This book documents the socio-environmental context and early history of Hawaii's attempt to substitute renewable energy sources and energy efficiency measures for oil imports. It identifies areas of policy formulation where clean energy strategies were effective and areas where the state's policy strategy was either inappropriate or constrained by political or institutional factors. Although Hawaii's Clean Energy Initiative is a unique partnership, formulated to meet Hawaii's specific needs and resources, the policy process addressed problems that are common outside the state. While the case study involves clean energy policies, many of the issues are applicable to public policy development topics in other sectors. Examples of these "general interest" policy topics include: • understanding how the political and socioeconomic climate may influence policy assumptions • formulating a regulatory and legal framework for monitoring policy compliance • designing and understanding the implications of subsidy and tax-incentive policies • managing conflicts with policies in other sectors; • addressing the interests of existing and future stakeholders; • creating strategies for public consultation and information dissemination; • using external expertise from government agencies, academic institutions and private consultants; • designing performance and evaluation metrics for measuring progress. The book is intended for use in graduate and senior undergraduate courses dealing with the formulation, implementation and impact of public policy. It also provides researchers involved in the development and implementation of clean energy with a guide to the hurdles likely to be encountered in moving innovation from the technical sphere to the practical real world and how to overcome them. Professional policymakers may benefit from an example of a process to create a workable clean energy policy.

Discribes some alternative energy sources for the future, including the wind and the sun.

How solar could spark a clean-energy transition through transformative innovation—creative financing, revolutionary technologies, and flexible energy systems. Solar energy, once a niche application for a limited market, has become the cheapest and fastest-growing power source on earth. What's more, its potential is nearly limitless—every hour the sun beams down more energy than the world uses in a year. But in Taming the Sun, energy expert Varun Sivaram warns that the world is not yet equipped to harness erratic sunshine to meet most of its energy needs. And if solar's current surge peters out, prospects for replacing fossil fuels and averting catastrophic climate change will dim. Innovation can brighten those prospects, Sivaram explains, drawing on firsthand experience and original research spanning science, business, and government. Financial innovation is already enticing deep-pocketed investors to fund solar projects around the world, from the sunniest deserts to the poorest villages. Technological innovation could replace today's solar panels with coatings as cheap as paint and employ artificial photosynthesis to store intermittent sunshine as convenient fuels. And systemic innovation could add flexibility to the world's power grids and other energy systems so they can dependably channel the sun's unreliable energy. Unleashing all this innovation will require visionary public policy: funding researchers developing next-generation solar technologies, refashioning energy systems and economic markets, and putting together a diverse clean energy portfolio. Although solar can't power the planet by itself, it can be the centerpiece of a global clean energy revolution. A Council on Foreign Relations Book

Readers will learn all about the science behind renewable energy as it relates to the sun. Solar cells, biofuels, wind power, and hydroelectric power are all discussed here. Colorful photographs, explanatory diagrams, fast facts, and must-do activities connected to the Next Generation Science Standards all come together to create a story that is not only informative but altogether enjoyable to read. Readers get an in-depth look at the differences between renewable and nonrenewable energy, the science behind the water cycle, and the power of a wind turbine. As renewable energy becomes more prevalent around the world, this volume shares increasingly relevant information in an engaging, easy-to-follow format that readers will love.

Energy is all around us. Food and sleep are the fuels our bodies use to create the energy we need to move, talk, and think. But scientists tell us some of the fuels that keep our homes and businesses running, power our transportation, and keep us safe are hurting Earth. Learn why energy companies are working to come up with cleaner ways to supply oil and gas, how fuels in the future will be safer for Earth, and what you can do now to use energy wisely. Book features: Table of Contents; Glossary; For More Information including books and web sites; Index; photos and captions; charts and graphs; source notes.

One of the greatest challenges facing our environment today is pollution and carbon emissions from our increasing demand for energy. Also faced with finite fossil fuel sources, renewable energy technologies are being developed to be sustainable both in their source and for our environment. This book discusses the history of alternative and renewable energy sources, such as wind, wave, and solar power, through to cutting-edge developments, including their technological, social, and economic challenges.

What makes our car go and our lights glow? Energy! Learn about clean, renewable power made by the sun, wind, water, and the earth.