Renewable energy experts both hopeful, worried

Renewable energy advocates see signs of hope of reducing the need for fossil fuels. But they also worry about Big Oil throwing money at politicians.

At the Midwest Renewable Energy Fair near Stevens Point Sunday, a plenary session took on a confident tone and looked at what will happen when clean energy is conventional. Madison energy consultant Niels Wolter says, for example, that the use of solar power continues to grow.

Others say the use of solar water heaters also continues to increase; that wind power – at least outside of Wisconsin – continues to grow; and that the fuel efficiency of many cars is going up. But Andy Olson of the Environmental Law and Policy Center warns the fossil fuel industry is fighting back with campaign donations aimed at blocking or rolling back several policies including climate change legislation and renewable energy standards.

Olson says while the “oil and natural gas barons” want to weaken the renewables industry, they say government subsidies for fossil fuels are sacrosanct. Clean energy advocates say the 99 percent of people who are not the super-wealthy need to push for more renewables and energy efficiency programs.