USA Today: What is holding the US Government back on imposing energy mandates for the US while individual US states are weaning back from fossil fuels
What is holding the US Government back on imposing energy mandates for the US while individual US states are already weaning back from fossil fuels?
More than 20 US states already have requirements for converting a portion of their electricity production to renewable energy sources, such as wind, solar or biomass. Most set deadlines that kick in several years from now, but some are already reducing greenhouse gases and replacing foreign energy supplies. It's curious, then, that the same guy who signed that bill as governor of Texas — George W. Bush — is now the enemy of a plan that would impose a similar requirement across the USA. Utilities have argued that mandates would cost consumers money, but independent studies — including one by the Energy Information Administration — show the opposite. Switching even modestly to renewables would reduce demand for natural gas and push down its price.
Labels: Alternative Energy Resources, US
