Next week, the Senate plans to consider the Energy Improvement and Extension Act of 2008, a hodgepodge of subsidies and tax credits that reflects the vacuum of long-term strategic thinking in U.S. energy policy.
The bill is a classic Senate Christmas Tree, bedecked with tax breaks and loopholes for just about every energy-related industry under the sun.
Unbelievably, the renewable tax credits get another anemic extension -- one year for wind (and "refined coal") and two for other renewables. The cycle of short-term, political-whim-based, industrial policy has constrained growth in renewables for years, but it seems to work for those with the whims.
There are also favors for building efficiency, plug-in hybrids, carbon capture and sequestration, oil shale, tar sands, coal-to-liquid fuels, cellulosic ethanol, bicycles, enhanced oil recovery ... the list goes on.
Is the good stuff worth the bad? A sizeable coalition of environmental groups says no. The National Wildlife Federation concludes that "the increased global warming pollution and destruction of important wildlife habitat that would result from the oil shale, tar sands, and CTL provisions in H.R.6049 outweigh the benefits of [the bill's] clean energy incentives."
The real tragedy isn't just that the bad goodies outweigh the good goodies, but that even now, in the midst of converging energy supply and climate crises, all we can manage is another goodie bag. Where is the vision, the sense of direction, the performance standards and metrics? What's the goal? Anything beyond getting through another election?
Not all green jobs are created equal
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Comments View as Flat
GreyFlcn Posted 2:20 pm
19 Sep 2008
If anything
Atleast there's no Nuclear pork in this bill.
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It has all the other undesirables though. Like the "Refined" Coal Production Tax Credit, Coal Sequestration Credit, Liquid Coal Credit, and a removal of all taxes on exported Coal.
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Also looks like I have a better definition of "Refined Coal".
-David Ahlport
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Tasermons Partner Posted 6:08 am
20 Sep 2008
The other post...
...on this bill (linked at the top of the article and labeled "Tax Team") said that the extensions for wind and solar were for 8 years, not one.
Did they change it so suddenly?
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GreyFlcn Posted 4:24 pm
20 Sep 2008
re: Taser, Depends which Renewable
1 Year for Geothermal
1 Year for Hydro
2 Years for Wind
8 Years for Solar
http://www.senate.gov/~finance/sitepages/leg/LEG%202008/0 ...
-David Ahlport
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