As it gets ready to host the Clean Power Asia conference that will take place in Bangkok between June 28 and 30, Thailand is keen to make sure everyone knows it is committed to switching to clean, alternative energy.

“Thailand is committed to the Low-Carbon pathway, as stated in the new National Economic and Social Development Plan (11th plan), due to the fact that Thailand is a net-importer of fossil fuels”, said Dr. Twarath Sutabutr, Deputy Director-General, Department of Alternative Energy Development and Efficiency, in Thailand’s Ministry of Energy. “The only way to be independent from the importation is to go along the “Green and Clean Energy” corridor, including Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency and maybe Nuclear Energy”.

The Ministry of Energy says there is a practical link between the country’s agriculture and domestic energy needs. Since the conference takes place in Thailand’s capital, it will be making the most of it to display its green track record and investment opportunities in the country.

The event expects to receive 300 delegates who will converge in Bangkok to hear from power experts from more than 14 countries in the region who will report on projects in Thailand, Singapore, Korea, China, the Philippines, India, Australia, Indonesia, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Malaysia, India, Pakistan and Iran.

Mixed bag
Thailand’s clean energy investment opportunities are likely to be welcomed and slated on equal measures.

The good news is that it includes solar cells as the country moves towards solar power electricity. The Ministry says that much of Thailand’s solar-panels are made for export, but these days solar energy development also offers great potential for filling a domestic energy demand, particularly in remote rural and mountainous regions.

Wind power is also on the bill as the Thai government offers subsidies for electricity produced by wind power. The Ministry cites the example of a tapioca flour processing plant where wind displaced 8,000 liters/day of oil in the production process, achieving 40% savings in production costs.

Some environmentalists may raise an issue with plans for ethanol and biodiesel, though.

On the ethanol front, the Energy Ministry has short listed 15 local biomass power plants for foreign company investment, under the United Nations’ Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) of the Kyoto Protocol. Biomass plants often raise concerns in terms of toxic pollution it can cause and the impact on employment rates in the recycling sector.

As to biodiesel, the government has a target of 4.25 million litres/day of biodiesel, for a 7% consumption substitute of diesel by the year 2011. The trouble is that the intended raw material for this type of energy is palm oil, the bête noire of green groups such as Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth and Palm Oil Action Group. Palm oil crops are said to drive deforestation (thus causing emissions) and destroy the habitats of endangered species such as orang-utans and elephants.

The mention of nuclear as part of ‘clean energy’ mix is set to raise a few eyebrows as well.

Article by Antonio Pasolini, a Brazilian writer and video art curator based in London, UK. He holds a BA in journalism and an MA in film and television.

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Recently, China has been working hard to reverse their image as the world’s most polluted country and the world’s biggest emitter of greenhouse gases. A recent study revealed that they are now the world’s leader in clean energy efforts, leaving other more-developed countries far behind.

The report, which was sponsored by Australia’s Climate Institute think tank, revealed that China is leading the world in renewable energy efforts and is making significant strides toward reducing pollution in their country and around the world.

One major reason China has been named a leader in green energy is because of their efforts to cut pollution from the electricity generation process. The electricity generation process can be blamed for much of the pollution in China, as well as around the world. They are doing this mainly by offering incentives to the people who are responsible for manufacturing the resource. They award incentives, often in cash form, to manufacturers who develop low-carbon ways of developing electricity.

China is second only to Great Britain when it comes to their efforts to cut pollution from the electricity generation process. China’s efforts are estimated at US $14.20 per ton of carbon while Great Britain’s efforts are estimated at US $29.30 per ton of carbon.

Countries lagging far behind China and Great Britain in their efforts to clean up the electricity generation process are Japan, Australia, the U.S and South Korea. Together, these countries account for about half of the world’s emissions per year.

Overall, China is the leader when it comes to clean energy investments at the global level. In 2009, China’s investment in green energy was over $35 billion. The United States and Britain both came in way below China in clean energy investments, contributing $18 and $11 respectively.

Most of China’s clean energy investment money went toward their commitment to shutting down more than 100 small coal-fired power plants. They want to shut down these plants and replace them with cleaner coal stations, which they state will reduce emissions by 15 percent.

They are also investing their money in numerous other green energy development products and have made a goal to generate 15 percent of China’s total energy from green sources by the year 2020.

There is no telling how China’s investment in green energy will affect energy consumers or power companies around the world. Consumers will just have to wait and see how China’s money will affect the environment as well as energy availability and cost in the coming years.

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The coming decade is expected to attract $245 billion in new clean energy investments, but unless more aggressive policies are adopted, the US could leave nearly another $100 billion on the table. So says a report released last week from the Pew Charitable Trusts and Bloomberg New Energy Finance.

Aptly titled Global Clean Power: A $2.3 Trillion Opportunity (pdf), the study examines the market potential for clean energy over the coming decade. Focusing on G20 countries, the report indicates a huge opportunity will be lost by pursuing a “business as usual approach.” In that scenario, the G20 stands to gain an estimated  $1.7 trillion dollars in clean energy investment by 2020.

If a more aggressive push for clean energy policies are adopted, the report says, that figure could rise by as much as another $600 billion, to $2.3 trillion worth of investment in G20 countries over the next 10 years. According to the study, the United States, India, and the United Kingdom have most to gain from adopting a more aggressive clean energy policies. In the U.S. clean power investment could range from $245 billion to $342 billion, depending on the level of policy support. In all scenarios, says the report, much of the clean energy investments “shift to Asia, led by dramatic increases in China and India.” India is a big winner, in terms of projected clean energy expansion. Even with current policies, India’s clean power market is forecast to grow by 369 percent. With the adoption of more aggressive policies, that rate balloons to 763 percent, the report says.

If China takes an even more bold stance, they could see another $620 billion in clean energy investment. And it is with China that the report reflects recent warnings to U.S. policymakers about China’s growing dominance in clean energy investment. Energy Secretary Steven Chu recently cautioned that the United States has come upon a “Sputnik moment” on clean energy, and risks losing a “clean energy race” with China unless more stable, aggressive, and forward-looking policies are adopted.

“America still has the opportunity to lead the world in a new industrial revolution and secure our future prosperity”, said Chu at the National Press Club in Washington, “but time is running out. Federal support of scientific R&D is critical to our economic competitiveness.”

Senator Inhofe doesn’t buy it – pushes for more of the same

Oklahoma Senator James Inhofe, renowned for his dogged denial of climate change, released his own report as ranking member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, asserting the Obama administration and “environmentalist” claims of China’s push for clean energy at the expense of the U.S. are “concocted” in an attempt to promote cap-and-trade, clean energy mandates, and “greater government control of the economy.”

Inhofe sees a world of “business as usual” as the solution for the United States’ energy future, and for, if anything, a less aggressive approach toward clean energy and a renewed dependence on fossil and nuclear energy.

“China is winning the global economic race by embracing the reality that fossil fuels, along with nuclear power, will remain the dominant energy sources for the foreseeable future. They will be the engines of growth, and those that possess them, and use them responsibly, will lead the world in technological innovation and economic might,” Inhofe says in his report.

And so we find ourselves at at crossroads, whether it is time to embrace the future or cling to the past.

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The Monterey Bay International Trade Association, TradePort and California’s Global Trade Community invite you to the Global Smart Energy- Bilateral Trade and Investment Opportunities conference on November 13, 2009.

Featuring several clean tech experts hailing from Chevron Energy Service (CES), the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC), NASA and other small business sectors, the conference will discuss the obstacles and business opportunities faced in the emerging “smart grid” industry.

Following President Obama’s announcement of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) Smart Grid Investment Grant awards totaling $3.4 billion on October 27, 2009, which will drive the development and deployment of the “smart grid”, this conference will discuss the possible investment opportunities for the U.S. and VC companies, both in the domestic and international “smart grid” arena, focusing on the small-medium enterprises.

The Global Smart Energy — Bilateral Trade and Investment Opportunities conference will highlight the need for changes in the energy sector in order to keep up with the anticipated energy renovations. There are still plenty of technology research and development needed to meet the demands of the future electric power grid.

The conference will also discuss the latest news in renewable energy development in transportation, including using wind and solar energy in electric vehicles. The conference will further cover the emergence of “Micro Grids” and how they power their respective communities and save energy by selling back the excess to their energy utility, as well as discussing the efficiencies that will come from “Micro Grids” and how they promote cooperation to maintain a mutual and beneficial financial relationship.

Register here for this event. CleanTechies is proud to be official media partner for this event.

Be sure to check out other Clean Tech events & conferences in the CleanTechies Events Calendar!

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In a sign of the growing importance of renewable sources of energy, global investment in wind power, solar power, and other alternative forms of energy last year exceeded investments in coal, oil, and carbon-based energy for the first time.

The United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) reported that in 2008, 56 percent of all money invested in the energy sector went to green sources of power, with $140 billion in investments in renewable energy compared to $110 billion in fossil fuel technologies. Wind power attracted the most investment, with $51.8 billion worldwide, while investments in solar power rose 49 percent to $33.5 billion, UNEP reported. Investment in geothermal energy rose most rapidly, increasing 149 percent over 2007, to $2.2 billion. China drove much of the growth in investment in renewable sources, particularly in wind power.

Despite booming investment in green energy, the renewable sector still only accounts for 6.2 percent of total power generating capacity.

This article originally appeared on Yale Environment 360 at http://e360.yale.edu

[photo: flickr/fatboyke]

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