How Can New Transatlantic Collaboration Overcome Barriers to Renewable Energy Goals?
Channel: eesionline
Date: 2015-12-07

Download the presentations and learn more at: http://www.eesi.org/120315renewable
Table of contents: https://youtu.be/kjEfjxpWokQ?t=4s

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and the Center for Climate Strategies (CCS) held a briefing discussing how all levels of governments in the European Union and United States can expand collaboration on renewable electricity market penetration to meet energy, economic, and environmental needs. 

Tom Peterson
President and CEO, Center for Climate Strategies
Download Slides: http://www.eesi.org/files/Tom_Peterson_120315.pdf
Skip to presentation: https://youtu.be/kjEfjxpWokQ?t=4m9s

Dr. Hal Nelson
Research Associate Professor, Claremont Graduate University
Download Slides: http://www.eesi.org/files/Hal_Nelson_120315.pdf
Skip to presentation: https://youtu.be/kjEfjxpWokQ?t=25m30s

Dr. Dale Medearis
Senior Environmental Planner, Northern Virginia Regional Commission
Download Slides: http://www.eesi.org/files/Dale_Medearis_120315.pdf
Skip to presentation: https://youtu.be/kjEfjxpWokQ?t=37m29s

Dr. Georg Maue
Counselor for Energy and Climate Policy, Embassy of Germany
Download Slides: http://www.eesi.org/files/Georg_Maue_120315.pdf
Skip to presentation: https://youtu.be/kjEfjxpWokQ?t=42m03s

Alison Conboy
Head of Energy and Environment, British Embassy
Download Slides: http://www.eesi.org/files/Alison_Conboy_120315.pdf
Skip to presentation: https://youtu.be/kjEfjxpWokQ?t=55m37s

Question & Answer Session
https://youtu.be/kjEfjxpWokQ?t=1h10m34s

The briefing featured an upcoming report by CCS, funded by the European Union Delegation to the United States, which examines high-priority common challenges and opportunities in the renewable energy sector that are prime candidates for new or enhanced forms of transatlantic collaboration at the regional and Member State/U.S. state levels. Attendees were invited to provide comments and input for the report; they discussed how enhanced transatlantic cooperation can help set the stage for new investments and technologies through greater thought leadership, information sharing, technical assistance, and collaboration.

Renewable energy can stimulate economies, diversify energy resources, ensure resilience, and provide affordable electricity at stable rates that are unaffected by fluctuating fuel prices. The renewable energy sectors in both the United States and Europe have already seen robust growth: by 84.4 percent between 2003 and 2013 in the European Union (EU) and by 47 percent in the United States during that same period. However, barriers remain to the greater expansion of renewable energy resources.

New forms of collaboration will be essential to overcome these barriers and to reach the ambitious new 2030 goals for renewable energy in the United States and the European Union. Through transatlantic mechanisms such as real-time peer education, information exchange, technical assistance, and policy coordination at the national, regional, state and local levels, the United States and the European Union can help each other reach energy as well as economic goals. Increasing coordination between the private sectors in both regions can also play a strong role in accelerating renewable energy use. Transatlantic collaboration can be extended to other regions throughout the world (Africa, Asia, South America…) to further accelerate the penetration of renewables and the transition to a low-carbon economy.