Stimulus Package Clean Energy Provisions Are Working – Report

The clean energy provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) are working, according to a Department of Energy (DOE) report released Friday.

The DOE’s Energy Information Administration (EIA) released its updated 2009 Energy Outlook Report assessing the impact of the ARRA, which aims to create more than 500,000 smart grid and energy efficiency jobs and supporting local and regional energy projects.

Below are the highlights of the report’s key conclusions on the impact of ARRA’s energy-specific provisions versus business as usual are below:

INCREASES IN RENEWABLES: ARRA’s clean energy tax credits and loan guarantee program will result in “a significant expansion in the use of renewable fuels for electricity generation, particularly in the near-term.”

• WIND: The recovery package doubles the amount of wind energy built by 2012 with a 67% overall increase by 2030
• GEOTHERMAL: 16% increase in installed geothermal capacity by 2013
• BIOMASS: 18% increase in biomass installed capacity by 2030
• PHOTOVOLTAIC: 15% increase in commercial sector photovoltaic capacity by 2011

DECREASES IN CONSUMER PRICES: ARRA weatherization and efficiency improvements will permanently reduce consumer consumption and lower household energy bills

• 3.4% drop in household heating and cooling consumption by 2030
• 4.5% drop in household energy expenditures by 2028
• 3% drop in commercial fuel oil consumption by 2030

REDUCES GLOBAL WARMING EMISSIONS: ARRA’s provisions promoting clean energy, greater efficiency and lower energy consumption will reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

• 1.3% reduction in energy-related carbon dioxide emissions in 2013, the equivalent of the emissions from nearly 168,000 barrels of oil.

“The EIA report supports the movement in Congress to pass clean energy legislation to reduce our dependence on oil, save consumers money, and create clean energy jobs,” said Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Chair of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. “If we want a lasting and sustainable economic recovery, we must pass comprehensive clean energy legislation.”