CleanTechies Blog — Renewable Energy

My posts wind up (somehow) on Cleantechies Blog, where David Repka saw my article: In Renewable Energy, Things May Not Be What They Seem and commented:

The greatest point of frustration is the lack of certainty and clear, coordinated, cohesive, long-term direction in every step in the process: permitting, interconnections, planning, zoning, regulatory, environmental, taxation, etc. Every state having their own RPS (renewable portfolio standard) and tax code of incentives is maddening. There needs to be a cohesive, national energy policy with an FIT (feed-in tariff).

This is exactly right.  The fossil fuel industry is doing everything in its power (which is considerable, to say the least) to make sure that the development of clean energy is slow, uncertain, and as frustrating and unprofitable as possible.  We all know that we need a national energy policy, but we’re a million miles from it.  This is precisely why ex-Pennsylvania governor Ed Rendell said what he did. i.e., don’t expect this to happen inside the Beltway, because the money from the oil companies driving the political process never stops. 

I’m sure hoping that Obama makes a liar out of me and does something honest and decent on this in his second term, but I’m not counting on it.