|
Information
updated as of March 2008
|
| Solar
and Renewable Energy: Federal |
| Most
of the policies that impact the solar industry in the United
States are created at the State level. This is in contrast
to the other major solar markets of Japan and Germany, and
the steadily increasing European
country markets. |
| The
United States domestic solar photovoltaic market grew to 220
megawatts in 2007, from 140 megawatts a year earlier.
Of this amount, grid connected photovoltaics accounted for
112 Megawatts. |
| US
manufacturing plants accounted for fell to just 12% of worldwide
cell production in 2003. |
| Subjective
judgment suggests that at a Federal level, the US solar market
appears defined by partisan, rather than a bi-partisan characteristics.
This tends to limit solar energy to being discussed as a "political"
rather than "business" or "economic" agenda
item. |
| Japan
is now set to gain most from technology leadership and job
creation from one of the fastest growing new energy sources
as it approaches a self sustaining position in the world energy
mix. Indeed the continued development of Team Japan and Team
Germany have become a critical driver of economic progress
in Team USA. |
| Click
here to go to solar energy manufacturing and installation
companies. |
| Click
here to go to the American Solar
Energy Society or the Solar
Energy Industry Association. |
| Between
1998 and 1999, installed Wind Energy capacity in the United
States grew from 1,890 Megawatts to 2455 Megawatts. Wind power
is now being generated in 22 States. The largest wind farm
was dedicated in September 1999 in Iowa. It has 257 turbines
with a capacity of 193 Megawatts. |
Around
1.2 million solar thermal systems have been installed in the
United States. Over 80% of these have been to residential
users.
Source: US Department of Energy |
| Solar
Energy States |
| The
most important State market is California. Over 80% of grid
connected installations in 2003 took place in California |
| The
California Public Utilities Commission Self Generation program
and the California Energy Commission Emerging Renewables program
support commercial and residential installations respectively. |
|
New Jersey is emerging as the next solar friendly State with
an aggressive pathway toward renewable and solar energy. |
| Around
20,000 grid tied homes in the United States now utilize photovoltaics.
|
| United
States Energy and Electricity Industry
|
Gross
Domestic Product (2000)
| |
GDP
2000
(in US Dollars, Billion)
|
| United
States |
$
9,963*
|
| Japan |
$
4,614
|
| Germany |
$
1,867
|
| United
Kingdom |
$
1,415
|
| France |
$
1,281
|
*
of this amount, California
accounts for $1,330 billion |
Total
USA Megawatt hour demand was 3,312,087,081 across 125,945,003
customers in 1999.
Source: US DOE, 1999 |
1999
Electricity consumption by Country in Billion kilowatt hours
Source: US
DOE EIA
| Canada |
497.5
|
South
Africa |
172.4
|
| Mexico |
170.8
|
Russia |
728.0
|
| USA |
3235.9
|
Australia |
178.3
|
| Brazil |
353.7
|
China |
1084.1
|
| France |
398.8
|
India |
424.0
|
| Germany |
495.2
|
South
Korea |
232.8
|
| United
Kingdom |
333.0
|
Japan |
947.0
|
|
| In
the United States, around one third of electricity is delivered
from public power sources (government owned/municipal utilities),
the balance is delivered from corporations (also known as
"investor owned" utilities). |
Selected
Energy Statistics by Country (1998)
Source:
International Energy Agency
| |
Population
|
GDP
(US $)
|
Electricity
consumption
kWhr per capita
|
CO2
per capita
|
CO2
per unit of GDP
|
| Brazil |
165.87
|
576.41
|
1850.78
|
1.78
|
0.51
|
| Canada |
30.30
|
666.72
|
16348.68
|
15.75
|
0.72
|
| China |
1238.60
|
805.26
|
871.91
|
2.30
|
3.54
|
| France |
58.85
|
1349.20
|
7175.10
|
6.38
|
0.28
|
| Germany |
82.02
|
1883.53
|
6481.51
|
10.45
|
0.46
|
| India |
979.67
|
499.31
|
415.75
|
0.93
|
1.82
|
| Japan |
126.49
|
3303.58
|
8008.33
|
8.92
|
0.34
|
| United
Kingdom |
59.24
|
1123.21
|
5800.11
|
9.28
|
0.49
|
| United
States |
269.09
|
7043.64
|
13388.11
|
20.10
|
0.77
|
|
| Click
here to see a graph of historic Retail electricity tariffs
and 1999 average Retail electricity tariffs by State on this
site. |
The
United States has a total of 175 million kilowatts of installed
hydroelectric capacity, compared with installed capacity of
19 million kilowatts for othe renewable energy sources (i.e.
geothermal, wind, solar, biomass)
Source:
US EIA |
| Arizona,
Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, New
Mexico, Pennysylvania, Texas and Wisconsin have introduced
Renewable Portfolio Standard programs. The Texas RPS requires
that 2000 MW of new renewable energy generating capacity be
constructed in Texas by 2009. Wind energy and Land Fill gas
is expected to meet most of this demand. |
