Update: U.S. Dept of Energy int'l clean energy announcements + 2 key jobs

In the spirit of access and transparency in the new year, I am striving to improve the flow of information about activities at the Department of Energy related to the domestic policy & international affairs team. Here is some of the latest:

1. Energy Technology Action Plans now available from the Major Economies Forum

2. Open Labs releases valuable tools and resources

3. Climate REDI initiative for international deployment

4. Key posts open: CTO and Policy Advisor for the renewable & efficiency portfolio at DOE

I hope these pulses are helpful to your own work as a leading light in the field, and I look forward to connecting again soon.

Happy New Year!
Holmes

1. Technology Action Plans

Leaders of the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate (MEF), representing the 17 largest economies of the world, launched a Global Partnership for low-carbon and climate-friendly technologies in July 2009. As an initial step, they requested a suite of technology action plans that present a menu of potential actions for all countries to consider in pursuit of a low carbon economy. Technologies covered include solar, wind, bioenergy, advanced vehicles, efficiency (buildings and industry), smart grid, marine energy, and carbon capture, use & storage.

http://www.majoreconomiesforum.org/the-global-partnership/

As the next step, participating countries – including the U.S. - will work to develop nationally appropriate portfolios of policies to support innovation, accelerate deployment, and facilitate information sharing about low-carbon technologies. Public review of the action plans is welcome.

2. Open Energy Information platform & U.S. Open Labs: OpenEI.org

Valuable analytic tools and clean energy resources from the U.S. DOE National Labs are now accessible for public use through a new section of the Open Energy Information platform called Open Labs.
http://en.openei.org/wiki/Gateway:U.S._OpenLabs

The announcement was made as part of the Obama Administration’s Open Government Initiative:
http://www.energy.gov/news2009/8381.htm

Experts in the field are welcome to sign up for a login to add content to the broader OpenEI.org platform. Specific feedback on OpenEI.org and OpenLabs is welcome using the Contact Us page on the website.

3. Climate REDI = Renewables and Efficiency Deployment Initiative

In Copenhagen, the DOE Secretary Chu announced a $350 million initiative to benefit developing countries through four programs that will improve solar lighting options for off-grid households, coordinate incentives as well as standards and labeling for super-efficient equipment and appliances, establish an online information platform for clean energy technologies, and scale-up renewable energy deployment:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/fact-sheet-clean-energy-techn...

4. CTO and Policy Advisor positions for DOE’s Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy office

Please help ensure the best candidates in the country are aware that the U.S. Department of Energy is accepting applications for two key posts – with one of them closing next week!

Chief Technology Officer / Senior Policy Advisor (EERE) – closes 1/31/10
http://jobview.usajobs.gov/getjob.aspx?JobID=85058590

Technical Policy Advisor (EERE) – closes 1/11/10
http://jobview.usajobs.gov/GetJob.aspx?JobID=85207056

About Holmes Hummel

My portfolio as the Senior Policy Advisor in the Dept of Energy’s Office of Policy & International Affairs spans technology policy issues at the international, federal, state, and local levels, and I am privileged to work in partnership with policy advisors specializing in specific technical topics across the department. You are welcome to reach me anytime with official inquiries at nt DOE address (holmes.hummel@hq.doe.gov), and I am always delighted to hear news from friends at my personal email address (holmes.hummel@gmail.com).