Climate Legislation--Narrow or Broad, It Will Still Slight Innovation1
Climate Legislation--Narrow or Broad, It Will Still Slight Innovation1
And so the possibility of a scaled-back climate and energy bill--while a disappointing reminder of how hard transforming the U.S. Energy system is going to be--really doesn't change the fundamentals of the present juncture. Bill by bill, the energy innovation remains an afterthought, the potential yield for R&D remains paltry, and the temporary burst of investment applied through the stimulus package continues to look like a one-shot wonder without follow-through. In that sense, what bears watching is not just the breadth of whatever carbon initiatives emerge in the coming weeks but their seriousness about financing a new push for energy innovation.
But don't take it from me. Listen to Daniel Kammen, an energy and policy expert at the University of California at Berkeley whose remarks in another great post at Dot Earth I will defer to as a closing. Writes Kammen:
“...the 800-pound gorilla in the room is not being addressed: what plans or political will or results exist to justify and maintain ...funding levels post-ARRA stimulus?
"The key issue is to develop a sane and calm path from where we are now—with a large amount of short-term funding—to a strategy for long-term investment in energy science and technology that has a clear management plan to bring these to the market. Right now many federal agencies are awash in funds, but as the ramp-down happens, infighting and battles over which program is better on merits, or better-connected politically, will emerge.
"To avoid this we need clear energy and climate legislation (which could be combined or could be separate) and a national strategy. That would send important priority and marching orders across agencies, and allow an orderly evolution, not a destructive scramble.”
And so the possibility of a scaled-back climate and energy bill--while a disappointing reminder of how hard transforming the U.S. Energy system is going to be--really doesn't change the fundamentals of the present juncture. Bill by bill, the energy innovation remains an afterthought, the potential yield for R&D remains paltry, and the temporary burst of investment applied through the stimulus package continues to look like a one-shot wonder without follow-through. In that sense, what bears watching is not just the breadth of whatever carbon initiatives emerge in the coming weeks but their seriousness about financing a new push for energy innovation.
But don't take it from me. Listen to Daniel Kammen, an energy and policy expert at the University of California at Berkeley whose remarks in another great post at Dot Earth I will defer to as a closing. Writes Kammen:
“...the 800-pound gorilla in the room is not being addressed: what plans or political will or results exist to justify and maintain ...funding levels post-ARRA stimulus?
"The key issue is to develop a sane and calm path from where we are now—with a large amount of short-term funding—to a strategy for long-term investment in energy science and technology that has a clear management plan to bring these to the market. Right now many federal agencies are awash in funds, but as the ramp-down happens, infighting and battles over which program is better on merits, or better-connected politically, will emerge.
"To avoid this we need clear energy and climate legislation (which could be combined or could be separate) and a national strategy. That would send important priority and marching orders across agencies, and allow an orderly evolution, not a destructive scramble.”
inmicro - 23. Jul, 10:06
