U.S. Joins International Renewable Energy Agency

On June 29, the United States signed the statute of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), an organization formed in January 2009 to promote widespread adoption and sustainable use of all forms of renewable energy. The latest signatories bring the total number of member states to 136. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton issued a statement in support of U.S. participation, deeming it part of the Obama administration’s commitment to renewable energy. “The development of clean, renewable sources of energy will be the growth industry of the 21st century,” the statement said. “Not only is this an important step toward creating jobs, it will help safeguard the health of our planet and enhance America’s future prosperity and security.”

In addition to adding signatories at this second meeting of IRENA, countries voted France’s Helene Pelosse as interim director and Abu Dhabi as the headquarters location with secondary centers at Vienna and Bonn, Germany. The main architect behind IRENA, Dr. Hermann Scheer, believes “IRENA has the potential to become more important than the Kyoto Protocol because IRENA can be the driving force behind the solutions to global sustainability. It will not regulate the world to an outcome – it will help the world reach the desired outcome.” In February, EESI hosted Dr. Scheer at a briefing about the potential role of IRENA in helping the world transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy.