Senate Office Of Public Records | The Green Economy Post: Green Careers, Green Business, Sustainability

Lobbyists – A Growing Force in the Cleantech and Environmental Industries

By Nicholas Varilone on May 5, 2010 1 Comment American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009, cap-and-trade, clean coal technology, cleantech, coal fired power plants, coal industry, Environmental and Public Works Committee, Environmental Defense Fund, Environmental Protection Agency, Environmental sector, greenhouse gas emissions, H.R. 2454, House of Representatives, James Inofe, John Kerry, Joseph Lieberman, Lindsay Graham, Senate Office of Public Records, Senator Barbara Boxer, The Nature Conservancy, US Climate Action Partnership, World Wildlife Fund

Lobbyists – A Growing Force in the Cleantech and Environmental Industries

Since the turn of the 21st century the amount of lobbyist spending in the environmental and clean energy technology sector has grown by more than 200%. Spurred by investment from private firms and the public outcry of an exorbitant amount of college campuses across the country, clean energy technology and climate legislation are taking the main-stage on capitol hill. The American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 was passed last year in the House of Representatives and the Kerry-Graham-Leiberman bill is due out later in 2010.

Clean Energy Sector Ups Spending on Lobbyists

By Tracey de Morsella on August 17, 2009 3 Comments A123 Systems, advocates, Algenol Biofuels, Amyris Biotechnologies, biofuel firms, Bracewell & Giuliani, Capitol Hill, Center for Public Integrity, center for Responsive Politics, clean energy, clean energy industry, clean energy industry expenditures, clean energy lobbyists, clean energy sector, Clean Energy Technologies, Climate Change, climate change lobbying, Democratic Congress, economic downturn, energy debate, energy sector, Environmental groups, environmental lobbyists, ExxonMobil, fossil fuel industry, GridPoint, Ice Energy, influence policy, Jeffrey Holmstead, lobbyists, Marianne Lavelle, marine power sector, New Energy Finance, next-generation biofuels, Obama administration, oil and natural, pre-earnings firms, Qteros, Saffire Energy, Senate Office of Public Records, solar modules, SolarCity, stimulus funds, Tessera, venture capital-financed start-ups, wind sector, Xunlight, Zeachem

A recent report from research firm New Energy Finance, spending on Washington lobbyists by the clean energy industry has accelerated rapidly in recent years, but still lags behind that the fossil fuel industry. Through the first six months of 2009, the sector spent an unprecedented $r12.1 million on lobbying, According the Center for Responsive Politics, During the same period, oil and natural gas spent $82.2 million on lobbying, with ExxonMobil alone contributing $14.9 million. That’s $2.8 million more that the entire clean energy sector.