Time Is Energy

2008 Energy Bill

Murphy's Law at work: Senate Approves Compromise(d) Legislation.

Incredible. There were 4 good things in the energy bill originally and one neutral thing.

Good:
1) 35 MPG mandate for 2020
2) 15% of electricy from renewable energy mandate
3) Tax credits (mutil-year) for wind and solar
4) Repeal of 13 billion (it was originally 21 billion) worth of subsides to oil and gas interests

Neutral*: 30 billion mandated increase in renewable fuels (mostly ethanol).

*I like the idea of growing our own fuel, but the existing increase in ethanol is having some serious negative impacts on the cost of food worlwide. I fear the effect of a five fold increase.

And what makes it into law?

Funny I should ask: The neutral thing and the 35 MGP mandate.

If the bill had originally only had these two items I never would have contacted my senators & representatives (repeatedly) to support the bill. The first good thing will happen anyway. We may not even have gasoline for transportation in 2020 b/c of Peak Oil, and there are already SUVs on the market (in the US no less) that essentially meet this "efficiency hurddle", let alone consider what is available in Europe and other countries today.

I am really pissed with the Senate leadership. They dropped the good provisions one by one because of Republican posturing and threats of a presidential veto! Make the damn republican vote against these measures and then force the president to veto the bill. Then after that CONSIDER letting something as weeny as this bill through!
Now what do we get come election time? why every republican (minus 8 senators) will claim that they supported this legislation all along!

ARRRRGGGGGHHHHH! and LUUUCCYYYYYYYY!

posted by Daniel @ 3:25 PM