Posts Tagged by President Obama
Jerry Taylor, Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute, Contributes to “Renewable Energy – Following the Money”
| February 7, 2012 | Posted by Craig Shields under Renewables - Politics |
I have 13 meetings lined up over five days next week spread out from Washington, DC to Boston, starting with an interview with Jerry Taylor, senior fellow at the Cato Institute, conservative think-tank in our nation’s capital. I successfully appealed to Mr. Taylor on the basis that I have frequent talks with liberal economists, clean energy advocates and progressive policy wonks, but, as I pride myself on fair-mindedness, I would love to sit down and talk about different perspectives. After all, my next book’s working title: “Renewable Energy – Following the Money” suggests a wide range of political perspectives. He agreed, and we’re on for Tuesday morning, at his office which is walking distance from my next two meetings.
In my use of the word “conservative,” I’m not suggesting that Mr. Taylor is some sort of knee-jerk right-winger. In fact, he’s distinguished himself as a man of incredible objectivity, in a world so pitifully lacking in this rare commodity. Here he is, arguing (very well) that President Obama handled the BP oil spill very well. Try to find that type of sane, levelheaded rhetoric coming out of any of the Republican presidential candidates.
National Green Energy Council Receives Response from President Obama
| March 30, 2011 | Posted by Craig Shields under Renewables - Politics |
Today, Ralph Avallone, the president of the National Green Energy Council, received a response to the very specific letter he had written to Barack Obama in which he urged the president’s support of green technology and renewable energy, and the “green jobs” they will create. Avallone notes:
“My letter … has facilitated nothing but a generic response. Most unfortunate….”
To which I respond:
Ralph: Speaking for all of us, I appreciate your effort. And yes, that’s unfortunate, though not at all surprising. I think we’ve seen ample evidence that the federal government – all three branches, btw — is stuck in neutral with respect to energy policy. We support whatever notions bring in votes, whether it’s as destructive and toxic as coal, or as unsafe and financially untenable as nuclear. Where we feel we need to, and that we can get away with it with our constituencies, we pay lip service to renewables – though we’re terrified that we’re doing so at the risk of being ridiculed from the right as socialists or tree-huggers.
There are some people who believe mainstream candidates’ promises to tear into the nation’s problems (of which energy, obviously, is only one) with passion, objectivity and honesty. There are people who believe in the Easter Bunny, too.
If you’re looking for spine and integrity, I’m afraid you’ll need to look elsewhere.
Alternative Energy and the Recovery Act
| November 2, 2009 | Posted by Craig Shields under Renewables - Business |
Last week, President Obama, as part of the Recovery Act, announced the dedication of $3.4 billion to further advancing smart grid development. This, of course, is good news for renewables in many different ways.
Smart grid technology facilitates integrated renewables into the mix, enabling solar, wind, etc. to replace a larger overall portion of our energy needs.
All grid improvements bring us closer to the day when high-voltage direct current (HVDC) removes the importance of the geographic location of the source of the power. Considering that we have solar thermal on the southwest, wind in the plains, geothermal in the mountains, and hydrokinetics mainly in the east, this is critical to our cause.
I’m happy to see the degree that the stimulus package is aimed at cleantech, and hope that millions of jobs will be created in this sector in the coming few years. I would like to think that the decision-making process re: the exact allocation of grants is as clean as the projects themselves – but that’s another matter.
