The NY Times has an article entitled: Obama Team Weighs What to Take On First which states
But advisers said the question was whether they could tackle health care, climate change and energy independence at once or needed to stagger these initiatives over time.
It is quite obvious to me - and probably to thousands of others that climate change and energy independence are NOT two separate issues, but should be treated as one. Why? because where we set the greenhouse gas emissions cap will and should be the driver to how we achieve energy independence. If our energy policies are set before we set an emissions cap we may and probably will have a tough, if not impossible, task of achieving any meaningful CO2 emissions level in 20 years.
We should not put off setting the cap on emissions because we are still debating the regulations and policies to achieve reaching the cap (Cap & trade, Cap & share, Carbon Tax). We have as an excellent example of how to proceed in California's work on the issue.
In 2006, a landmark bill (AB 32) was passed in California. It states
This bill would require the state board to adopt regulations to require the reporting and verification of statewide greenhouse gas emissions and to monitor and enforce compliance with this program, as specified. The bill would require the state board to adopt a statewide greenhouse gas emissions limit equivalent to the statewide greenhouse gas emissions levels in 1990 to be achieved by 2020, as specified. The bill would require the state board to adopt rules and regulations in an open public process to achieve the maximum technologically feasible and cost-effective greenhouse gas emission reductions, as specified. The bill would authorize the state board to adopt market-based compliance mechanisms, as defined, meeting specified requirements.
The bill did not lay out the specifics of the mechanism to achieve the cap, rather it gives authority to the California Air Board to develop the mechanism. This has now been done and the draft of a plan of the mechanism and how to achieve the goal is in adraft plan open to public comment.
In the meantime, California utilities, public and private entities have seen the writing on the wall and also realizing the increasing costs of traditional energy are building CO2 emission-free energy generators. For example, Fresno-Yosemite International Airport has installed a huge solar array to run its facility. What better way to use the airway easements. Schools and universities are installing solar around the state to run their plants. Cities are providing incentives. Wind and conservation efforts are improving and the voters of California just passed the hi-speed train bond measure.
What we need at the national level is to get a recognized emissions cap in place and official approval for negotiations to begin on the mechanism (carbon tax, cap and trade, cap and share) to achieve the goal. Utilities and industry will be forced to recognize that the future of energy requires GHG emissions to be reconciled and now is the time to start to change their ways, even before the mechanism is in place. Our target emission levels will be one of the requirements that we will have to consider when writing policies to achieve energy independence.
So here are the steps: Mr. President, Honorable Senators and Congressmen:
- Set the Cap
- Use the Cap to develop/guide energy policy
- Use the energy policy to subsidize energy generation facilities to achieve cap and energy independence
- Result you will have stimulated the economy.
- While doing 2-4 develop regulations to make sure cap is achieved.