Obama promotes renewable energy markets, Romney opposes them

The candidates differ markedly, though, when it comes to creating a market for new energy technology. Obama supports policies that would create markets for new technologies, and Romney, by and large, doesn’t.

Romney… opposes a number of policies designed to create markets for new energy technology.

Energy Innovation Under Romney and Obama Both candidates say they support renewable energy. Romney, though, would do little to create markets for it. Technology Review, KEVIN BULLIS , September 6, 2012 The energy positions of the presidential candidates and their respective parties have come into focus more sharply over the last two weeks. The Republicans and Democrats have both published their platforms, and the Republican nominee, Mitt Romney has published his energy plan.

For campaigns that have been at each other’s throats on many issues, there’s a surprising overlap between the rhetoric of Romney and President Obama on energy—both favor “all-of-the-above” approaches that include domestic energy sources such as fossil fuels and renewable energy. Both support funding energy research and development through organizations such as the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Energy (ARPA-E). Both talk up the possibility of energy independence, and bewail the inability of every president since Richard Nixon to achieve it.

Specifically, Obama supports clean energy standards, fuel economy standards, and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulations covering carbon-dioxide emissions, all of which would create markets for new technology, whether it be solar panels, more efficient engines, or technology for reducing smokestack emissions. (See his “Blueprint for a Secure Energy Future.”) This is all justified in part by the desire to create jobs but also by concern over climate change—something Obama doesn’t emphasize in speeches, but has emphasized in key policies designed to lower carbon-dioxide emissions.

His party’s take on climate change is even more emphatic. The Democratic platform released this week strongly emphasizes climate change. “We know that global climate change is one of the biggest threats of this generation—an economic, environmental, and national security catastrophe in the making. We affirm the science of climate change, commit to significantly reducing the pollution that causes climate change, and know we have to meet this challenge by driving smart policies that lead to greater growth in clean energy generation.” (See the 2012 Democratic National Platform.)

Romney, in contrast, opposes a number of policies designed to create markets for new energy technology. He urges Congress to remove the EPA’s mandate to regulate carbon-dioxide emissions, and he’s come out against new fuel-economy standards issued by the Obama administration, ….. http://www.technologyreview.com/news/429096/energy-innovation-under-romney-and-obama/

September 7, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Uncategorized

1 Comment »

Unfortunately, Obama considers nuclear energy “clean energy” and we all know that nuclear energy is far from clean.

Comment by Guest | September 9, 2012 | Reply

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