The Energy & environment Partnership between Sweden and California: MoU on Fuels and Energy

The Energy and Environment Partnership between Sweden and California: MoU on Fuels and Energy

With local, national and international news focused on the environment, Anna Carin Thomér blogs about California and Sweden partnership on energy through the Memorandum of Understanding on Renewable Fuels and Energy, signed in 2006. California has the toughest environmental legislation in the USA to decrease emissions of greenhouse gases and increase the use of renewable energy - California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (abbreviated AB 32) The legislation poses a great challenge on both agencies, utilities and other companies. There is an intense search for new solutions in energy and environment technologies.

The MoU is an active partnership with delegations going between Sweden and California. The initial focus has been on biogas as an alternative fuel for cars. Different stakeholders in California i.e. utilities, waste-to-energy companies, ranches and dairy farms are interested in Swedish knowledge in this area. Other areas of interest are energy efficiency, sustainable transportation and sustainable building and construction. The Consulate General of Sweden has arranged a series of roundtables on waste, water, renewable energy and sustainable transportation with visiting Swedish companies. The Swedish American Chamber of Commerce recently organized their annual Entrepreneurial Days in San Diego during which a separate Energy program was held in cooperation with the Consulate.

Global warming is what’s driving the energy policy in California. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has been exceptionally interested in energy policy. A problem for sustainable energy has been in its economic viability in relation to fossil-fuel energy. As the price of coal is relatively cheaper in the USA today, it’s not been profitable for energy companies to pursue sustainable energy. However, with a 25% reduction of CO2 emissions by 2020, starting already by the year 2012, companies are now forced to look at renewable energy. California has a large resource of waste. Increased electricity prices make waste-to-energy production more profitable. Higher fuel prices also increase costs for transportation of waste to landfills. Sweden has a long experience of using waste toward energy, and we’re finding that Swedish companies can offer a great deal to California in this respect.