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Clean West defines clean energy as power production facilities that generate electricity from renewable resources. This includes solar farms, geothermal plants, wind farms, hydro/wave/tidal installations, biofuel production locations and waste-to-energy facilities. For clean technology, see here. Power has been produced from renewable, or 'clean', sources for a long time. Geothermal was launched in 1904 and many large hydroelectric facilities are multiple decades old. Only recently has clean energy caught the limelight and been championed by entrepreneurs, politicians and environmentalists. Renewable energy offers many, powerful benefits. Sustainable power production; reduced carbon emissions; secure energy supply; relatively predictable pricing; direct economic stimulus; cleaner air and water; and rural generation capabilities are but a selection of potential attractions. Despite broad economic and credit weaknesses then clean energy continues to show promise due to strong externalities such as government policy (emission targets, tax incentives); cleantech innovation (materials, biotechnology); environmental awareness (climate change); and consumer and industrial trends (carbon neutrality, energy efficiency). |
Did you know?■ 5% global power is clean ■ clean energy investment $148bn 2007 ($92bn 2006) ■ $30bn clean energy funds (plus $37bn related funds) | |||||||||
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