Is Sustainable Energy Adding New Players?

As a sustainability consultant, we have observed a shift in the recent discussions of sustainable energy. The changing economic and political landscape in the US over the past few years has apparently caused an openness to expand the country’s definition of alternative energy.

Earlier in the year, Reuters predicted that lost financing, low prices for natural gas and political uncertainty would reduce the investment in renewable energy in 2009. However, recent debates over what defines a ‘sustainable’ energy may alter these statistics.

The mainstream discussion really kicked-off in 2006 when President Bush proclaimed nuclear power to be a renewable energy source and that coal could be clean. Before and since those comments, environmental leaders have debated sustainable energy definitions.

According to Christie Whitman, the former administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, “Nuclear power is environmentally friendly, affordable, clean, dependable and safe.''

Most experts agree that renewables will only be able to take us so far, given our current technologies. Under the current definition, renewables only represent 7% of total energy production. Current plans seek to expand that number to 12-15% by 2015.

As an energy consultant, we agree that creating a sustainable energy plan will require a comprehensive and phased approach. By expanding the options to replace traditional sources with cleaner alternatives, the opportunity for improvement greatly increases.

While the future of energy policy is still under debate, the opportunities within the business world are immediately available. Our small business resources and professional consulting constantly stress the value in energy planning as part of a business sustainability plan.