Energy Legislation in the USA Richard Wilson Presentation to Permanent Monitoring Panel on Energy August 19 th 2010.

Energy Legislation in the USA

Richard Wilson

Presentation to Permanent Monitoring Panel on Energy

August 19th 2010

1946 Atomic Energy act

Joint Committee on Atomic Energy

1975 AEC split to NRC and ERDA

~1980 DOE

Brief History

1956 - 1970 Eisenhower and Kennedy encouraged plentiful cheap energy

1958 Admiral Strauss “electricity will be too cheap to meter”

1970 popular push for “environment”

1973 Arab Oil Embargo

1973 NIXON proposes an energy policy to reduce dependence on foreign oil

1973 Mike Lubell (APS): “Presidential energy proposals met with a Gigantic Yawn from Congress”

2009 House of Representatives passes Waxman-Markey bill

2010 US Senate fails to pass Kerry Lieberman bill

Basic Issue

Fossil fuels are cheap if environmental and military issues are ignored

Energy sector is large

Subsidy of Desired fuels impractical

Taxing and restriction of undesired fuels only possibility

The Stern report

This proposes a cap and trade systemThings wrong

(1) Cap is on emissions of CO2 not carbon

(2) A sector by sector approach

(3) Industry sets its initial cap too high (give away to polluters)

Problems with the Waxman-Markey bill

1300 pages, How many have read it?

All problems with Stern report apply

Plus too much “pork barrel”

Even Hansen (NASA) opposes

Problems with the Kerry Lieberman bill

So many to read, 987 pages.

Address three issues at once.(a) energy independence(b) energy shortages(c) climate change

Similar to Waxman-Markey but less pork-barrel

INTERNET SEARCHES1) http://energytopic.nationaljournal.com/2010/06/epa-kerry-lieberman.php

2) http://www.brookings.edu/opinions/2010/0517_climate_bill_muro.aspx

3) http://www.greencarcongress.com/2010/05/kerry-lieberman-20100521.html

4) http://www.glgroup.com/News/The-Effects-of-the-Kerry-Lieberman-Bill-on-Employment-48361.html

5) http://news.yahoo.com/s/usnw/20100721/pl_usnw/DC38585

6) http://www.ucimc.org/content/billions-new-nuke-giveaways-kerry-lieberman-bill-exposed

7) http://energytopic.nationaljournal.com/2010/06/epa-kerry-lieberman.php

(8) http://www.thebreakthrough.org.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1-5 argue details6 and 7 oppose nuclear power price guarantee provisions.

8 Michael Schellenberger and Ned Nordhaus argue that the cost differential is too great.

The Cantrell-Collins Bill

49 pages

Addresses control at the source of carbon

No historical cap

Automatically all sectors included

BUT

Ignored by US Senate

Indirect Legislation

Auto fuel efficiency standards

Labeling of energy for appliances

Mandating efficient use

Proposal under clean air act

Hidden Subsidies

Oil – cost of military activity in the Arabian/Persian Gulf exceeds the cost of the oil!

“The purpose of Nuclear Power is to run our Aircraft Carriers to defend “our” oil supplies from the Gulf”

Admiral Zumalt about 1975

Coal – no pollution charge

Possible Indirect Action

Use of military bases for development and test of new systems

Use of clean air act to control large emitters of CO2

Local Actions that Could be Effective

(1) Solar water heating is cost effective in the front range of Colorado with clear weather and high UV

content. But it is NOT in Massachusetts.

(2) Small hydro, abandoned by big electric utilities 80 years ago may be cost effective in some location

if combined with water management

(3) Other???