NNY can take lead in developing green technology

Green technology, specifically solar power, is an integral piece of the world’s economic and environmental future. As the scale of photovoltaic (PV) production increases and costs continue to decline, demand for PV electricity will outpace supply for years to come.

China has implemented plans to foster and develop a renewable energy industry while the United States has been slower to react. It has been estimated that China’s investment will improve environmental conditions and provide an economic windfall of $500 billion to $1 trillion by the year 2013. Alternately, the United States leads China in “smart-grid” technology, and with the right investments can obtain overall dominance in this area.

A smart grid delivers electricity from suppliers to consumers using two-way digital technology to control appliances at consumers’ homes to save energy, reduce cost and increase transparency. This smart-grid technology is one way to address energy independence and reliability issues. China needs the United States’ talent and smart-grid technologies. With cooperation and greater support, a green future can be in store for both the United States and China in the development of a domestic PV industry. This type of strategic investment, both environmentally and economically, can have national, state, and even local impacts.

Along with the U.S. Department of Energy and Treasury’s announcement that they will give $2.3 billion in tax credits to clean and renewable energy manufacturers, Gov. David Paterson recently announced the largest PV project in New York, which will help the state meet its energy needs, foster the development of solar technologies and stimulate the economy with new clean energy jobs.

On behalf of the state, the New York Power Authority (NYPA) will issue a Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEI) for the purpose of exploring the development of public-private partnerships for the installation of up to 100 megawatts (MW) of PV systems. These include roof-mounted and ground-mounted PV arrays at municipal facilities, public and private schools, businesses and state agencies throughout New York. Conservative estimates project that this program will create 50,000 new jobs throughout the state.

Locally, Clarkson University researchers are creating large-area PV devices that will improve efficiency and can enable very thin, well-ordered polymer nanocomposites to be printed onto flexible substrates. At Clarkson’s Advanced Materials Processing (CAMP), Professor Dan Goia and his group are developing materials for silicon-based solar cells that can be used for both commercial and military products. This project is supported by The Solar Energy Consortium (TSEC) and New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) which funds research collaborations between the Center for Advanced Materials Processing (CAMP),Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Corning Inc.

These are positive initiatives and developments which must continue to be supported. Therefore, we in the north country need to advocate for these types of higher education-industrial partnerships which focus on advancing sustainable energy solutions and environmental technology innovation. Such partnerships can effectively couple research discovery and engineering innovation while creating commercial enterprise solutions for economic development and positive environmental outcomes.

Clean energy technology, and specifically solar power, has the potential to transform nations like China and the United States. These nations are beginning to understand that they can no longer pollute their way to prosperity. If the United States and China cooperate on green technology, they can lead the next economic and environmental revolution. Success in this area will provide benefits that include a cleaner environment, bringing solar to market more quickly and diffusing the technology more broadly, increased economic growth — greater number of jobs, and better relations between the two powers.

It’s time to act to develop a green energy economy that protects our community and puts people back to work, reducing our stubbornly high unemployment. The north country can be a major part and force in positioning New York as a leader economically and environmentally; and become a hub for the development of cutting-edge technology that could rival job corridors in other states.

The writer is an Ogdensburg city councilor and adviser for local government affairs and policy for Matthew Doheny’s congressional campaign.

By NICHOLAS J. VAUGH

Technorati Tags: green energy, photovoltaic, solar energy