Douglas Arent 
OUR RENEWABLE ENERGY FUTURE [EPUB ebook] 
The Remarkable Story of How Renewable Energy Will Become the Basis for Our Lives

Our Renewable Energy Future delves into the clean energy technology evolution and where our energy system is going. While the book’s foundation is technology innovation, it brings a unique perspective that technology alone is not what has brought about the explosive growth of renewable energy and offers fresh insights into how technology, economics, social dynamics, policy, and geopolitics are forces affecting our energy future. This book is a culmination of Dr Arent’s lifelong passion for energy, sustainable development, and renewable energy technology. It covers the journey of evolving technology, economics, political economy and geopolitics of clean energy over the last 40 years and provides insights for the coming decades. From a technology perspective, the book traces the arc of recent innovations and synthesizes innovations across multiple interacting perspectives into a description of Our Renewable Energy Future.

Contents:

• Preamble and Thesis


• Prologue


• About the Author


• Acknowledgements


• List of Figures


• Abbreviations


• Introduction


• Phase I: Promises — The Technologies of Tomorrow (1950s–1980s):
  
  
  
  • Key Themes
  
  
  • Technology ‘Discovery’ and Very Early Niche Markets
  
  
  • Factors
  
  


• Phase II: Inching Along — Early Commercialization (1990s–2000):
  
  
  
  • Key Themes
  
  
  • Factors
  
  


• Phase III: From Problem Child to Problem Solver — The Era of Exponential Growth (2000–2020):
  
  
  
  • Key Themes
  
  
  • Factors
  
  
  • Economics
  
  
  • Policy Dynamics
  
  


• Phase IV: Dominance — From Petro to Electro (2020+):
  
  
  
  • Key Themes
  
  
  • The Convergence of Factors
  
  
  • Clean Electricity is the Backbone of Our Clean-Energy Economy
  
  
  • Economics/Finance: From Competitive to Mainstream Policy/Regulatory (Local, National, and Global)
  
  
  • Knowledge ((Models, Tools & Data for Planning & Operations and Business Models)
  
  
  • Social Willingness
  
  
  • Institutional Willingness and Political Economy Dynamics
  
  


• Phase V: Beyond 2050 — A Global Net-Zero Energy Economy (2050+):
  
  
  
  • Final Reflections and Our Call to Action
  
  


• Appendices:




• List of Publications by the Author (as of June 2023)


• Solar Energy: Can It Be Used Effectively?




• References


• Index

Readership: Academia: undergraduate and graduate students, research staff. Industry: energy sector, vehicles/transportation, oil and gas. NGOs and governments: policy and program leaders, advocates. Consultancies: practitioners, consultants, advisors. Lay readers interested in our collective energy future.

‘An invaluable resource to understand that we have the knowledge, tools, and technologies to transform our energy system to realize our climate change goals while assuring security, growth and jobs. It is a must read for all who are serious about leading transformational change for our energy future.’ – Klaus Schwab Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum

‘A huge ‘thank you’ is in order to Doug Arent, who over his career has been a key architect of the analysis, design, and deployment of clean energy technologies. In Our Renewable Energy Future, he makes an exceptionally important case for the overwhelming benefits and the increasing ease of implementing and profiting from a clean energy economy at levels from households to nations to the globe.’ – Dan Kammen Professor of Sustainability, University of California, Berkeley, and Former Science Envoy, US State Department

‘Doug Arent’s story is indeed remarkable: He takes us beyond the despair and gloom of climate change to a world of abundance and possibility. This isn’t a fictional story but a way of thinking that combines technology, economics, policy and new ways of creating knowledge itself.’ – Richard Kauffman Chair, Generate Capital

‘Doug Arent has actively sought to understand and help to shape the nation’s clean energy transition and has been both an on-field player and occupant of a front-row seat for the transformation of technologies from dreams to reality. Our Renewable Energy Future brings a unique vantage point to explain key elements of that transformation in ways accessible to the interested and reasonably informed layperson, with analytic rigor and expert insights based on decades of work. This book is a must-read for anyone wanting to know where we’ve come and where we’re going in our renewable energy transition. ‘ – Sue Tierney Senior Advisor, Analysis Group Former Assistant Secretary for Policy, US Department of Energy Chair of Board Resources for the Future and Vice Chair of the Board, World Resources Institute

‘Doug Arent offers us a remarkable perspective on the (r)evolution of our energy system, now in full swing. A truly inspiring read, leaving us with renewed optimism and excitement that a sustainable and renewable future is now within reach.’ – Vincent Petit Senior Vice President, Energy Transition, Sustainability Research Institute, Schneider Electric

‘A captivating and well-written history and future of renewable energy. A must-read book for all interested in a visionary view of our common energy future, what would need to be done and how this would be possible.’ – Prof. Dr. Dr.h.c. Nebojsa Nakicenovic Vice Chair, Group of Chief Scientific Advisors, European Commission Distinguished Emeritus Scholar and Former Deputy Director General, IIASA Former Professor of Energy Economics, Vienna University of Technology

‘Doug Arent is the perfect person to have written such an exceptional book on our renewable energy future. His leadership at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and his prominent role in prestigious think tanks dealing with this subject have enabled him to provide insight well beyond technological developments into policy, economic considerations and even geopolitics. It is a spectacular read!’ – Clint Vince, Esq. Chair, Energy, Dentons US LLP

‘This is the right book at the right time for our collective energy and climate challenges, and Doug is the right person to have pulled it together. It is simultaneously optimistic and realistic and required reading for those of us who want to make the energy system better.’ – Michael Webber Josey Centennial Professor in Energy Resources, University of Texas at Austin

‘We are witnessing an historic transition from fossil-fuel-based energy to a new world of renewables, driven by a surge in technology, the demand for energy security and environmental pressure. The shift, while inexorable, can come none too soon: without it, we will be subject to the increasingly dire consequences of global warming, which will only be forestalled with a quick transition. In this comprehensive and masterfully written book, replete with details and examples, Doug Arent presents the history of his field from the perspective of someone who has not only lived through it but helped drive it. It is a valuable read for both the informed policymaker who must understand the history of the sector to effectively shape its future, as well as the lay reader who seeks to be informed about this most fundamental driver of our world: the energy system and its renewable transition.’ – Jonathan Pershing Former US Special Envoy for Climate Change

‘With renewable energy capacity globally set to continue its near-exponential growth, there is need for a more holistic understanding of the evolution of clean energy technology and our future energy system. In his new book Our Renewable Energy Future: The Remarkable Story of How Renewable Energy Will Become the Basis for Our Lives, Arent demonstrates his flair for systems thinking by explaining, easily and accessibly, the complex interaction of technology, economics, social dynamics, policy and geopolitics shaping the transition to a clean energy future. A timely book for anyone interested in a world powered by more renewable energy.’ – Lawrence Jones Senior Vice President, EEI Editor, Renewable Energy Integration (1st and 2nd editions)

‘Our Renewable Energy Future is an exceptional book that encapsulates the collaborative evolution of this sector, from Dr. Elliot Berman’s Exxon-supported solar cell innovation to today’s global industry, including the Internet of Things and Blockchain. It highlights the crucial roles of academia, entrepreneurs, financiers, regulators and policy makers in this organic growth. Balancing intricate technical discussions with real-world experiences, Doug Arent’s book provides a compelling analytical framework and rich storytelling. Its insightful policy recommendations make it a must-read guide for policy makers to understand and contribute to a net-zero world. This book is a testament to the power of collective endeavor in realizing the potential of renewable energy, serving as an inspirational blueprint for future advancements.’ – Leonardo Beltran Former Deputy Secretary of Planning and Energy Transition, Government of Mexico Distinguished Visiting Fellow, Center on Global Energy Policy, Columbia University

‘Doug Arent is a global leader advancing gigaton solutions to clean energy deployment. He is the consummate collaborator, identifying technologies when they show promise and joining them with market solutions for deployment. His abilities to create action among key players, institutions and new actors is legend. Doug foments creativity and responsiveness. His opinions influence capital, corporations and governments. His book capturing insights and strategies from decades at the center of clean energy and development is a must-read for those who believe that speed and scale matter, and that our planet and people will all be better as a result of our renewable energy future.’ – Jeff Weiss Executive Chairman, Distributed Sun and tru Current

‘A wealth of thoughtful perspectives and key information on the birth and growth of modern renewable energy from a top player who has seen it all. Our Renewable Energy Future provides critical insights into the coming decades and how renewable energy might finally realize its massive potential to address the climate crisis and advance the economy for people and the planet.’ – Dan Reicher Former US Assistant Secretary of Energy for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Former Director of Climate and Energy Initiatives, Google Senior Scholar, Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability

Key Features:

• Explores the climate mitigation perspective, and the necessary fundamental transformation of our energy system toward one that does not emit greenhouse gases or have detrimental environmental impacts on land, air, water, and people


• Builds on topical issues, particularly the energy crisis as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and the use of energy as a strategic, economic and political weapon


• Provides reflections from the 1970s oil embargo and prior ‘energy crises’ which were in fact the result of political actions, not lack of molecules, and offers a stark reminder of the potential weaponization of energy and an enhanced recognition of its critical role in life


• Emphasizes the need to rethink globalization from a geopolitical and economic standpoint