The American Energy Innovation Council, just launched  in Washington, D.C., wants Congress and the Obama administration to increase the minimum level of investments in clean energy research, development and deployment (RD&D) from $5 billion to $16 billion annually. About $1 billion of the total should support the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy, or ARPA-E, which Congress authorized without an initial budget but the Obama administration funded with $400 million from the federal stimulus package last year.

“We know from our business experience that if you only give a fraction of what’s required to be a success, you will not be a success,” said council member Chad Holliday, chairman of Bank of America Corp. and former CEO of E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co.

Joining Holliday, Gates and Immelt on the seven-member council are former Lockheed Martin Corp. Chairman Norm Augustine, Xerox Corp. Chairman and CEO Ursula Burns, Cummins Inc. Chairman and CEO Tim Solso, and noted energy venture capitalist John Doerr, a partner with Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers. The business heavyweights are slated to meet with President Obama and congressional lawmakers later today, Holliday said.

In addition to calling for more clean-tech funding — which should be spread across nuclear fission, solar, wind and fossil fuels and other energy technologies — the council wants Congress to create an energy strategy board. The independent board would be charged with developing and monitoring a national energy plan for Congress and the White House, as well as overseeing what the executives call a new “Energy Challenge Program” for large-scale demonstration projects.

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DUPONT INCREASING ALTERNATIVE ENERGY INVESTMENT

DuPont is accelerating its investments, driving innovation and commercializing market-leading products all to capitalize on significant market opportunities in the alternative energy sector, DuPont Executive Vice President and Chief Innovation Officer Thomas M. Connelly told investors at the recent Credit Suisse Future of Energy Conference.

Generating and storing renewable sources of energy will be the fastest growing sector in the energy market for the next 20 years,” said Connelly.  “DuPont has a strong renewable product portfolio and is applying the power of its science to address finding secure, environmentally sustainable and affordable energy sources.  Today we have over $2 billion of sales from products that serve alternative energy markets such as photovoltaics, biomaterials, fuel cell components, lightweight composites for transportation and energy-efficient materials.”

DuPont expects its photovoltaic sales to grow over 50 percent in 2010, and to exceed $2 billion by 2014.  The company’s continued growth is supported by new innovations that improve module efficiency and lifetime while enabling new photovoltaic technologies and applications, which ultimately accelerate the industry’s drive to bring costs in line with other forms of energy.

“Through investments in materials, technology development and manufacturing, DuPont is accelerating its ability to deliver innovations that will improve the lifetime and efficiency of photovoltaic modules,” said Connelly.  “DuPont is uniquely positioned to bring new, advanced technologies for future growth in traditional crystalline silicon and emerging thin film photovoltaic segments.  We also are investing in greater production capability to help keep pace with the fast rising global demand.” 

Connelly also provided an update on the company’s rapid commercialization strategy in its Applied BioSciences business for a diverse portfolio of high-performance, renewable products.

“We are delivering solutions for renewable energy, renewably sourced materials and other bio-based technologies that are in high demand by the markets we serve,” Connelly said.  “Today, DuPont is in a strong leadership position with a robust pipeline of products, capacity expansions and partnerships to create global reach.  We have ambitious targets and our pace is accelerating to deliver these products to the marketplace.”

WESTERN SLOPE GETS $4.9 MILLION RECOVERY ACT GRANT FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY  

Gov. Bill Ritter praised a $4.9 million grant from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for energy efficiency improvements in Eagle, Pitkin and Gunnison counties. The Western Slope project was one of 20 local community initiatives awarded funds today by the U.S. Department of Energy.

“Colorado communities are making great strides to reduce energy consumption through partnerships and innovative financing solutions,” Gov. Ritter said. “The Recovery Act is helping towns and cities across Colorado advance their energy goals and create jobs and a better future for generations to come.”

The new grant is part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program, through which millions of dollars have already been awarded to larger communities in Colorado. The $60 million awarded today across the country were for local governments, nonprofit organizations and quasi-governmental organizations that were not eligible for previously awarded block grants. 

The $4.9 million grant to Eagle, Pitkin and Gunnison counties was one of the largest of the 20 awarded across the country. The three counties will use the Recovery Act funds for residential and commercial energy efficiency retrofits using a financing system - approved by local voters in 2009 - known as the Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) program. 

Colorado expects to receive at least $7.1 billion in Recovery Act funds over the life of the Act.