You remember the Waxman-Markey bill – The American Clean Energy And Security Act. It passed in the House of Representatives in June of 2009. Oh well, the Senate – being the Senate – allowed the historical moment to pass. In this case, the cowardice, political cynicism and utter lack of clear thinking has been a largely bipartisan affair. (And I’m tempering my disdain.)
One part of Waxman-Markey was a renewable electricity standard (RES), also known as a renewable portfolio standard (RPS). An RES requires utilities to provide a mandated amount of renewable energy to consumers, and sometimes also a preset reduction in consumption through energy efficiency. Also in June of 2009, the European Union instituted requirements for both by 2020:
The EU mandate also requires a 20% reduction in greenhouse gases from 1990 levels by 2020.
There are nearly 30 US states with renewable or alternative energy portfolio standards.
The Senate is going to take up an RES now. It’s an initiative that is not connected with a greenhouse gas regime, but it’s a very good thing nonetheless. This is being enthusiastically supported by a number of the key trade associations, environmental groups, union alliances, and even a few utilities. This letter to the two Senate party leaders notes “A national RES is also critical to providing the market certainty our energy sector so desperately needs and pumping millions of dollars into local economies from employment, landowner payments, and tax receipts. Our nation’s utilities are also poised to invest billions of dollars building a modern clean electricity system for America.”
The news then: Several Senators, including the Chair of the Energy & Natural Resources Committee, Jeff Bingaman, are introducing legislation to create a national RES. They hope to effect this legislation before the end of this year. There are at least two Republicans on board. The press release from the committee today says the RES “…will increase our energy security, enhance the reliability of the electricity grid by creating more homegrown renewable energy and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.” Renewables that count are wind, solar, ocean, geothermal, biomass, landfill gas, incremental hydropower, hydrokinetic, new hydropower at existing dams and waste-to-energy. These are all eligible at utility scale or as distributed generation – locally generated power. Nuclear power is out. (Phew.)
Here is some more context from Environmental Leader: Renewable Energy Standard Revived in New Energy Bill. Harry Reid, the Senate Majority Leader, has said he hopes to have this legislation in place before the new Congress convenes in January. For some inside baseball, see this from The Hill’s E2 Wire. This is a delicate high wire maneuver for votes and Jeff Bingaman and Harry Reid know it.
In my first post here, over three and a half years ago, I quoted Bill McKibben: “After twenty years of inactivity‚ a remarkably successful bipartisan effort to accomplish nothing‚ the first few weeks of the new Congress have witnessed a flurry of activity.” There certainly has been a lot of activity, but the real action, in the form of effective, robust initiatives, has come from the Obama Administration. If this legislation passes, though, it would be an exceedingly nice shot in the arm for renewables and energy efficiency, and show that there are still some grownups left in the US Senate.
