Rememberence of Things Not Passed: Bush's First Term Energy Plan
He's nothing if not bold. Though bold isn't quite the right word. How about ballsy? As in clearly supporting what appear to be mid 20th century policies 50 years later and not seeming to worry about being exposed as an anachronistic hack ... a wanton huckster for the oil power-industrial complex. Is AEman (with some vestigial circumspection still in place) being too harsh? Me thinks not. OK - evidence. You say, put your money where your maw is, deranged new energy wonk. Here goes then.
To review, in 2002 or thereabout here are some highlights of what what then and now President GWB proposed for energy policy. Please note I have not selectively edited out favorable stuff. Some of this makes sense - most is a wack job.
On the PRODUCTION side of things, here are some of his main initiatives:
- Open 8% of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska and part of that state's National Petroleum Reserve to exploration. Includes $1.2 billion in lease payments from the land to fund research in renewable energy sources.
- Ease permit process for refinery expansion and construction.
- Speed license procedures for hydroelectric dams and geothermal plants.
- Order the Interior Department to consider "economic incentives for environmentally sound" offshore oil and gas drilling, such as royalty reductions.
- Order the Environmental Protection Agency to review a patchwork of regional gasoline formula standards to assess whether they contribute to regional shortages of gasoline.
- Order the Interior and Commerce departments to review current policies to determine if rules should be eased for drilling in the Outer Continental Shelf and coastal zone.
- Order the Transportation Department to review fuel economy standards for vehicles to see whether they can be tightened "without negatively impacting the U.S. automotive industry."
- Expedite a study now underway of impediments to oil and gas exploration on federal lands. The study was included in the Energy Policy and Conservation Act signed into law by President Clinton, and required the Interior and Energy Departments to compile an inventory of onshore oil and gas reserves.
- Promote the construction of 38,000 miles of new natural gas pipelines
AEman hears "blah blah blah study impediments to oil and gas exploration blah blah without negatively impacting the [pre-Cambrian era] U.S. automotive industry blah" and is filled with nostalgia for a time when oil was everywhere, terrorists were not, and the ecosystem was an infinite sink for all our industrial sins. Alas, nostalgia sucks and we live here and now though Bush crafts energy policy for Norman Rockwell's America. Let's move on to CONSERVATION ... a dirty word to some ... you'd think more conservatives would like to conserve ... funny that. Perhaps its origins are French? - Give $4 billion in tax credits for purchase of high-mileage, hybrid gas-electric vehicles.
- Provide $1 billion in tax benefits and regulatory relief for co-generation plants, which produce both heat and electricity.
- Expand federal Energy Star program, which designates energy-efficient appliances and buildings, to include not only businesses but also schools, homes and hospitals.
- Ambiguous $10 billion dedicated to energy efficiency over next decade - however, unclear that this money will be spent on demand-side efficiency measures.
This is all good, eh no? But it pales in scope compared with the production incentives for the oil power gang. I mean, it's like pissing in the wind at best. AEman suspects this is a Rovian square filling exercise, nothing more. It's the end of the world as we know it, and Bush feels fine.
Finally, it's time for AEman's favorite flavor - NEW POWER (aka renewable energy) stuff. Let's see if GWB hits this one out of the park for balance: - Provide tax credits to encourage development of energy plants that use organic waste, or biomass.
- Continue tax credits for wind energy generation.
- Give tax credit of up to $2000 for homeowners who purchase solar panels.
Is that all there is? Surely you must be joking. AEman sadly/madly reports this is it. Let's see what Second Term Bush can do for an encore. There's only room for improvement, right? Right???!!!
posted by Andy Bochman at 10:41 PM
 
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