Obama's energy plan can only be called 'comprehensive'
John Lloyd
Issue date: 10/10/08 Section: Ed-Op
To describe any politician's plan on any subject as "comprehensive" is cliché, but for Sen. Barack Obama's energy plan, my thesaurus fails to provide me any other description. It is a plan that addresses short, medium and long term issues with serious and thoughtful proposals for technologies from their infancy to their twilight. Furthermore, his proposals are offered in cooperation with plans for transportation, science, technology and the economy. Outlining Obama's energy plan briefly is a tall order, but I will try to convey the depth and breadth of the plan in as few words as possible.
In the short term, Obama proposes aggressive conservation and efficiency efforts, particularly on the part of the federal government - our economy's single largest consumer of energy. Such efforts are the fastest and most effective ways to reduce strain on energy supplies, and Obama proposes both tougher standards (building efficiency, CAFÉ standards) and a smarter regulatory framework. He also supports federal efforts to get states to promote revenue decoupling of their electric utilities to align the incentives of utilities in the direction of conservation and efficiency rather than profit. Sen. McCain has offered no position on revenue decoupling.
For longer time horizons, Obama proposes investing $150 billion over 10 years into our energy infrastructure, from basic research to aggressive commercial deployment of clean-tech. He proposes $10 billion per year for a Clean Technologies Deployment Venture Capital Fund, to move second- and third-generation clean-tech companies from the lab to the marketplace. His plan also calls for a Grid Modernization Commission to facilitate the deployment of a national Smart Grid to reap the benefits of information technology for our electricity network. A national Smart Grid will allow renewable electricity sources such as wind and solar to thrive and will be synergistic with electric and plug-in hybrid transportation. Speaking of which, Obama proposes $7,000 tax credits for the purchase or conversion of electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles.
In the short term, Obama proposes aggressive conservation and efficiency efforts, particularly on the part of the federal government - our economy's single largest consumer of energy. Such efforts are the fastest and most effective ways to reduce strain on energy supplies, and Obama proposes both tougher standards (building efficiency, CAFÉ standards) and a smarter regulatory framework. He also supports federal efforts to get states to promote revenue decoupling of their electric utilities to align the incentives of utilities in the direction of conservation and efficiency rather than profit. Sen. McCain has offered no position on revenue decoupling.
For longer time horizons, Obama proposes investing $150 billion over 10 years into our energy infrastructure, from basic research to aggressive commercial deployment of clean-tech. He proposes $10 billion per year for a Clean Technologies Deployment Venture Capital Fund, to move second- and third-generation clean-tech companies from the lab to the marketplace. His plan also calls for a Grid Modernization Commission to facilitate the deployment of a national Smart Grid to reap the benefits of information technology for our electricity network. A national Smart Grid will allow renewable electricity sources such as wind and solar to thrive and will be synergistic with electric and plug-in hybrid transportation. Speaking of which, Obama proposes $7,000 tax credits for the purchase or conversion of electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles.
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