Wall Street Journal
WASHINGTON -- The campaign to get more energy from renewable sources has moved to the U.S. energy grid, part of a broader effort aimed at weaning the nation off fossil fuels.
A bill about to be introduced in the Senate would push utilities to generate drastically more of their power -- 15%, compared with the current 2% -- from sources such as wind or the sun by 2020. While three similar measures have died after passing the Senate, this one has powerful bipartisan support.
Environmental groups have long sought a federal law requiring utilities to use a variety of cleaner natural resources. Several states already direct utilities to meet minimum standards; a federal benchmark could give utilities a uniform interstate market and make compliance easier.
The drive is complicated by feasibility questions, though, and by splits among supporters over which alternatives are desirable. Coal-state lawmakers, for one, argue that the focus on renewable fuels is misplaced. They say carbon-dioxide emissions, which scientists believe accelerate climate change, could be reduced more effectively by getting more power from nuclear plants and coal-fired plants that bury their carbon-dioxide emissions.
Read More...
0 comments:
Post a Comment