The legendary Silicon Valley venture capitalist made five recommendations to Congress and President-elect Barack Obama to jumpstart a green-tech revolution and fight global warming:
Modernize the grid: As part of the economic stimulus package, Doerr said Congress should invest in a more efficient electric grid that can deliver solar and wind power to consumers across the country.
Put a price on carbon: A cap-and-trade system and a carbon tax that's refunded to taxpayers could drive up the costs for coal plants and make low-carbon sources, wind and solar, more competitive.
A national renewable energy standard: Doerr believes the federal government should follow California and two dozen other states, which require utilities to generate more of their power from renewable sources.
New incentives for utilities: California utilities will spend $3 billion on energy efficiency measures over the next 18 months because state rules give companies major incentives to conserve energy. New federal rules could force other states to follow suit, he said.
More federal energy research: The federal government spends less than $1 billion a year on renewable energy research. Doerr urged more federal research and loan guarantees to help new technologies get off the ground.
