Renewable energy on the ropes

Hound your representative to add an RPS to the energy bill 2

If scientists could take the repeated dashing of hopes for a better future and harness it to make electrons, we'd have electricity too cheap to meter. If the crushing of expectations were a renewable resource, this Congress is truly on the cutting edge of the clean energy revolution.

Apparently, Senator Reid and Speaker Pelosi met on Thursday morning and decided to move an energy bill that does not include an RPS [see this post]. Or a tax title. No tax title means no extension of the investment tax credit for solar, and no extension of the production tax credit for wind. Let's see ... nothing for solar, plus nothing for wind, ... add no RPS, carry the zero ... yep, that adds up to nothing for renewable energy. Got that? Congressional leadership is moving an energy bill with nothing in it for renewable energy.

We've got maybe 24 hours to turn this around. I suggest a phone blitz. Melt the %$@*! switchboard. Call your representative. Suggested script:

Hi. My name is___. I, and 90 percent of America, would like more renewable energy. It's not a tough call, since it's pretty clear that the future of the world depends on it. So, please tell Senator Reid and Speaker Pelosi to include a eight-year extension for the solar investment tax credits and a four-year extension of the wind production tax credits in the energy bill. Thank you.

Find your representative's number here.

I don't understand the tactics here. A few weeks ago, the White House wrote Pelosi a letter saying Bush would veto an energy bill if it contained a mandatory RPS or "used the tax code to single out specific industries" (if there's anything this administration hates, it's using the tax code to help specific industries). But with oil at $100 a barrel and a president polling in the 20s, they decide to roll over on an issue that polls in the 90s?

If anyone can educate this country boy on the brilliant strategery here, I'd appreciate it. Because I'm here wondering why the f*ck we elect Democrats if they are just going to pass Republican legislation.

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  1. trock Posted 12:00 am
    10 Nov 2007

    energy research spendingThese are worthy things to support.   We also should support more spending on energy research in the Department of Energy.
    The National Government bill for Intelligence is 43 billion a year.   The research and development cost in the Department of Defense for new weapon systems is 83 billion dollars a year.   The amount we spend on renewable energy is just a few billion a year.  We should increase that greatly.
    What are the proposals in Congress now for renewable energy in the Department of Energy in the majority Democratic Congress?  We should be behind it to increase the research effort.  There are a lot of worthy energy programs that are underfunded.
  2. GRLCowan's avatar

    GRLCowan Posted 5:34 am
    11 Nov 2007

    It could hardly be otherwiseThere are a lot of worthy energy programs that are underfunded
    This is to be expected from a government and a government department that is largely funded from petroleum and natural gas taxation. They are exactly as motivated to fund worthy energy programs that would reduce their paymaster's petrodollar profits as would be a group of private Exxon-Mobil coupon clippers.
    That is why the US government hasn't built an experimental nuclear power reactor in decades.
    --- G. R. L. Cowan, boron internal combustion fan

    How shall cars gain nuclear cachet?

    http://www.eagle.ca/~gcowan/boron_blast.html

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