CIAO DATE: 04/2014
March 2014
We are still in the early stages of a transformation of the U.S. electricity sector into a cleaner, more flexible, more resilient, and more dynamic system. The early history of investment in and adoption of clean energy technologies and practices has been mixed. The venture capital model has proven to be inadequate for scaling up clean energy, and anticipated policy developments have been slow to be realized. The sector-reshaping impact of unconventional gas, uneven capitalization of clean energy companies, and the mixed signals of government policymakers have slowed the march to a more distributed energy economy rooted in the greater use of renewables, the more efficient use of energy, and the optimization of information technologies in the energy sector. Yet few doubt that the future energy economy will be cleaner and smarter. Business models, financ - ing structures, and government policies can accelerate that future. Taking a clear-eyed measure of past failures and the considerable progress that has occurred over the last decade can illuminate some of the keys to that acceleration.
Resource link: Scaling Clean Energy: Lessons Learned and New Approaches [PDF] - 1.2M