Experts stress the need to make renewable energy a priority

A discussion setup by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute stressed the importance of renewable energy in the near future. Renewable energy experts met today to discuss whether or not renewable energy can meet the challenges of climate change and be put into effect to make a difference, nationwide by 2030.

Experts working with wind, geothermal, hydro, solar and biomass energy discussed the situation of each energy source. Currently these renewable energy sources make up very little of the electric energy being used. Renewable energy makes less carbon dioxide emissions and helps with the environment overall, better than the current coal or gas energy.

Renewable energy is expensive and capital-intensive and renewable resources are geographically remote, which makes them expensive to start up. These renewable energy companies need to get Congressional backing and are looking for extensions on current Production Tax Credits (PTC).

There needs to be stable, long-term policy that promotes investment and ensuring a prepared market in the future, one expert said. The experts stressed the necessity to get the economy in a position to be prepared for the future, extend PTC, and create national goals for policies and energy stability for the future.