CEO Perspectives: A View from the Top | Renewable Energy Podcast

New York, New York The renewable energy industry likes to point to the consistent rise in the price of fossil energies as a key driver of growth. That is, until fossil energy prices are low. As today's challenging market illustrates, companies should be focusing more on reducing their own costs in order to compete with relatively low oil and gas prices over the next couple of years.

So how do you make a renewable energy business grow in such a difficult environment? In this week's podcast, a group of CEOs tells us how.

We'll hear from a range of executives in the solar PV, concentrating solar power, wind and biofuels sectors who are making hard decisions to get their companies through a sluggish period for the industry. We'll also learn about why the market slowdown could be a good thing for the industry as it creates a more sustainable framework for investment.

Vijay Vaitheeswaran, a correspondent with The Economist and host of the CEO Panel at last month's Renewable Energy Finance Forum, shares his thoughts with us about the themes coming from the discussion.

Peter Duprey, CEO of Acciona Energy North America, talks about how the downturn in demand for wind will encourage the industry to “get back to basics,” and focus on driving down costs.

John Woolard, CEO of BrightSource Energy, talks about the impact of the recession on the concentrating solar power sector. He'll also describe why he believes the economic environment will be good for the industry in the long-run.

Arno Harris, CEO of Recurrent Energy, discusses the advantages of Solar PV in today's market compared to the other more capital-intensive alternatives.

Jeff Broin, CEO of POET, describes the need for a higher blend wall in ethanol to encourage more investment in cellulosic fuels. He'll also talk about how the market will curb the irrational enthusiasm seen in the biofuels space in recent years.

Finally, Michael Garland, CEO of Pattern Energy Group, laments the lack of long-term, consistent policy in the United States. He'll talk about the differences in support for the fossil energy industry and the renewable energy industry.

Inside Renewable Energy is a weekly audio news program featuring stories and interviews on all the latest developments in the renewable energy industries.