The industry needs sustained government support on the order of hundreds of billions to create a renewable energy standard. That would require funding roughly equal to the 2009 green energy stimulus every year for a decade and beyond.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n That is not likely to happen given the budget constraints caused by two wars, a recession and the previous stimulus package.<\/p>\n Blansett puts the cost of funding a national electricity standard that requires 15 percent of all electricity to come from renewable resources by 2020 at $158 billion to $445 billion.<\/p>\n A quick look at the budget\u2019s investment in energy programs<\/a>, to take one area of funding, shows that money just isn\u2019t there.<\/p>\n For example, $500 million in credit subsidies would go to support $3 to $5 billion in loan guarantees for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects, but the support is still indirect support and won\u2019t likely provide enough incentive for a large scale build out.<\/p>\n Likewise, the $300 million slated for Advanced Research Project Agency \u2013 Energy (ARPA-E) will up the funding for whiz-bang technologies but not anywhere near enough.<\/p>\n Finally, there\u2019s the question of doing away with $38.8 billion in tax subsidies for oil, coal and gas industries.<\/p>\n