The following clean energy leaders have recently joined the FIT Coalition’s Board of Advisors: Josh Becker, General Partner, New Cycle Capital; John Geesman, Former California Energy Commissioner (2002-2008) and Co-Chair of the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE); Dr. Dan Kammen, Distinguished Professor of Energy, University of California, Berkeley; and Terry Tamminen, Former Secretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency and Special Advisor to California Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The four individuals join the original six members of the Board of Advisors to provide guidance and advice on the FIT Coalition’s mission to implement clean energy policy throughout the United States; at the local, state, and federal level.
In announcing the additions to the FIT Coalition’s Board of Advisors, Executive Director Craig Lewis remarked: “With the help of these distinguished advisors, the FIT Coalition will be more effective than ever in advancing global best-practices that achieve a robust clean energy economy throughout the United States. The FIT Coalition is grateful to have the unsurpassed expertise of this group guiding its work.”
“When the FIT Coalition asked me to join their Board of Advisors, I did not hesitate. I had recently completed a study on the economic benefits of a feed-in tariff specifically designed for the Wholesale Distributed Generation (WDG) market segment, which is defined as renewable energy projects up to 20 megawatts in size. My finding concluded that a policy focused on this segment would have unparalleled economic benefits to the state including the creation of hundreds of thousands of jobs, over 2 billion in tax revenue, and stimulating tens of billions more in new investment. By joining the FIT Coalition Board of Advisors, I will help amplify the voices in support of enacting strong clean energy policies across this country,” explained Dr. Dan Kammen of Distinguished Professor of Energy in the Energy and Resources Group, UC Berkeley.
Terry Tamminen, Former Secretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency and Special Advisor to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, explains why he accepted the invitation to join the FIT Coalition Board of Advisors, “The FIT Coalition is working on numerous fronts to defend and enhance distributed renewable energy generation. This burgeoning clean energy segment will be the key to California reaching its RPS goals on time. In California, the Coalition is also working towards enacting a more robust feed-in tariff policy, which will significantly grow the Wholsale DG market segment while providing a huge boost in employment and tax revenue for California. I am more than willing to contribute to furthering the outstanding work of the FIT Coalition.”
“As a former California Energy Commissioner, I know how critical it is to fight for good policy at the regulatory level. I was impressed this summer by how the FIT Coalition was able to organize so many organizations, companies, and individuals in fighting for distributed generation in some otherwise obscure regulatory venues. We need the FIT Coalition to keep fighting these battles, and I am delighted to share my guidance to enhance their efforts,” remarked former California Energy Commissioner John Geesman on his appointment to the Board of Advisors.
“Given that feed-in tariffs have driven the majority of renewable energy deployments in the world, I have every expectation that the FIT Coalition’s proposed Renewable Energy and Economic Stimulus Act, known as the REESA feed-in tariff, will expand the renewable energy market in California by an order of magnitude. The investment opportunities represented by this expansion are unparalleled, and the ensuing investments will drive what could easily prove to be California’s greatest economic growth and job creation engine of all time. As a venture capitalist in the clean tech space, I know that policy innovation and technology innovation go hand-in-hand. For anyone who knows what the FIT Coalition is doing, it is easy to understand why it has my full support,” says Josh Becker, General Partner of New Cycle Capital.
The original Board of Advisors includes: Jeff Anderson, Executive Director, Clean Economy Network; Jeff Brothers, CEO, Sol Orchard; Patricia Glaza, Executive Director, Clean Technology & Sustainable Industries; L. Hunter Lovins, President, Natural Capitalism Solutions; Jim Weldon, CEO, Solar Junction Corporation; and R. James Woolsey, Venture Partner, VantagePoint Venture Partners and former Director CIA.
The FIT Coalition is a leading force in replicating feed-in tariffs. Its mission is to identify and advocate for policies that will accelerate the deployment of cost-effective renewable energy. The FIT Coalition believes the right policies will result in a timely transition to renewable energy while yielding tremendous economic benefits, including new job creation, increased tax revenue, and the establishment of an economic foundation that will drive growth for decades. The FIT Coalition is active at the national, state, and municipal levels.
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