Posted by: Seth Masia, SOLAR TODAY in policy, media, May 2009, investing, events on May 6, 2009
Jigar Shah, founder of SunEdison, says the theme of his keynote talk will be that "We got everything we want except respect."
Shah explains that a progressive administration and energy-minded Congress are happy to provide incentives and stimulus funds to promote solar energy projects. But in spite of a seven-year track record of 40 percent annual growth, Washington officials still don't regard solar industries as grown-up, responsible businesses that can meet their targets.
Even conservative growth curve projections suggest that renewables can displace coal-fired power generation within a reasonable time scale, Shah says, but planning officials don't trust those numbers enough to bet on any staged phase-out of fossil fuels.
Come hear Shah's provocative talk during the Opening Plenary session of SOLAR 2009 at Buffalo's Convention Center, at 8:30 am on Wednesday, May 13. To register go to SOLAR2009.org.