Cross posted at EENR Progressive Blog
Superdelegate Rep. Jerry McNerney has a tough choice to make:
He is a passionate supporter of all clean renewable energy.
(He has not endorsed either candidate yet.)
Both Democrats have clean energy plans at their sites with all the Green goals all our Democrats in congress support and have been fighting for, goals like achieving:
CO2 80% below 1990 by 2050
greencollar jobs
efficiency
55 mpg by 2030
$150 billion invested over 10 years
Renewable Portfolio Standards
yadadayada
But only one candidate goes beyond those shared Democratic congress goals to offer a truly effective clean energy policy that will take us safely into an eco friendly future.
Those with the experience in good policy to be able to read the details can see the problem right away. One does not have the eco knowledge needed to select advisors well enough to achieve the stated goals.
One candidate chose to be on the environment committee and gets SD support from eco movers and shakers like these eco experienced Green SDs:
New Jersey's Gov. Corzine Seeks Wind Farm Off East Coast
May 9 (Bloomberg) -- New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine wants his state to be the first in the U.S. Northeast to build an electricity-generating wind farm off the Atlantic coast.
SF Mayor Gavin Newsome Invests In Tidal Power Research
Newsom announced that the City will explore the possibility of generating power from the tidal flow under the Golden Gate Bridge and launched a $150,000 feasibility study to examine the tidal energy project, which could generate up to 35 megawatts of power, according to the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission.
Rep. Jay Inslee Introduces Feed-In Tariff Legislation
Based on the feed-in tariff policy that has enabled Germany to achieve 55% of the world's installed solar capacity and to provide 14% of its electricity supply from renewable sources, Inslee's Clean Energy Buy-Back Act would guarantee U.S. producers of clean energy connection to the grid and predetermined rates from utilities for their power.
It is the first ever proposal in Congress that would implement what Inslee is calling a performance-based incentive (PBI) policy, also known as a feed-in tariff, which has been proven to be an effective means of increasing adoption of renewable-energy technologies in Germany, Spain, France and other countries.
Feed In Tariff, Net Metering, PBI: this is Al Gore's Electranet.
Net Metering is designed so that you earn a little more than your monthly payments on the solar panels, large or small, by selling your electrons to the grid. Like Germany did: now they have more solar roofs than anywhere in Europe.
If people can make a little extra by selling their electricity at retail to the utility they will put up solar panels.
And if the electricity is a little more expensive (to fund that retail price the utilites must pay for anybodys electrons) then there is both the carrot of the extra income to be made, and the stick of the extra cost if you don't join in.
PBS interviewed a pigfarmer in Germany who was making $60,000 yr in profit on panels he put up in his fields.
1. Feed In Tariff/Electranet
The eco candidate's plan would
"Establish national "net metering" standards to ensure that families and businesses who install solar panels or other renewable energy resources can sell power back to the grid on fair terms."
The other candidate's plan mentions it only somewhat mysteriously as part of the Smart Grid plans they both offer:
"...a smart grid will also help insulate against terrorism concerns because
our grid today is virtually unprotected from terrorists. Installing a smart grid will help consumers produce electricity at home through solar panels or wind turbines, and be able to sell electricity back through the grid for other consumers, and help consumers reduce..."
Now simply installing a Smart Grid does not in fact do anything to
"...help consumers produce electricity at home through solar panels or wind turbines"
Smart Grids helps us save energy. How does it help us afford a solar roof? This kind of bewildering vagueness is evidence of not bothering to decipher the purpose of specific eco legislation.
Now, there is nothing in a Smart Grid that enables you to
a. produce electricity at home
b. sell to the grid
Anyone already can make solar power, but the legislation needed is a demand that utilities must buy it at a better price than it costs you to make it: net metering does make an Electranet.
In Ca for instance theres no incentive to make more than you need because you can not roll over the credit each year, you only get a credit on your bill, so you pay most people just aim to get the PG&E bill down to ideally ~$1 a month, but no less.
Like Inslee's plan, the first one would begin an Electranet. The second one is not really a plan, it is only a passing reference to a eco keyword.
Jerry McNerney would see that.
(BTW - on the reading comprehension needed for civics participation: the eco candidate also offers real help with college tuition, by expanding AmeriCorps college funding back up to $10,000. (When a certain Democrat started it back in 1993, it covered about half of the total cost) It was gutted by the Bush admin.. Sending a kid to college that costs $20,000 a year is not an option with only $4,000 off if you make only the average income of $40,000 a year.
Investing enough money to educate the next generation wiould only help us Democrats, because critical thinking skills help our side, because progressive policy design needs good bullshit detection skills.)
2. Production Tax Credit
The entire Democratic congress has been pushing for a Production Tax Credit of 10 years. Many of us eco kossacks pushed to get that through congress. It failed because McCain vetoed the cloture vote on part 1 and part 2 of the energy bill. Every time Republicans get power they kill it. So:
Average Democrat in congress wants a 10 year PTC.
The eco candidate makes a permanent PTC.
The other offers only a 5 year PTC.
as Gavin Newsome said on being asked about the eco candidate "They say dogs don’t bark at parked cars." The mayor concluded, "People don’t get upset about people who aren’t about change, they get upset about people who are about change."
If a PTC had been permanent from Jimmy Carters time, we would now lead the world in solar panel and wind turbine businesses like we did in the 70's.
Jerry McNerney would see that.
3. Enforce 100% Auctions for Cap And Trade
The eco candidate attempted to get No Giveaway (100% Auction) into the Lieberman-Warner Cap and Trade bill currently floundering through congress, but the other candidate proclaims "leadership". At least both are behind it, one by words, one by deeds.
4. Require every Federal building from 2009 be carbon neutral (ie have solar roof or heatpump etc)
The other candidate, only by 2030.
5. Fund the necessary switch to electric vehicles getting 100 mpg
The eco candidate has a plan to
authorize $20 billion in low-interest "Green Vehicle Bonds" in order to provide immediate help to retool the oldest auto plants to meet the strong efficiency standards.
...invest in research and stimulate demand for the first commercial PHEVs by:
· Investing $2 billion in research and development to reduce the cost and increase the
longevity and durability of batteries;
· Offering consumers tax credits of up to $10,000 for purchasing a plug-in hybrid; and
· Adding 100,000 PHEVs to the federal fleet by 2015.
The other candidate also attempted this last year with a$6000 creditbut didn't publicise it, and the staff knew nothing about it whenever I called for updates, yet cosponsor Hatch's (R!) staff did!
The Biggie:
6. Altering the collision course between civilization v sustainabilty
The current SEC requirement that public corporations must report risk of financial losses leads to many perverse subsidies and short term thinking by big business that is literally about to destroy our civilization.
The eco candidate would reverse these perverse subsidies for unsustainability by requiring that publicly traded corps now also report risks of losses due to climate change.
Requiring Corporate Disclosure of Financial Risks Posed by Global Warming:
Global warming presents both risks and opportunities for companies. Investors need and deserve information about the risks that companies face due to global warming, and what their plans are to address them.
Companies are required to disclose to shareholders major threats they are
facing in other areas. Yet, the potential costs of global warming are not incorporated into most firms’ financial projections. Some companies have stepped forward, forming a voluntary "Carbon Disclosure Project," voluntary program that works with shareholders and corporations to disclose the greenhouse gas emissions of many major corporations.
... requiring the SEC to adopt disclosure obligations for all companies that are potentially impacted by climate change-related risks
In one stroke this changes everything. Elegantly and simply. It becomes more profitable to move air than move mountains. King Coal will stop mowing down mountains and put up turbines if the SEC requirement changes this reporting requirement. Big Oil will suddenly discover drilling for geothermal makes more sense than drilling for oil.
(No wonder the punditocracy that decides our elections for us is slamming her for her sighs cackle and her wearing earthtones yellow and for not accepting the Florida recount getting out of the closest race in history!)
The other candidate has no equivalent carbon disclosure measure and has been increasingly adored by the oligarchic punditocracy ever since the eco candidate posted this energy plan which included this game changing radical legislative requirement.
as Gavin Newsome said on being asked about the eco candidate "They say dogs don’t bark at parked cars." The mayor concluded, "People don’t get upset about people who aren’t about change, they get upset about people who are about change."
7. Al Gores Connie Mae Loans
The eco candidate offers it
The other candidate does not.
etc...
Jerry McNerney would see all that.
So why would it be a tough choice?
Well, the eco candidate eats kitties.
Nobody's perfect.
The other candidate is the presumed nominee.
So... Jerry McNerney will be under a lot of pressure to vote in unison with the non kittie eating faction of our 17 million v 17 million voter split between our two candidates, very understandable.
But he could use his Super Powers to demand that the candidate seeking his endorsement adopt the eco candidates clean energy advisors, and adopt the best plan.
Since half of us Democrats prefer a smart brilliant policy wonk because good policy is what makes good government, surely we can now safely demand boldness in our Democratic eco platform?
Jerry McNerney would see that.
Because if we are bold in our eco policy now, we can save ourselves from extinction.
So hold out for real eco policy, Jerry. We need an Eco Jetski here...