Gina McCarthy has finally been confirmed by the Senate as Environmental Protection Agency Administrator. Environmentalists largely welcomed the news, while energy industry trade groups’ statements seem focused on avoiding “burdensome” regulations. Some groups seemed to react as much to the protracted confirmation process as to its culmination. Here is what they had to say. BlueGreen… Keep reading →
Fossil fuels and renewable energy have become touchy topics in this election, with challenger Mitt Romney painting President Barack Obama as too hard on the first and too fanciful about the second – and Obama saying Romney is out of touch with energy’s future.
But two other significant resources, nuclear power and energy efficiency, are evoking scant debate. Keep reading →
Five years ago, Congress passed the Energy Independence and Security Act, which included a provision to phase out inefficient incandescent light bulbs requiring 25% greater efficiency beginning in 2012.
Now as the start date for the bill looms, Republicans have attached a rider to the omnibus spending bill that would take away the Department of Energy’s ability to enforce the law and establish civil penalties for violating it. State attorney generals would instead be in charge of reviewing complaints and enforcing the law. Keep reading →
At this time of partisan wrangling in Congress, energy efficiency stands as a rare issue that crosses party lines to garner bipartisan consensus.
That comes as no surprise to efficiency advocates, who know that energy-efficiency programs are one of our best national investments. By lowering energy costs, they return more money to the economy than they cost taxpayers. Keep reading →
