “yield immediate economic and public health benefits by providing households with low-cost and quality-assured solar alternatives,” according to the fact sheet.

To support and accelerate the launch of the World Bank’s Strategic Climate Fund, Climate REDI creates a Scaling-up Renewable Energy Program (S-REP) to give policy support and technical assistance to low-income countries that are developing renewable energy strategies. S-REP will also “underwrite additional capital costs associated with renewable energy investments.” The bulk of the $350 million initiative — $250 million — will be used to fund S-REP, according to the fact sheet.

The financing used to scale up early-stage low-carbon products will help “bring down costs and remove barriers to deployment,” as well as “catalyze investment by the private sector.”

The third component calls for enhanced cooperation on standards and labeling systems among MEF countries for energy-efficient appliances, which would help “create unprecedented economies of scale for these appliances.” Better labeling will help consumers avoid substandard renewable energy products and guide them toward “quality-assured and high-efficiency” products, as well as remove the lowest-efficiency appliances from the market, the fact sheet said.

Climate REDI will also establish an online information-sharing platform for the MEF countries to exchange technical resources, policy experience and best practices in deploying clean energy. The online resources will be shared with the rest of world.

MAJOR EMITTERS DEVELOP TECHNOLOGY ACTION PLANS

The White House fact sheet also announced that the MEF countries have developed action plans for 10 clean energy options that countries can use to accelerate the development and deployment of low-carbon energy alternatives.

The plans “summarize [the] mitigation potential of high-priority technologies, highlight best practice policies, and provide a menu of specific actions,” the fact sheet said. The technologies identified are: advanced vehicles; bioenergy; building energy efficiency; carbon capture, use and storage; high-efficiency, low-emissions coal; industrial energy efficiency; marine energy; smart grid; solar energy; and wind energy.

According to the fact sheet, the United States will be the lead country among the MEF countries for the plans on building energy efficiency and industrial energy efficiency.

The White House fact sheet also announced that the MEF and other countries will meet in Washington in 2010 for a Clean Energy Ministerial to “drive this work forward and continue concrete action on global clean energy technology deployment.”