Comments on: Shouldn’t Energy Innovation be Worth More than Rush Limbaugh?! http://itsgettinghotinhere.org/2009/08/05/shouldn%e2%80%99t-energy-innovation-be-worth-more-than-rush-limbaugh/ Dispatches from the Youth Climate Movement Thu, 18 Mar 2010 20:25:41 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Juliana Williams http://itsgettinghotinhere.org/2009/08/05/shouldn%e2%80%99t-energy-innovation-be-worth-more-than-rush-limbaugh/#comment-80420 Juliana Williams Fri, 07 Aug 2009 16:34:18 +0000 http://itsgettinghotinhere.org/?p=12313#comment-80420 My apologies Hans, you are correct. The DOE expects to fund less than 2% of the total applications, though more than that were encouraged to submit full applications. I was not trying to distort the scale just to make a point. But this doesn't change the overall message of this piece, which is that government funding for innovation is not enough (and neither is private funding wind r us). If we hope to support the innovations that can transform the energy sector, there will need to be a whole lot more government funding than what is currently allocated. And government funding is often crucial to unlocking private investments - just check out my post yesterday on the DOE's funding for battery manufacturing. My apologies Hans, you are correct. The DOE expects to fund less than 2% of the total applications, though more than that were encouraged to submit full applications. I was not trying to distort the scale just to make a point. But this doesn’t change the overall message of this piece, which is that government funding for innovation is not enough (and neither is private funding wind r us). If we hope to support the innovations that can transform the energy sector, there will need to be a whole lot more government funding than what is currently allocated. And government funding is often crucial to unlocking private investments – just check out my post yesterday on the DOE’s funding for battery manufacturing.

]]> By: Hans De Noteboom http://itsgettinghotinhere.org/2009/08/05/shouldn%e2%80%99t-energy-innovation-be-worth-more-than-rush-limbaugh/#comment-80400 Hans De Noteboom Thu, 06 Aug 2009 16:31:36 +0000 http://itsgettinghotinhere.org/?p=12313#comment-80400 More funding for transformational r&d is great and everything because it's needed for sure, but you have misread all the news briefs on ARPA-E for the sake of making your point. Ultimately only around 2% will be able to recieve funding, but some percentage WAY higher than 2% were invited to submit full applications. More funding for transformational r&d is great and everything because it’s needed for sure, but you have misread all the news briefs on ARPA-E for the sake of making your point. Ultimately only around 2% will be able to recieve funding, but some percentage WAY higher than 2% were invited to submit full applications.

]]> By: Juliana Williams http://itsgettinghotinhere.org/2009/08/05/shouldn%e2%80%99t-energy-innovation-be-worth-more-than-rush-limbaugh/#comment-80392 Juliana Williams Thu, 06 Aug 2009 06:52:10 +0000 http://itsgettinghotinhere.org/?p=12313#comment-80392 I hope I didn't sounds as if the private sector won't do anything. Private investment is absolutely crucial to developing commercially scalable clean energy technologies. Government funding is often crucial to creating the market confidence to unlock private investments. I simply meant to pre-emptively counter the argument that we don't need government funding. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to clarify. I hope I didn’t sounds as if the private sector won’t do anything. Private investment is absolutely crucial to developing commercially scalable clean energy technologies. Government funding is often crucial to creating the market confidence to unlock private investments. I simply meant to pre-emptively counter the argument that we don’t need government funding. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to clarify.

]]> By: wind r us http://itsgettinghotinhere.org/2009/08/05/shouldn%e2%80%99t-energy-innovation-be-worth-more-than-rush-limbaugh/#comment-80390 wind r us Thu, 06 Aug 2009 02:48:08 +0000 http://itsgettinghotinhere.org/?p=12313#comment-80390 Arpa E is all good and fine but the ones you probably will be seeing getting the funding are the ones with enough political connections or your GE and really don't need the funding. As a wind turbine designer that will be bringing a turbine out later this year, even our first money was from ethanol investors that are diversifying. We are having more luck with funding from Australia and Africa than I have had here in the states unless you want to give 70%-80% of your lifes work..ie your baby to these so called vulture capitalists. So keep believing this private sector dream but you should really try it in this day and age and you will be sorely awaken to a new reality. Arpa E is all good and fine but the ones you probably will be seeing getting the funding are the ones with enough political connections or your GE and really don’t need the funding. As a wind turbine designer that will be bringing a turbine out later this year, even our first money was from ethanol investors that are diversifying.

We are having more luck with funding from Australia and Africa than I have had here in the states unless you want to give 70%-80% of your lifes work..ie your baby to these so called vulture capitalists.

So keep believing this private sector dream but you should really try it in this day and age and you will be sorely awaken to a new reality.

]]> By: Matt Dernoga http://itsgettinghotinhere.org/2009/08/05/shouldn%e2%80%99t-energy-innovation-be-worth-more-than-rush-limbaugh/#comment-80387 Matt Dernoga Thu, 06 Aug 2009 01:47:09 +0000 http://itsgettinghotinhere.org/?p=12313#comment-80387 Agreed all the way through to the part where the private sector won't do anything. According to McKinsey, the 97 billion dollars from the stimulus are going to drive another 100 billion in private sector investment. http://www.mckinsey.com/clientservice/ccsi/pdf/investing_in_energy_efficiency.pdf We definitely need more government funding and incentives, but with the right incentives and government programs, some of which the stimulus set up, and which passing a global warming bill would help drive even further, the private sector can do a lot too. Agreed all the way through to the part where the private sector won’t do anything. According to McKinsey, the 97 billion dollars from the stimulus are going to drive another 100 billion in private sector investment.

http://www.mckinsey.com/clientservice/ccsi/pdf/investing_in_energy_efficiency.pdf

We definitely need more government funding and incentives, but with the right incentives and government programs, some of which the stimulus set up, and which passing a global warming bill would help drive even further, the private sector can do a lot too.

]]> By: Morgan http://itsgettinghotinhere.org/2009/08/05/shouldn%e2%80%99t-energy-innovation-be-worth-more-than-rush-limbaugh/#comment-80386 Morgan Thu, 06 Aug 2009 01:18:50 +0000 http://itsgettinghotinhere.org/?p=12313#comment-80386 Ziinnnggggg This is great stuff Juliana. Limbaugh and Lee Raymond are not worth as much as saving the world from climate change, or even worth as much as investing in how to build better windmills. Bastards. Sort of reminds me of the Priorities NH/Priorities IA campaigns to get money from defense spending re-allocated to all the social programs that are failing. Ziinnnggggg

This is great stuff Juliana. Limbaugh and Lee Raymond are not worth as much as saving the world from climate change, or even worth as much as investing in how to build better windmills. Bastards.

Sort of reminds me of the Priorities NH/Priorities IA campaigns to get money from defense spending re-allocated to all the social programs that are failing.

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