Energy News | The Real Story of Cap and Trade – Stephen Lacey, Renewable Energy World

In the wake of the Copenhagen talks and the passage of a climate bill in the U.S. House last year, the debate over cap and trade will likely intensify as we move 2010. Unfortunately, the debate in the halls of Congress, on the blogosphere and on the television talk shows is often tainted by bad information and oversimplified characterizations of the policy. So, in the midst of this ever-growing (and sometimes deafening conversation), we decided to dig into the real story of cap and trade ourselves.

Seth Kaplan, vice president for climate advocacy at the Conservation Law Foundation, describes the history of cap and trade as it rapidly evolved from an academic proposal to an international policy for limiting greenhouse gas emissions.

Phil Adams, president and chief operating officer of World Energy Solutions, talks about the differences between the primary and secondary carbon trading markets. He’ll also talk about how his company’s carbon exchange, the World Green Exchange, works as a driver for those markets.

Tim Healy, CEO and chairman of EnerNOC, tells us how he’s built a business around using less energy, not more. He’ll also talk about the company’s new CarbonTrak software and how it can help businesses realize the financial value in reducing emissions.

Milo Sjardin, head of U.S. carbon markets for New Energy Finance, compares the size and scope of the EU and U.S. carbon trading programs.

Erin Craig, CEO of TerraPass, describes the make-up of the “pure” voluntary market in the U.S. and how it may blend together with a compliance market in the future.

Michelle Chan, senior policy analyst with Friends of the Earth, warns about the potential downside risk in creating new derivative markets based on carbon. She talks about how investors could be creating “subprime carbon,” as they devise new financial products based upon bad offset projects.

And Peter Fusaro, chairman and founder of Global Change Associates, talks about how carbon markets will be regulated in the U.S. He’ll also discuss how Americans can learn from the European experience with cap and trade.

Listen to the entire podcast…