Unnamed: 0
int64 0
4.52k
| report
stringlengths 7
512
|
|---|---|
3,600 | essment and Enabling Capability office works with the combatant commands to ensure that they are using the right measures to evaluate the training audience’s ability to perform tasks to specific standards. In addition, the Joint Assessment and Enabling Capability office hosts monthly meetings with combatant command stakeholders to discuss assessment topics, including performance measures. Additionally, the Joint Assessment and Enabling Capability office hosts at least one working group meeting at the annual |
3,601 | worldwide joint training conference to conduct face-to-face discussions and reviews of assessment-related tasks for joint training. According to an annual report from the Joint Staff Director for Joint Force Development, the Joint Assessment and Enabling Capability office is available to assist combatant command stakeholders with assessment-related tasks for the Joint Exercise Program, as requested. Guy A. LoFaro, Assistant Director; Patricia Donahue; Pamela Nicole Harris; Amie Lesser; Sabrina Streagle; So |
3,602 | nja S. Ware; and Cheryl A. Weissman made key contributions to this report. Civil Support: DOD Needs to Clarify Its Roles and Responsibilities for Defense Support of Civil Authorities during Cyber Incidents. GAO-16-332. Washington, D.C: April, 4, 2016. Military Base Realignments and Closures: More Guidance and Information Needed to Take Advantage of Opportunities to Consolidate Training. GAO-16-45. Washington, D.C.: February 18, 2016. Operational Contract Support: Actions Needed to Enhance the Collection, In |
3,603 | tegration, and Sharing of Lessons Learned. GAO-15-243. Washington, D.C.: March 16, 2015. Defense Headquarters: DOD Needs to Reevaluate Its Approach for Managing Resources Devoted to the Functional Combatant Commands. GAO-14-439. Washington, D.C.: June 26, 2014. Defense Headquarters: DOD Needs to Periodically Review and Improve Visibility of Combatant Commands’ Resources. GAO-13-293. Washington, D.C.: May 15, 2013. Defense Management: Perspectives on the Involvement of the Combatant Commands in the Developme |
3,604 | nt of Joint Requirements. GAO-11-527R. Washington, D.C.: May 20, 2011. Homeland Defense: U.S. Northern Command Has a Strong Exercise Program, but Involvement of Interagency Partners and States Can Be Improved. GAO-09-849. Washington, D.C.: September 9, 2009. National Preparedness: FEMA Has Made Progress, but Needs to Complete and Integrate Planning, Exercise, and Assessment Efforts. GAO-09-369. Washington, D.C.: April 30, 2009. Homeland Defense: Steps Have Been Taken to Improve U.S. Northern Command’s Coord |
3,605 | ination with States and the National Guard Bureau, but Gaps Remain. GAO-08-252. Washington, D.C.: April 16, 2008. Homeland Defense: U.S. Northern Command Has Made Progress but Needs to Address Force Allocation, Readiness Tracking Gaps, and Other Issues. GAO-08-251. Washington, D.C.: April 16, 2008. Homeland Security: Observations on DHS and FEMA Efforts to Prepare for and Respond to Major and Catastrophic Disasters and Address Related Recommendations and Legislation. GAO-07-835T. Washington, D.C.: May 15, 2 |
3,606 | 007. Military Training: Management Actions Needed to Enhance DOD’s Investment in the Joint National Training Capability. GAO-06-802: Washington, D.C.: August 11, 2006. Military Training: Actions Needed to Enhance DOD’s Program to Transform Joint Training. GAO-05-548: Washington, D.C.: June 21, 2005. |
3,607 | Ex-Im Bank is an independent U.S. government agency whose mission is to finance the export of U.S. goods and services overseas and to support U.S. jobs, particularly when private sector lenders are unable or unwilling to accept the risk. Ex-Im Bank provides medium- and long-term loans and guarantees, export credit insurance, and working capital guarantees. Under the loan and guarantee program, Ex-Im Bank guarantees the repayment of loans or makes loans to foreign purchasers of U.S. goods and services. The e |
3,608 | xport credit insurance program provides protection to U.S. exporters against the risks of nonpayment by foreign buyers for political or commercial reasons. The working capital guarantee program provides U.S. exporters with short-term loans and the necessary working capital to pay for raw materials, labor, and overhead to produce goods or provide services for export. Energy transactions represented a major component of transactions financed by Ex-Im Bank during the 1990s. The values financed for energy secto |
3,609 | r transactions compared to total Ex-Im Bank financing for loans and guarantees averaged around 27 percent during this period and represented as much as 47 percent of all Ex-Im Bank financing in 1995. Ex-Im Bank categorizes energy sector transactions according to the end-use industrial activity. That is, U.S. exports of services and equipment used in energy sector projects are considered energy transactions. Energy sector transactions are divided into subsectors that include fossil fuels, nuclear energy, and |
3,610 | renewable energy. Examples of exports financed under fossil fuel projects include engineering services, drilling equipment, and turbines. Examples of renewable energy products or services financed include heat exchangers for geothermal power plants, solar electric modules for solar power generation, and engineering services to design a hydroelectric dam. Ex-Im Bank defines renewable energy to include geothermal, hydroelectric, biomass, wind, and solar activities. The definition of renewable energy for diff |
3,611 | erent policy purposes is a subject of debate, especially regarding hydroelectric power because of concerns about potential environmental impacts of large dams. Of the $28 billion Ex-Im Bank provided in loans and guarantees for energy- related projects from 1990 to 2001, about 93 percent was used to finance fossil fuel projects. (See app. II for a discussion of trends in export credit insurance and working capital guarantees.) The number of fossil fuel projects financed each year dropped sharply during the e |
3,612 | arly 1990s, but the values financed annually showed significant fluctuations with no clear trend. For renewable energy, there has been a small volume of overall activity during this period, with most of the financing provided primarily in 1994 when two large geothermal power plants were financed. Trends in final commitment applications submitted for energy sector projects largely mirror the trends in the number and values financed for energy sector projects because 90 percent of these applications were fina |
3,613 | nced. The number of fossil fuel projects financed annually by Ex-Im Bank decreased significantly over the 1990s, while the values financed fluctuated substantially. (See fig. 1.) Ex-Im Bank financed 474 fossil fuel projects over the period, with the number falling from 91 in 1990 to 15 in 1999, before rising slightly in 2000 and 2001. The total value financed for fossil fuel projects over the period was about $25.7 billion, with annual values ranging from $546 million in 1999 to more than $3.6 billion in bo |
3,614 | th 1993 and 1995. The average value financed per project increased significantly during the early 1990s, and ranged from $7 million in 1990 to more than $79 million in 1995. The types of fossil fuel projects Ex-Im Bank financed varied over the period. As shown in figure 2, during the early 1990s, extraction, transport, and processing projects such as oil and gas exploration and the development of oil and gas pipelines dominated Ex-Im Bank’s fossil fuel project financing in terms of values financed. In the m |
3,615 | id-1990s, however, power production projects, such as power plants using natural gas, oil, and coal, received the most financing. Neither project type was particularly dominant from 1997 to 2000. Projects in Mexico received the largest share of fossil fuel financing during 1990 to 2001, at 16 percent, followed by projects in Venezuela and Algeria, at about 10 percent each. In terms of the numbers of projects, Algeria and Mexico received 43 percent of the total number financed over the 12-year period. Most o |
3,616 | f these were for small value loans and guarantees financed from 1990 to 1992. Appendix III shows Ex-Im Bank’s distribution of fossil fuel energy projects by total number and values financed to recipient countries. For renewable energy, a small number of projects were financed in most years, with the overall value of financing concentrated primarily in one year. As shown in figure 1, from 1990 to 1996, the number of renewable energy projects varied from two to six. Ex-Im Bank did not finance any renewable en |
3,617 | ergy projects from 1997 to 1999, but did finance two renewable energy projects in 2000 and three in 2001. Overall, Ex-Im Bank financed 30 renewable energy projects from 1990 to 2001, accounting for about 6 percent of the total number of energy sector projects financed. Most projects financed between 1990 and 1996 were to construct hydroelectric and geothermal power plants. Of the projects receiving loans and guarantees in 2000 and 2001, three were for hydroelectric engineering services and two were for sola |
3,618 | r projects. Appendix IV identifies the renewable energy loans and guarantees financed from 1990 to 2001, including the project type, supplier, value financed, and country. The values financed for renewable energy projects varied dramatically during 1990 through 2001, with the majority of the financing provided in 1994. Overall, Ex-Im Bank financed renewable energy projects totaling $730 million from 1990 through 2001 or about 3 percent of all energy projects financed. Almost 60 percent of these funds were p |
3,619 | rovided in 1994, when two large geothermal projects were financed in the Philippines for almost $395 million. As shown in figure 3, geothermal and hydroelectric projects represented 75 percent and 17 percent of the total value of financing provided for renewable energy projects, while solar, wind, and biomass projects combined accounted for about 8 percent of total financing. Trends in the number and value of final commitment applications submitted for energy sector projects closely track the trends for ene |
3,620 | rgy projects financed, because 90 percent of final commitment applications submitted were financed by Ex-Im Bank. While Ex-Im Bank offers two earlier types of applications—the letter of interest and preliminary commitment—the final commitment application is the only one required to obtain financing for a project and is the only one used consistently from 1990 to 2001. As shown in figure 4, the number of fossil fuel final commitment applications for loans and guarantees decreased significantly from 1990 to 2 |
3,621 | 001, while the values of financing requested in these applications fluctuated greatly. For renewable energy, the application trends also mirrored those of the overall renewable energy projects financed, with the overall numbers remaining at low levels and the financed values concentrated primarily in 1994. Ex-Im Bank denies very few final applications and only a small percentage of applications are withdrawn or canceled. From 1990 through 2001, Ex-Im Bank records indicate that only 2 of the 577 energy secto |
3,622 | r applications were denied; both were fossil fuel projects. During this period, about 10 percent of the energy sector final applications for loans and guarantees were either withdrawn by the applicant or canceled by Ex-Im Bank because the applicant did not meet the requisite terms and conditions. Ex-Im Bank has not consistently reported to Congress on its efforts to meet the 1989 legislative financing target for renewable energy or its renewable energy promotion efforts. In reviewing Ex-Im Bank’s annual rep |
3,623 | orts, we looked for basic information on renewable energy projects that would include the number of projects and values financed, the types of projects, and the value of renewable energy project financing relative to overall energy sector financing. Ex-Im Bank’s reporting to Congress was most complete for fiscal year 1990 when Ex-Im Bank provided a report in 1991 to the Committees on Appropriations with specific information regarding both Ex-Im Bank’s meeting the 5 percent renewable energy target and its ma |
3,624 | rketing and promotional efforts for renewable energy. This report also provided specific information regarding values financed, types of projects financed, and an estimate for potential demand for future financing. Other than this one-time report to Congress, Ex-Im Bank has typically provided information about its renewable energy efforts in its annual report. During the period 1990 to 2001, Ex-Im Bank’s annual reports identified the percentage of renewable energy projects to the total energy projects finan |
3,625 | ced in 3 years—1990, 1991, and 1994. Including all financing types— loans and guarantees, insurance, and working capital guarantees—Ex-Im Bank met the 5 percent target twice—1990 and 1994—and came close in 1996 when renewable energy projects accounted for 4.8 percent of the total values financed. (See fig. 5.) Ex-Im Bank’s annual reports since 1990 contained varying amounts of additional information regarding its efforts to promote renewable energy. Overall, Ex-Im Bank provided the most consistent reporting |
3,626 | from fiscal years 1990 to 1994, which included the number of projects and values financed, types of projects, and countries where the projects were implemented. The 1995 and 1998 reports did not address renewable energy. Various factors have affected Ex-Im Bank’s renewable energy financing, including worldwide economic conditions and energy consumption patterns, financing challenges faced by diverse renewable energy suppliers, foreign government support of renewable energy sectors, and environmental concer |
3,627 | ns. Ex-Im Bank has not placed a priority on promoting renewable energy exports, but has addressed the sector through its general marketing efforts and its Environmental Exports Program. Ex-Im Bank established the Renewable Energy Exports Advisory Committee to help expand its support of U.S. renewable energy exporters in May 2002. Broad economic conditions and market trends are important to Ex-Im Bank’s overall financing and energy sector patterns. These include, for example, exchange rates and economic grow |
3,628 | th trends. While identifying the impacts of these factors is complex, macroeconomic factors have been identified as particularly important in the geothermal sector. According to industry representatives and analysts, the Asian financial crisis and subsequent economic and political turmoil in Southeast Asia was a key reason for a decline in construction of geothermal facilities in the region in the late 1990s. The relatively small share of most renewable resources in world energy consumption, due partly to c |
3,629 | ost disadvantages, is viewed as a key factor underlying the demand for Ex-Im Bank financing. According to Department of Energy estimates, in 1999 about 7 percent of world energy consumption was from hydroelectricity and 1 percent from other renewable sources. For energy used for electricity generation, hydroelectricity supplied 19 percent and other renewables 2 percent. A primary reason for this relatively small share of renewables is cost, according to government and industry assessments. While the costs o |
3,630 | f some renewable energy technologies have decreased, they have generally not been competitive with fossil fuels for most uses, according to these assessments. A related factor is that the feasibility of renewable energy projects often depends on environmental factors such as the location of rivers, geothermal heat sources, and wind supply. The renewable energy market is diverse, with sectors and firms varying in terms of key characteristics that could affect the demand for Ex-Im Bank financing. These charac |
3,631 | teristics include, for example, firm size and exporting experience, project risk, and payback periods. The geothermal sector includes large-scale power production and smaller-scale direct heating and agricultural uses. Project risk can be high with substantial exploration and development costs. The solar energy sector includes multinational producers of photovoltaics for export to electric utilities as well as producers of off-grid equipment that can include small-scale uses. U.S. wind energy suppliers incl |
3,632 | ude one firm producing for large-scale on- grid utility uses and a number of firms providing for smaller scale power generation. Representatives for different renewable energy sectors have cited various exporting challenges or financing needs, not necessarily under Ex-Im Bank’s control, including: Actual or perceived financial risk of renewable energy projects; For small businesses, lack of investment capital or contacts in export Lack of credit-worthy buyers for certain types of renewable energy projects, |
3,633 | such as smaller scale projects in developing countries; Need in some sectors for longer repayment terms due to higher up-front Difficulty in understanding financing options and coordinating financing among exporters, buyers, financial institutions, sources of funding assistance, and local governments. Government support has been an important factor in the growth of renewable energy. Foreign government support, for example, is seen as critical to rapid growth in the international wind and photovoltaic market |
3,634 | s. Several European countries and Japan have used various strategies and financial incentives for increasing renewable energy in their domestic markets. World photovoltaic shipments almost tripled between 1994 and 2000, due in part to subsidized programs in Europe and Japan.Similarly, the world wind energy market grew sharply between 1994 and 2001, due in part to government support and growth in Europe. The United States has had some production incentives and tax credits for renewable energy at the state an |
3,635 | d federal level but their impact has varied depending on amounts and certainty of initiatives. According to the Department of Energy, nonhydroelectric renewable electricity generation in the United States declined between 1993 and 1998. The U.S. domestic wind energy market did grow strongly in 2001, which analysts attribute in part to firms taking advantage of a federal production tax credit scheduled to expire at the end of 2003. Governments have provided official development assistance for renewable energ |
3,636 | y projects in developing countries, including concessional loans and grants. According to analysts and industry representatives, such assistance can in some cases yield advantages to donor country exporters. Links to exports are explicit in cases of tied aid, where trade-related concessional financing of public sector capital projects is conditional on the procurement of goods and services from the donor country. Many industrialized countries, including the United States, view tied aid as potentially trade- |
3,637 | distorting and agreed in 1992 to limits on its use. Renewable energy projects are often exempt from international restrictions due to not being commercially viable. Ex-Im Bank has matched tied aid offers by other countries in some instances. From 1991 to 2001, Ex-Im Bank funded four tied aid projects for renewable energy.According to some renewable energy industry representatives, tied aid has not generally been viewed as a viable export financing option for U.S. renewable energy exporters because of the do |
3,638 | cumentation requirements and the length of the process. Increased public concerns about the environmental and social impacts of large hydroelectric dams may have affected financing of hydroelectric projects, according to Ex-Im Bank and industry officials. Ex-Im Bank adopted environmental procedures and guidelines in February 1995,which provide for qualitative and quantitative assessments of air and water quality, management of hazardous and toxic materials and waste, cultural and ecological effects, and oth |
3,639 | er factors. Environmental concerns regarding hydroelectric power plants were highlighted in 1996 when the Yangtze Three Gorges hydroelectric power plant was proposed by China. Although Ex-Im Bank was approached regarding financing, the project proceeded with financing from other sources and has continued to be controversial. Ex-Im Bank did not finance any hydroelectric projects from 1997 to 1999, but did finance engineering and architectural services for two hydroelectric projects in Turkey in 2000 and one |
3,640 | in 2001. According to Ex-Im Bank officials and some environmental groups, issues regarding its financing activities in the hydroelectric sector illustrate a tension between increasing renewable energy financing and responding to environmental concerns. Ex-Im Bank has not focused on or allocated specific resources to promote the renewable energy sector. Instead, Ex-Im Bank has addressed this sector through its general marketing efforts and the Environmental Exports Program. With the exception of aircraft sal |
3,641 | es, Ex-Im Bank does not target its resources or marketing efforts toward specific industry sectors, according to senior Ex-Im Bank officials. Instead Ex-Im Bank’s business development officers are assigned geographic regions and are expected to promote all sectors, such as energy, telecommunications, and manufacturing equipment, within their respective regions. According to Ex-Im Bank officials, an environmental liaison officer was appointed in 1994 to focus exclusively on promoting and developing environme |
3,642 | ntally beneficial projects, which by definition include renewable energy projects. However, the individual in that position has been assigned other duties over time, and the official’s portfolio now includes responsibility for the South America region and the medical equipment sector. Several trade association and industry officials said this dilution of responsibility has affected Ex-Im Bank’s ability to effectively promote renewable energy exports. They stressed that having an experienced person dedicated |
3,643 | specifically to renewable energy is critical to providing effective linkages among Ex-Im Bank, exporters, foreign buyers, financiers, and other U.S. government agencies. According to Ex-Im Bank officials, its efforts to promote small businesses have benefited some renewable energy exporters. In 2000, Congress required that not less than 10 percent of all Ex-Im Bank annual financing be provided to support small businesses. Ex-Im Bank officials said that the product typically best suited to meet the needs of |
3,644 | renewable energy small businesses is short- or medium-term insurance. Of the nine renewable energy-related insurance policies underwritten by Ex-Im Bank since 1999, seven were provided to three small businesses. Although Ex-Im Bank has financed some renewable energy projects under its Environmental Exports Program, the program’s impact on Ex-Im Bank’s financing of renewable energy projects appears to be limited. Ex-Im Bank established the environmental exports program in 1994 to provide enhanced levels of |
3,645 | support for a broad range of exports deemed environmentally beneficial. Of the $3.1 billion financed for environmentally beneficial projects from 1994 to 2001, about $457 million was provided to finance renewable energy projects—of which $333 million was financed in 1994. Meanwhile, fossil fuel projects deemed environmentally beneficial received just over $2 billion. Ex-Im Bank officials said they have not seen a notable increase in renewable energy applications or projects financed since the program was in |
3,646 | troduced. Although Ex-Im Bank provided $113 million for environmentally beneficial renewable energy projects in 1996, it did not finance other renewable energy projects again until 2000 and 2001 when it financed transactions totaling approximately $5 million and $6 million, respectively. Several Ex-Im Bank officials attributed this recent activity in the renewable energy sector to Ex-Im Bank’s focus on providing loans and short-term insurance to small businesses. Ex-Im Bank and renewable energy industry off |
3,647 | icials have acknowledged that Ex-Im Bank can do a better job of promoting their products and services to renewable energy sectors. Officials identified Ex-Im Bank’s establishment of a Renewable Energy Exports Advisory Committee in May 2002 as an effort to help the Bank expand its support of U.S. renewable energy exporters. Over the next 2 years, the advisory committee will focus on specific issues such as how Ex-Im Bank can modify its existing programs, what new financing products or changes to existing pro |
3,648 | ducts should be considered, and how to improve its outreach to U.S. renewable energy exporters and foreign buyers. Congress has demonstrated a long-standing and continued interest in Ex-Im Bank’s efforts to promote the export of renewable energy products and services. While Ex-Im Bank has undertaken some efforts to increase its funding of renewable energy exports, they have been limited. This report highlights several factors and challenges to renewable energy exports. Some factors, such as cost disadvantag |
3,649 | es in many markets, are largely outside Ex-Im Bank’s control while others, such as product terms and the allocation and targeting of business development resources, represent areas in which Ex-Im Bank has some control. In addition, Ex-Im Bank’s renewable energy financing to date shows how a few large projects can account for the majority of financing in an area, and illustrates that significant small-scale renewable energy financing activity could take place with relatively low values financed. Ex-Im Bank’s |
3,650 | renewable energy efforts can be measured and reported in various ways. In addition to information on the programs and initiatives undertaken to promote renewable energy, specific information about project financing would be helpful to Congress. Although Ex-Im Bank has provided specific funding information to Congress for some reporting periods, it has not provided this information consistently. Such information can help Congress better track and understand Ex-Im Bank’s efforts to promote renewable energy a |
3,651 | nd identify emerging trends and challenges in financing renewable energy projects. In reporting on its renewable energy efforts under Ex-Im Bank’s 2002 reauthorization act, we recommend that the Chairman of the Export- Import Bank provide adequate information for Congress to assess these efforts and the types of challenges Ex-Im Bank faces. In addition to information on types of outreach and specific processes or programs to promote renewable energy exports, Ex-Im Bank should provide information on the type |
3,652 | s and amounts of financing actually provided, including the number and values financed for renewable energy transactions each year, and the specific renewable energy sectors to which the financing is provided. Ex-Im Bank provided written comments on a draft of this report, which are reprinted in appendix V. In its response, Ex-Im Bank reiterated as important a number of factors identified in the report as significant to the Bank’s energy sector financing trends, including broad economic and market trends. E |
3,653 | x-Im Bank also expressed the view that the report understates the Bank’s support of renewable energy sector exports. We believe that the report appropriately identifies both external and internal factors that have affected the Bank’s energy sector financing, and points out the difficulty of determining the specific impacts of various factors. Ex-Im Bank stated that in comparing its financing of renewable energy and fossil fuel exports, we should have included only the fossil fuel exports for power generatio |
3,654 | n and excluded extraction, transportation, and processing projects, such as pipeline construction. Our analysis is based on energy sector project data provided to us by Ex-Im Bank, which included both categories of fossil-fuel related energy financing. We believe that comparing renewable energy sector financing to only a portion of fossil- fuel related financing would have been inappropriate for demonstrating overall financing trends. Ex-Im Bank did not comment on our recommendation that Ex-Im Bank’s future |
3,655 | reporting to Congress on its renewable energy efforts include specific information on its financing of renewable energy projects. We are sending copies of this report to the appropriate congressional committees, and the Honorable Eduardo Aguirre, Vice Chairman, Export- Import Bank of the United States. Copies will also be made available to others upon request. In addition, this report is also available on GAO’s Web site at no charge at http://www.gao.gov. Please contact me at (202) 512-4347 if you or your |
3,656 | staff has any questions concerning this report. Major contributors to this report are listed in appendix VI. In response to Chairman Bereuter’s request, we identified and assessed (1) trends in Ex-Im Bank’s financing of and applications for fossil fuel and renewable energy-related projects, (2) the extent of Ex-Im Bank’s reporting to Congress on its renewable energy efforts, and (3) key factors affecting Ex-Im Bank’s renewable energy sector financing. To meet these objectives, we analyzed a range of documen |
3,657 | ts and interviewed policy and program officials from the Export-Import Bank as well as energy trade associations, private sector companies, think tanks, and nongovernmental organizations. To address the first objective, we obtained the cooperation of Ex-Im Bank’s Engineering and Environment Division staff in creating reports from two different databases—one for loans and guarantees and the other for insurance—to identify the number and value of energy-related transactions that Ex-Im Bank financed by each pr |
3,658 | oduct type (loans and guarantees, insurance, and working capital guarantees) for fiscal years 1990 through 2001. The reports were further divided by sub sectors, which included fossil fuel extraction, transport and processing, fossil fuel power generation, renewable energy, and nuclear energy. Ex-Im Bank also provided similar reports for applications submitted but not supported by Ex-Im Bank for loans and guarantees by various sub sectors. Ex-Im Bank did not provide applications data for insurance or workin |
3,659 | g capital guarantees. Applications data were reported in the fiscal years in which they were received, while project data were reported in the fiscal years in which they were financed. We analyzed these reports to identify trends in the number and values financed for energy sector projects as well as the number and value of energy sector applications submitted. We did not focus on nuclear energy projects because they are outside the scope of our request and comprise only a small percentage of Ex-Im Bank’s e |
3,660 | nergy sector portfolio. The report, however, notes that nuclear energy projects account for the balance of energy sector projects financed when combined with fossil fuel and renewable energy projects. Ex-Im Bank officials noted concerns over the reliability and completeness of some of the data, particularly insurance transactions. Reliability issues occur because insurance transactions often include multi-buyer policies that cover many products and services. These policies may be in different sectors and wo |
3,661 | uld therefore be difficult to characterize under one sector code. Further, insurance underwriters code the transaction according to the principal product or service, not according to the project’s end-use, as the loans and guarantees division would do. Ex-Im Bank officials estimate that the insurance data provided are about 75 percent accurate but noted that increased accuracy would require the review of each policy – a large investment of time. Ex-Im Bank officials also note that insurance records prior to |
3,662 | 1992 were not readily available We chose to focus our principal findings on the loans and guarantees programs because of these concerns and because loans and guarantees account for 89 percent of the value of energy sector projects financed by Ex-Im Bank. We discuss trends in the number and values financed for insurance and working capital guarantees in appendix II. We also focused on loans and guarantees because Ex-Im Bank provided data for both the applications submitted and projects financed for the peri |
3,663 | od 1990 to 2001. We compared this data to data used in other Ex-Im Bank reports to assess its reliability and found them to be consistent. To address the second objective, we reviewed the 1989 legislation that established the Ex-Im Bank renewable energy-financing target and reporting requirement. We also reviewed Ex-Im Bank’s 2002 reauthorization act, which includes a reporting requirement for Ex-Im Bank’s renewable energy promotion efforts. To ascertain the extent to which Ex-Im Bank reported data to Congr |
3,664 | ess regarding its renewable energy efforts, we analyzed Ex-Im Bank’s annual reports for fiscal years 1990 to 2001 and a 1991 report to the Committees on Appropriations. To determine the percentage of the value financed for renewable energy projects to the total energy sector, we analyzed the energy sector project reports provided by Ex-Im Bank for fiscal years 1990 to 2001. To address the third objective regarding factors that affected the increases and decreases in Ex-Im Bank’s energy sector financing, we |
3,665 | analyzed reports on energy sector trends. We reviewed relevant Ex-Im Bank and GAO reports regarding tied aid provided by the United States and other foreign governments. To obtain industry perspective on the factors affecting trends, we discussed these issues with representatives from the various renewable energy trade associations including the American Wind Energy Association, Solar Energy Industries Association, U.S. Hydropower Council for International Development, Geothermal Energy Association, and U.S |
3,666 | . Export Council on Energy Efficiency. We also interviewed officials from the International Rivers Network, Institute for Policy Studies, and several private sector renewable energy firms. To identify factors internal to Ex-Im Bank that affected energy sector trends, we analyzed Ex-Im Bank program data relating to its efforts to promote renewable energy, the Environmental Exports Program, and the Renewable Energy Exports Advisory Committee. We also interviewed policy and program officials from Ex-Im Bank to |
3,667 | discuss the trends and factors. We conducted our review from December 2001 through September 2002 in accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards. While loans and guarantees have traditionally accounted for 89 percent of Ex-Im Bank’s energy sector portfolio, export credit insurance and working capital guarantees represented about 10 percent and less than 1 percent of the values financed, respectively. The values of export credit insurance for fossil fuel projects fluctuated, while the n |
3,668 | umber of fossil fuel transactions declined. Conversely, the renewable energy sector showed a slight increase in both the value financed and the number of insurance transactions during this period. Meanwhile, trends for the value of working capital guarantees for fossil fuels increased incrementally, while the number of transactions varied. Only two renewable energy projects received working capital guarantees during this period. Ex-Im Bank provided insurance for 281 energy sector projects totaling $2.9 bill |
3,669 | ion from 1992 through 2001 under the export credit insurance program. As shown in figure 6, the values financed for fossil fuel energy projects varied from a high of $749 million in 1992 to lows of $45 million and $52 million in 1997 and 2001, respectively. Meanwhile, the trend in the number of insurance transactions financed for fossil fuel projects declined steadily by more than 50 percent—from 39 to 18 fossil fuel transactions— from 1992 through 2001. While trends in the number and values financed for re |
3,670 | newable energy projects increased during this period for export credit insurance, the overall financing provided and numbers financed for export credit insurance was $3.5 million for 12 transactions. Ex-Im Bank did not finance any renewable energy insurance transactions in 4 of the 10 years analyzed, but the value financed increased from $170,850 in 1994 to $711,000 in 2001. A peak was noted in 1998 as Ex-Im Bank financed over $1 million in insurance transactions. Similarly, the number of renewable energy p |
3,671 | rojects has increased from zero in 1992 to five in 2001, reflecting Ex-Im Bank’s focus on using the insurance program to reach small businesses, including renewable energy businesses. Ex-Im Bank financed working capital guarantees for 64 energy sector projects totaling over $120 million from 1992 through 2001. As shown in figure 7, the financing provided for working capital guarantees for fossil fuel projects decreased to zero in 1994 but increased incrementally until 2000. The values financed doubled in 20 |
3,672 | 01—from $14 million in 2000 to about $28 million. Meanwhile, the number of working capital guarantees provided for fossil fuel projects during the period increased—with some variations from year to year. The number of fossil fuel projects financed ranged from 0 in 1994 to 10 in 1997 and 1999. Over 80 percent of the fossil fuel working capital guarantees were provided after 1995. Only two renewable energy projects were financed through the working capital guarantee program when Ex-Im Bank provided $8.9 milli |
3,673 | on to finance two wind energy projects in 1996. International Drilling Integrated Power Corporation M/G Electric, Inc. Ormat, Inc. Ormat, Inc. Caterpillar, Inc. Siemens Solar Industries Geothermal Power Company, Inc. Mid American Holdings Company Mid American Holdings Company Integrated C-E Services, Inc. Sargent and Lundy, LLC Voith Hydro, Inc. National-Oilwell, Inc. Voith Hydro, Inc. Enron Wind Systems, Inc. Enron Wind Systems, Inc. Enron Wind Systems, Inc. BP Solarex Ormat, Inc. Kaiser Engineers & Constr |
3,674 | uctors, Inc. Washington Group International, Inc. In addition to those named above, Nathan A. Morris, Lynn Cothern, and Ernie Jackson made key contributions to this report. Export Promotion: Mixed Progress in Achieving a Governmentwide Strategy (GAO-02-850, Sept. 4, 2002). Export Promotion: Export-Import Bank and Treasury Differ in Their Approaches to Using Tied Aid (GAO-02-741, June 28, 2002). Export Promotion: Government Agencies Should Combine Small Business Export Training Programs (GAO-01-1023, Sept. 2 |
3,675 | 1, 2001). Renewable Energy: DOE’s Funding and Markets for Wind Energy and Solar Cell Technologies (GAO/RCED-99-130, May 14, 1999). U.S. Export-Import Bank’s Asian Financial Exposure (GAO/NSIAD-98- 150R, Apr. 17, 1998). Export Finance: Federal Efforts to Support Working Capital Needs of Small Business (GAO/NSIAD-97-20, Feb. 13, 1997). Export-Import Bank: Reauthorization Issues (GAO/T-NSIAD-97-147, Apr. 29, 1997). Export-Import Bank: Options for Achieving Possible Budget Reductions (GAO/NSIAD-97-7, Dec. 20, 1 |
3,676 | 996). Export Finance: Comparative Analysis of U.S. and European Union Export Credit Agencies (GAO/GGD-96-1, Oct. 24, 1995). Export Finance: The Role of the U.S. Export-Import Bank (GAO/GGD-93- 39, Dec. 23, 1992). Export Promotion: Federal Efforts to Increase Exports of Renewable Energy Technologies (GAO/GGD-93-29, Dec. 30, 1992). The U.S. Export-Import Bank: The Bank Provides Direct and Indirect Assistance to Small Businesses (GAO/GGD-92-105, Aug. 21, 1992). |
3,677 | NCLBA reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) and built upon accountability requirements created under a previous reauthorization, the Improving America’s Schools Act of 1994 (IASA). Under ESEA, as amended, Congress sought to improve student learning by incorporating academic standards and assessments in the requirements placed on states. Academic standards, which describe what students should know and be able to do at different grade levels in different subjects, help guide s |
3,678 | chool systems in their choice of curriculum and help teachers plan for classroom instruction. Assessments, which states use to measure student progress in achieving the standards, are required to be administered by states. NCLBA further strengthened some of the accountability requirements contained in ESEA, as amended. Specifically, NCLBA’s accountability provisions require states to develop education plans that establish academic standards and performance goals for schools to meet AYP and lead to 100 perce |
3,679 | nt of their students being proficient in reading, math, and science by 2014. This proficiency must be assessed annually in reading and math in grades 3 through 8 and periodically in science, whereas assessments were required less frequently under the IASA. Under NCLBA, schools’ assessment data generally must be disaggregated to assess progress toward state proficiency targets for students in certain designated groups, including low-income students, minority students, students with disabilities, and those wi |
3,680 | th limited English proficiency. Each of these groups must make AYP in order for the school to make AYP. Schools that fail to make AYP for 2 or more consecutive years are required to implement various improvement measures identified in NCLBA, and these measures are more extensive than those required under IASA. Education, which has responsibility for general oversight of NCLBA, reviews and approves state plans for meeting AYP requirements. As we have previously reported, Education had approved all states’ pl |
3,681 | ans—fully or conditionally—by June 2003. NCLBA also recognizes the role of teachers in providing a quality education by requiring states to ensure that all teachers in core academic subjects are “highly qualified.” Under this requirement, teachers generally must have a bachelor’s degree, be fully certified, and demonstrate their knowledge of the subjects they teach. Previously, there were no specific requirements regarding teacher quality under ESEA, as amended. According to our analysis of NLS-NCLB data fr |
3,682 | om Education, most principals reported their schools focused on multiple instructional practices in their voluntary school improvement efforts. These strategies were used more often at schools with higher proportions of low-income students (“high-poverty schools”) and schools with higher proportions of minority students (“high-minority schools”) than at schools with lower proportions of low-income students (“low-poverty schools”) and schools with lower proportions of minority students (“low-minority schools |
3,683 | ”). Likewise, the survey of math teachers in California, Georgia, and Pennsylvania indicates teachers were using many different instructional practices in response to their state tests, and teachers at high-poverty and high-minority schools were more likely than teachers at low-poverty and low-minority schools to have been increasing their use of some of these practices. Some researchers we spoke with suggested that differences in the use of these instructional practices exist because schools with low- pove |
3,684 | rty or low-minority student populations might generally be meeting accountability standards and, therefore, would need to try these strategies less frequently. According to nationally representative data from Education’s NLS-NCLB, in school year 2006-2007 most principals focused on multiple strategies in their school improvement efforts. The survey asked principals the extent to which their schools were focusing on ten different strategies in their voluntary school improvement initiatives. The three most co |
3,685 | mmon strategies were: (1) using student achievement data to inform instruction and school improvement; (2) providing additional instruction to low- achieving students; and (3) aligning curriculum and instruction with standards and/or assessments. (See fig. 1.) Nearly all school principals placed a major or moderate focus on three or more surveyed strategies in their school improvement efforts, and over 80 percent of principals placed a major or moderate focus on six or more strategies. However, as Education |
3,686 | ’s report on the survey data cautioned, the number of improvement strategies emphasized was not necessarily an indication of the intensity or quality of the improvement efforts. While nearly all principals responded that they used multiple improvement strategies, there were statistically significant differences in principals’ responses across a range of school characteristics, including percentage of the school’s students receiving free or reduced price lunch (poverty), percentage of minority students, the |
3,687 | school’s location, and AYP status. For example, when comparing schools across poverty levels, we found that principals at high-poverty schools were two to three times more likely than principals at low-poverty schools to focus on five particular strategies in their school improvement efforts: Restructuring the school day to teach core content areas in greater depth; Increasing instructional time for all students (e.g., by lengthening the school day or year, shortening recess); Providing extended-time instru |
3,688 | ctional programs (e.g., before-school, after- school, or weekend instructional programs); Implementing strategies for increasing parents’ involvement in their children’s education; and Increasing the intensity, focus, and effectiveness of professional development. Likewise, when comparing schools across minority levels, we found that principals at high- and moderate-minority schools were approximately two to three times more likely than principals at low-minority schools to make six particular school improv |
3,689 | ement strategies a major or moderate focus of their school improvement efforts. For instance, principals at schools with a high percentage of minority students were more than three times as likely as principals at schools with a low percentage of minority students to provide extended-time instruction such as after-school programs. A school’s location was associated with differences in principals’ responses about the strategies they used as well: principals at rural schools were only about one-third to one-h |
3,690 | alf as likely as central city schools to make five of these school improvement strategies a moderate or major focus of their school improvement efforts. When we compared principal responses based on AYP status, there was some evidence of a statistically significant association between AYP status and the extent to which principals focused these strategies in their school improvement efforts, but it was limited when the other variables such as poverty and minority were taken into account. AYP status had some |
3,691 | correlation with the demographic characteristics of poverty and minority, and those characteristics explained the patterns of principals’ responses more fully than the AYP characteristic. However, our analysis generally showed that schools that had not made AYP were more likely to make six of these school improvement strategies a moderate or major focus of their school improvement plan than schools that had made AYP. Additionally, Education reported that schools identified for improvement under NCLBA—that i |
3,692 | s, schools that have not made AYP for two or more consecutive years—were engaged in a greater number of improvement efforts than non-identified schools. Therefore, principals of the non- identified schools may have been less likely than principals of identified schools to view specific strategies as a major or moderate focus. We spoke with several researchers about the results of our analysis of the principals’ responses, especially at high-poverty and high-minority schools. While the researchers could not |
3,693 | say with certainty the reasons for the patterns, they noted that high-poverty and high-minority schools tend to be most at risk of not meeting their states’ standards, so that principals at those schools might be more willing to try different approaches. Conversely, the researchers noted that principals at schools meeting standards would not have the same incentives to adopt as many school improvement strategies. The RAND survey of elementary and middle school math teachers in California, Georgia and Pennsy |
3,694 | lvania showed that in each of the three states at least half of the teachers reported increasing their use of certain instructional practices in at least five areas as a result of the statewide math test (see fig. 2). For example, most teachers in Pennsylvania responded that due to the state math test they: (1) focused more on standards, (2) emphasized assessment styles and formats, (3) focused more on subjects tested, (4) searched for more effective teaching methods, and (5) spent more time teaching conten |
3,695 | t. As we did with the survey responses of principals, we analyzed the teacher survey data to determine whether math teachers’ responses differed by school characteristics for poverty, minority, location, and AYP status. As with the principals’ responses, we found that elementary and middle school math teachers in high-poverty and high-minority schools were more likely than teachers in low-poverty and low-minority schools to report increasing their use of certain instructional practices, and this pattern was |
3,696 | consistent across the three states (see fig. 3). For example, 69 percent of math teachers at high-poverty schools in California indicated they spent more time teaching test-taking strategies as opposed to 38 percent of math teachers in low-poverty schools. In Georgia, 50 percent of math teachers in high-poverty schools reported offering more outside assistance to non- proficient students in contrast to 26 percent of math teachers in low- poverty schools. Fifty-one percent of math teachers at high-poverty s |
3,697 | chools in Pennsylvania reported focusing more attention on students close to proficiency compared to 23 percent of math teachers doing so in low poverty schools. Similar to what our poverty analysis showed, survey responses provided some evidence that math teachers in high-minority schools were more likely than those in low-minority schools to change their instructional practices. Math teachers at high-minority schools in each of the three states, as compared to those at low-minority schools, were more like |
3,698 | ly to: rely on open-ended tests in their own classroom assessments; increase the amount of time spent teaching mathematics by replacing non- instructional activities with mathematics instruction; focus on topics emphasized in the state math test; and teach general test-taking strategies. We also analyzed the RAND data with regard to school location and a school’s AYP status, but results from these characteristics were not significant for as many instructional practices. As we did regarding the survey respon |
3,699 | ses of principals, we spoke to several researchers, including the authors of the three-state teacher study, regarding possible reasons for the patterns we saw in the teacher survey data. The researchers we spoke with provided similar possible reasons for the patterns in the teacher survey as they did for patterns in the principal survey. For instance, the researchers noted that high-poverty and high- minority schools are more likely to be at risk of failing to meet the state standards, which might prompt te |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.