...COMPETITIVE STRATEGIES AND GOVERNMENT POLICIES Competitive Strategies and Government Policies PLACE INTRODUCTION HERE – WENDY Solar energy is one of the cleanest energy sources available and some of the richest resources in the world. With modern technology the solar energy can be harnessed for many different uses from providing electric, to heating and cooling, even heating up water for domestic, commercial, or industrial use. The solar market faces both challenges and opportunities; the industry is working to scale up production of solar technology. Solar energy can be stored in what they call solar cells which are then made into large panels. By catching the solar rays the sun puts out including the suns heat it gives off it can be all used to provide all of us with the resources we need each day. Some utility-scale solar plants can store energy produced for use, and set it to be used after the sun sets in the evening. PLACE RAYKEYIA’S INPUT HERE Since the solar industry is now a big market that is propagating at a rapid past, it has also had a great impact on the economy. Companies and manufacturers in the USA that can be identified in this market are First Solar, Sun Power, United Solar Ovonic and many others that helping in the trend of solar energy. According to SEIA.com, the Solar Foundation's Solar Job Census 2012, there are more than 119,000 solar workers in the U.S., a 13.2 percent increase over employment totals in 2011. These workers are employed...
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...economy is the clean energy economy, consisting primarily of four sectors: renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, geothermal); green building and energy efficiency technology; energy-efficient infrastructure and transportation; and recycling and waste-to-energy. 1 The green economy is not just about the ability to produce clean energy, but also technologies that allow cleaner production processes, as well as the growing market for products which consume less energy, from fluorescent lightbulbs to organic and locally produced food. Thus, it might include products, processes, and services that reduce environmental impact or improve natural resource use. 2 Our review of 25 regional and national reports on the green economy (see Further Reading) found that though few bother to define the green economy, all agree that clean energy is its core. The reports vary in how much they emphasize environmental and/or job quality. The switch to clean energy will of course improve environmental quality by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and impact sustainability by reducing energy use. However, just 16 of the reports mention transportation and infrastructure as part of the green economy, despite the key role of built form and city planning in shaping energy use. Only the reports by Apollo Alliance, Green for All, and the Center on Wisconsin Strategy focus on job quality, typically defined as well-paid jobs with benefits and opportunities for advancement...
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...been known as a place where people could fulfill their hopes and dreams by finding jobs that were readily available. These jobs not only fulfilled such high American hopes and dreams, but also became a big factor in increasing economic activity. However, during the past decade, economic activity has suffered and fallen. The fall of economic activity led to economic recession. Manufacturing companies expanded their production overseas to get cheaper labor. Today, finding work in America has become very challenging, but it does not mean that America is no longer the place of hopes and dreams that it once was. To make dreams and hopes come true, Americans need a stable income. Even though creating jobs to fulfill this need has becomes more difficult throughout the years, America still provides this hope, despite its limited resources. Such natural resources include sunlight, wind, water, biomass, and geothermal energy. These renewable resources can replace carbon resources and that is why our government promotes these green investments. Al Gore understands our economic situation, so he has proposed a plan that can solve our current financial crisis. He believes that if we save the environment, our economy also can be saved. In this paper, I will argue that focusing investments heavily on our natural resources will attract investors and create jobs. Promoting green technology and investing in clean energy technologies and green programs will not only create a better environment, but equally...
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...Costumers are facing serious problems if they want to “go green” and economical. For example, there are a few opportunities on the market to choose from economical and environment-friendly cars, but there are not many places to refuel them, which make people change their desires, go buying the ecofriendly cars. There is no benefit of having a car if you cannot drive it everywhere. This makes the manufacturers to suffer, and being stuck with inventory and no opportunity to sell or extend their productions. In order to solve the problem, Clean Energy Fuels Corp. and Navistar International partnered up with the plan to create America’s Natural Gas Highway. This would be the first network of natural gas fueling stations across the United States. The first steps to accomplished this goal is to coordinate relationships between a truck maker, fuel supplier, a truck stop chain, and natural gas driller. Clean Energy Fuels Corp. and Navistar International shared the plan with the Pilot Flying J Travel Centers, which is the largest network of truck and travel shops. The company will provide the service locations where the trucks could be refueled. America’s Natural Gas Highway also includes Chesapeake, the gas drilling company that would provide fuel to Clean Energy. Navistar will sell the best in-class natural gas (LNG) truck fleets to the consumer that are in contract with the Clean Energy; providing the fuel. Pilot Flying J Travel Centers will provide the locations, and Chesapeake drills the...
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...Introduction The energy and economic crisis has intensified the search for viable alternative power source. The search has opened the door for new business opportunities, for instance; the development and installation of wind turbines; electric vehicle charging stations; and a myriad of solar business opportunities. There are several solar industry opportunities to choose from; retail and wholesale distribution, after-market products, installation and repair, and other service oriented businesses. To aid in our entrepreneurial decision making in entering the solar industry, we have researched the following macroeconomic areas; GDP growth rate, interest rates, level of unemployment, business cycle, fiscal policy, monetary policy, international trade, and demographics. GDP Growth Rate Graph 1 Graph 1 For over fifty years the most widely accepted measure of a country’s economic progress have been the changes in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). GDP is a calculation of market output, adding together the price of all final goods and services that are produced and traded for currency within one year. It is measured by combining the nation’s personal consumption expenses, government expenditures, net exports, and net capital formation (GDP, n.d.) Graph 2 Graph 2 The United States by far is the GDP leader in the world with a GDP of $16.8 trillion in 2013, ahead of China’s $9.2 Trillion and just below the entire European Union with an estimate $17.4 trillion GDP. This is an...
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...Will Alternative Energy Technology bring the Greenback to Michigan’s Economy? By Sherry Underwood 28, November 2010 “The opportunity to create new Michigan jobs rests overwhelmingly with the clean energy, green-collar economy. We know the combination of these targeted efforts, coupled with the determination of Michigan’s workers’ to embrace the green economy, will help transform our state.” Michigan Green Jobs Report 2009 Occupations & Employment in the New Green Economy On Thursday November 18, 2010, Oakland Community Colleges Student LIFE and OCCSustainability groups hosted Stanley “Skip” Pruss at the Smith Theatre on the Orchard Ridge Campus as he presented his lecture Is Sustainability the Key to Michigan’s Economic Recovery?. Mr. Pruss was most recently the director of Michigan’s newly established Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth and Michigan’s Chief Energy Officer, and served as Governor Granholm’s Special Advisor for Renewable Energy and the Environment, as well as the Deputy Director of the Department of Environmental Quality. Mr. Pruss has just been appointed to advise United States Secretary of Energy, Dr. Steven Chu. His lecture, Is Sustainability the Key to Michigan’s Economic Recovery? was warmly received by both students and facility. During the address, Mr. Pruss cited issues other than greenhouse gas emission that threaten our world like, depletion of marine stock, soil erosion, ground water withdrawals, deforestation, and biodiversity loss...
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...A carbon tax is a tax imposed on the carbon content of fuels. It is a form of carbon pricing. Carbon taxes are a possible cost-effective means of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. From an economic outlook, carbon taxes are a type of Pigovian tax.They help to address the problem of emitters of greenhouse gases not face the full social costs of their actions. Carbon taxes can be a degenerating tax, in that it may directly or indirectly affect low-income groups disproportionately. The regressive impact of carbon taxes could be addressed by using tax revenues to favor low-income groups. A number of countries have implemented carbon taxes or energy taxes that are related to carbon content. But some are taxed on energy products and motor vehicles rather than on carbon dioxide directly. In June 2010, Julia Gillard defeated Rudd in a leadership challenge thus becoming Prime Minister of Australia. Shortly afterwards she called a federal election. During the election campaign Gillard stated that she supported a price on carbon emissions and that she would prosecute the case for action for as long as she needed to win community support. However, she also indicated that she would not introduce carbon pricing until there was a sufficient consensus on the issue, and she specifically ruled out the introduction of a "carbon tax".(Paul Kelly and Dennis Shanahan, 2010) When it was introduced on July 1, 2012 its primary goal is to reduce the country’s total emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs)...
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...global trends in sUstainable energy investment 2010 Analysis of Trends and Issues in the Financing of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency United nations environment Programme Endorsed by Copyright © United Nations Environment Programme and New Energy Finance, 2010 This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part and in any form for educational or non-profit purposes without special permission from the copyright holder, provided acknowledgement of the source is made. UNEP would appreciate receiving a copy of any publication that uses this publication as a source. No use of this publication may be made for resale or for any other commercial purpose whatsoever without prior permission in writing from the United Nations Environment Programme. Disclaimer United Nations Environment Programme: The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the United Nations Environment Programme concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. Moreover, the views expressed do not necessarily represent the decision or the stated policy of the United Nations Environment Programme, nor does citing of trade names or commercial processes constitute endorsement. Bloomberg New Energy Finance: The information contained in this publication is derived from carefully selected public...
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...4 Chapter Four Clean Commerce SEEING OPPORTUNITIY THROUGH A SUSTAINABILITY LENS1 We believe that there’s a cure for resource waste that is profitable, creative, and practical. We must create a company that addresses the needs of society and the environment by developing a system of industrial production that decreases our costs and dramatically reduces the burdens placed upon living systems. Ray Anderson, Founder Interface, Inc. Greentech could be the largest economic opportunity of the 21st century. John Doerr Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield, and Byers Results Expected Upon completion of this chapter, you will be able to 1. Discuss the pressures and demands in the marketplace that are driving opportunities for entrepreneurs with an eye toward sustainability. 2. Explain ways that entrepreneurial companies can gain competitive advantage by orienting products and processes that take environmental issues into account. 3. Describe the role that sustainability plays in building dynamic and profitable ventures. 4. Discuss the five facets of looking through a sustainability lens, and describe their impact on opportunity assessment, resources, and the team. 5. Provide insights into and analysis of the Jim Poss case study. Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Clean Commerce Is an Opportunity Sea Change As noted by perhaps the most famous modern venture capitalist in the world, John Doerr, the clean commerce and sustainable enterprise movement is 1 one of the...
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...facilities and other assets in at least one country other than its home country. A successful company understands the meaning of competition which has caused them to actively fight for new markets, products, and services in order to sustain a competitive advantage. A company that has obtained success in its country of origin usually expands their services into the global economy to become an international business. These companies effectively control their financial and material resources by managing economies of scale, low cost production and fluctuations in currency. Human resources are also essential in the making of a successful company by recruiting talented individuals and encouraging innovation within the company. International companies can expand organically, which is a slow process that consists of building the business from ground up, or they can expand inorganically by buying out, or merging with, an existing business. If I had to create a new product idea, I would want to invent a new way to produce cheap efficient energy for the need of the masses. I would expand the company to international status using the inorganic global growth process. Due to advances in technology, and in today’s business market, most businesses have to compete globally. “These companies actively compete for new markets, products, and services in order to develop and sustain competitive advantage in the multinational business world. One advantage a company can obtain over other competitors is recruitment...
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...Chinese Energy Market Michael Alexander Landon Bunn Thomas Burrus Benjamin Duva Marcela Horan Table of Contents: Executive Summary…………………………………………Page 3 Demand for Energy…………………………………………Page 4 Coal and China…………………………………………………Page 6 Solar Energy in China………………………………Page 8 Competition…………………………………………………………Page 9 U.S./China Relations………………………………Page 10 Recommendations……………………………………………Page 14 Joint Ventures………………………………………………Page 15 References…………………………………………………………Page 17 Executive summary As the nation with the world’s largest population moves towards an industry focused on consumer products, the need for an abundant supply of energy becomes essential. While coal and oil are the current sources of energy, concerns about the quantity available and environmental problems force officials in China to look elsewhere for the country’s energy. Nuclear, wind, and hydroelectric power are all options in this field, but solar energy seems to be the most promising. This paper researches the history of energy demand in China and the potential of solar energy. By providing information about competition, the relations between China and the U.S., and methods of entry, we hope to give insight to those interested in entering the Chinese Energy Market. Demand for Energy in China Figure [ 1 ] From the 1940s to the 80s, the Chinese economy grew from an output level of 18% to 44%, while the amount of energy required to match the economic output tripled. This created an...
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...The Importance of Research and Development (R&D) for U.S. Competitiveness and a Clean Energy Future Michael Greenstone June 2011 CEEPR WP 2011-010 A Joint Center of the Department of Economics, MIT Energy Initiative and MIT Sloan School of Management. The Importance of Research and Development (R&D) for U.S. Competitiveness and a Clean Energy Future Michael Greenstone 3M Professor of Economics, MIT Director, The Hamilton Project Senior Fellow, The Brookings Institution Thank you Chair Maloney, Ranking Member Brownback and members of the Committee for inviting me to testify today. I believe it is critically important that we give greater priority to new and better research and development (R&D) investments, to help ensure our country’s future competitiveness and to pave the wave for clean energy innovation. I am grateful for the opportunity to speak today about two interrelated challenges that our country faces. The first is the stagnation in economic opportunity for many families that dates back at least three decades. The second is the economic, national security, and environmental risks posed by our continued reliance on fossil fuels. The key purpose of my testimony is to discuss how R&D can enable us to begin confronting these dual challenges by creating new jobs for American workers, and fundamentally altering the way we produce and consume energy. I. CHALLENGE 1: UNITED STATES COMPETITIVENESS Even before the Great Recession’s arrival, there were legitimate concerns about...
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...Piecing Together a Clean Energy Solution Scientists almost unanimously agree on the facts behind climate change. Global warming and increasing levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide are presently occurring phenomena, with the largest culprit being modern society’s burning of fossil fuels. The opinions and claims emerging from Congress and the White House are much less straight forward. Alongside vocal pushes to replace traditional energy sources with non-carbon sources, opponents to climate change policy have voiced concerns about efficacy and economic costs of proposed legislation. These climate policy opponents form a large enough coalition in Congress to block legislation, shifting the responsibility to handle climate change to the states. State level policies like renewable portfolio standards and financial incentives to invest in clean energy do more to combat climate change than if advocates had continued to pursue federal level legislation. However, the patchwork implementation of climate policies at the state level causes varying levels of action among states, making it difficult to ensure continued emissions reductions for the future. A majority of scientists also predict catastrophic future effects if the world maintains its current trajectory of fossil fuel usage. The resultant “dangerous anthropogenic interference” from carbon emissions could cause a variety of phenomena like rising sea levels and frequent natural disasters which would have massive social and economic...
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...Organizational Context SCGC started back in 1867 when it first installed forty-three gas lamps in Los Angeles, California. At that time the company made the gas from asphaltum, a tar like substance and then later on from oil (History of SOCalGas, 2012). Throughout its 140 year history there have been a series of acquisitions and mergers. The gas lighting business was a promising venture, “until Thomas Edison introduced his new electric light in 1879” (History of SOCalGas, 2012). However, this did not stop SCGC from selling its product; they modified their target market by promoting gas stoves and heaters. In the beginning of the 20th century natural gas was gaining attention, since it was twice as efficient as manufactured gas. The decision was made to, “convert its system to natural gas and build pipelines throughout the state” (History of SOCalGas, 2012). Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, SCGC is the largest supplier of natural gas in the United States. It distributes natural gas to 5.8 million residential, commercial, and industrial meters (20.9 million customers) in more than 500 communities throughout the southern half of California. SoCalGas owns and operates about 97,000 miles of gas distribution mains and service lines, as well as about 4,000 miles of transmission and storage pipeline. The utility also owns gas transmission compressor stations and underground storage facilities (Southern California Gas Company, 2012). It maintains a positive corporate...
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...Some of the critical issues for sustainable development in developing countries and the policies to deal with them include:- • Jobs: Economic recession has caused a lot of unemployment in the developing nations. Labor markets are vital not only for the production and generation of wealth. "Green jobs" are positions in agriculture, industry, services and administration that contribute to preserving or restoring the quality of the environment. In order to create more jobs, sustainable development strategies need a strong employment component which aims at raising the productivity of the poorest workers, and at ensuring that they get to keep most of their increased earning power by progressively strengthening labor market institutions. Increase in trade will also lead to creation of more jobs. • Energy: Energy is central to nearly every major challenge and opportunity the world faces today. Be it for jobs, security, climate change, food production or increasing incomes, access to energy for all is essential. Sustainable energy is needed for strengthening economies, protecting ecosystems and achieving equity. Government should look for the financing of new energy sources. Government need to look for more foreign investment and encourage domestic investment also. • Food: Due to rapid increase in world population, there is scarcity of food everywhere. The food and agriculture sector offers key solutions for development, and is central for hunger and poverty eradication. Attempts...
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