Author

Joe Walsh

NASA’s Hansen on Waxman-Markey: “it’s just stupidity”

Update: James Hansen just got arrested while protesting against coal mining – read latest news here

The New Yorker has a lengthy profile of NASA climatologist James Hansen in this week’s issue, in which he pulls no punches on Waxman-Markey, taking the leading national environmental advocacy groups to task for supporting the legislation (even as amended), and calls the whole process “stupidity.”

As readers of CleanTechies know, I have been dismissive of Waxman-Markey in recent weeks, a piece of well-intentioned legislation that has been so watered down by compromise and competing political pressure as to be rendered meaningless as anything other than a symbol of our intention as a nation to someday act on climate change, grid conversion, and carbon control.

After getting an email from Repower America a couple nights ago, inviting me to join a conference call with Al Gore to help push the bill through, I began to feel a little like a lone voice in the wilderness on this. But, I can’t ask for much better company than Hansen.

06/24/2009 0 comment

Renewable Energy

A Familiar Ring to the Cap-and-Trade Grudge Match in Australia

written by Joe Walsh

A partisan divide, climate change doubters ridiculed by by environmental advocates, concerns about the global competitive impact of being a carbon control leader, and uncertainties surrounding market function, pricing and cost to consumers… Sound familiar?

Now imagine it all in Paul Hogan’s accent instead of in the halls of the Capitol, and you have the Australian debate over cap-and-trade legislation.

NYT runs a story that gives evidence of one of the major obstacles to getting real global energy reform, the “you first” problem.

The story notes, “Conservatives say [the country] should not commit itself to any target before the world’s biggest emitters — China and the United States — lay their cards on the table, and a successor to the Kyoto agreement, which expires in 2012, is reached.”

06/23/2009 0 comment

Renewable Energy

How Health Care is Trumping Energy

written by Joe Walsh

A few days ago, David Roberts – on his consistently good blog at Grist – asked if health care was going to “eclipse” energy and stall passage of comprehensive climate legislation.

The answer seems to be yes, in spite of the Obama administration’s seeming desire to have their cake and eat it too. Today, the administration touted the release of a climate change report, and the UK Guardian notes that the report and its roll out are very much a part of the strategy to “build public support” for the Waxman-Markey bill.

06/23/2009 1 comment

Renewable Energy

Taking Transmission Back in Time

written by Joe Walsh

As we bat around the potential of all electric, plug-in hybrid, hydrogen battery and other possible automotive technologies, its worth noting that once upon a time, almost all of the vehicles on the road ran on…water.

Those were the days of the Stanley Steamer, and automotive technology is – in some ways – just coming back to complete the circle.

Electric transmission might be taking the same trip back in time. NYT linked through to a Climate Wire story that highlights the resurgence of direct current (DC) transmission line construction. The vast majority of transmission is on alternating current (AC), but the story recounts that DC was Edison’s preference: “…it’s all I’ll fool with.”

06/17/2009 17 comments

Renewable Energy

How Obama’s Victory HURTS the Renewable Energy Movement

written by Joe Walsh

One of the more interesting subtexts in the ongoing Waxman-Markey negotiations is the irony that as the bill gets closer to garnering the support it needs for passage — through horse trading, earmarking, compromise and watering down — it looks less and less like a positive step for renewable energy advocates to have a federal regime at all.

Thanks to preemption doctrine, whatever does emerge from Congress will likely trump much of what already exists at the state level for energy-environment regulation. Sure, the bill may hold out state autonomy to set higher renewable standards or more ambitious target dates than those federally prescribed, and that kind of dual sovereignty — especially where expressly permitted by Congress — has long been held constitutional. But, for a “progressive” energy state like Massachusetts, there are likely to be direct conflicts with the federal law, and in those cases the state standard (in many cases the more aggressive one) will be preempted.

06/17/2009 8 comments

Renewable Energy

To Emit or Not to Emit…Should That Be the Question?

written by Joe Walsh

The New York Times’ Kate Galbraith had an interesting piece on the internecine warfare in the green movement that pits renewable advocates and environmental groups against hydro dams — right now the country’s predominate renewable technology. This piece follows on several in the past few weeks talking about a nuclear resurgence and what that may mean in the green power and environmental advocacy communities.

Long story short, in spite of the fact that it is cost competitive, non-GHG emitting, renewable and technologically deployable, there is A LOT of resentment against hydro dams.

06/15/2009 5 comments

Renewable Energy

Waxman-Markey: DOA (Dead on Arrival)?

written by Joe Walsh

Several recent pieces – led by David Roberts’ posting at Grist – report that “the worst kept secret in DC” is that there’s “no way” the Senate is passing a climate bill this year.

Surprised? After all, as Roberts and Bradford Plumer at TNR point out, energy reform was once Obama’s “number one priority.” Is it conceivable that a President with 65+ approvals and the iconic status of Obama could fail to get his number one priority through Senate that has a fillibuster-proof majority from his own party, less than six months after taking office?

06/12/2009 0 comment

Renewable Energy

Is ‘Political Capital’ Fungible?

written by Joe Walsh

In the past week, I have seen mainstream media stories explaining that the Obama White House plans to use the President’s “political capital” to deliver on the climate change bill, health care reform, and the Sotomayor confirmation.

As I noted in a previous post, one of the reasons that these initiatives require him to expend any capital at all in a majority Dem Congressional session is the breakneck speed with which he claims to want it all done. Add the arm-twisting he has already had to perform to get the stimulus bill through, and more recently to get what fragile buy-in he has for his auto bailout, and there must be a lot of sore shoulders in the Capitol.

06/12/2009 1 comment

Renewable Energy

Transmission Upgrades in LA Take Five Years…

written by Joe Walsh

…to build? NO! To permit!

This report from SoCal on Newshour last night (http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/science/jan-june09/grid_06-09.html) is worth a look.

I deal with public opposition to transmission upgrades and build outs a lot in my professional life, and this piece focuses on how the difficulties in siting lines are now posing problems to deployment of renewables located remotely.

06/11/2009 2 comments

Renewable Energy

Is there a Future for Nuclear Energy in the US?

written by Joe Walsh

Do yourself a favor by visiting NPR.org and downloading the first hour of the last Science Friday. A really intelligent discussion of the future of nuclear energy in the US ranged from the waste storage issue to microreactor technology to financing.

Even the geekiest of Green Nerds probably needs some time away from green tech talk a few minutes a day, especially with all the slop that is bombarding us these days at checkout counters, in brand campaigns and on the nightly news. So, I know the last thing you want to do is head out for that morning run, pop in the ear buds and have a clean tech podcast as your accompaniment; but, the conversation here – which included an MIT Prof and former DOE Under Secretary (Moniz), a NRDC egghead (Cochran) and a scientist – is worth your time.

06/10/2009 0 comment

Renewable Energy

Waxman-Markey’s Chevron Redux?

written by Joe Walsh

There’s been a lot out there in the ether about how Waxman-Markey (and climate change legislation in general) has been a windfall for lobbyists, fighting both to keep the government’s hands off of utilities and others’ CO2 emissions on the status quo side and scrambling for the subsidies and other dollars on the green tech side.

The Washington Post (WaPo) opened just such a story this week with an anecdote about Rep Gene Green’s (D-TX) amendment changing the word “sources” to the words “emission points.” WaPo notes “that tiny bit of editing might one day give petroleum refiners valuable rights to emit carbon dioxide when it otherwise might not have been allowed.

06/09/2009 0 comment

Renewable Energy

American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 – AKA: H.R. 2454

written by Joe Walsh

Policy wonks and green energy gurus finally have a number to put to their obsession: the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (ACES) is now H.R. 2454, and as reported on ClimateWire at the NYT last week, the committee mark-up now gets to make its way through the full House and Senate. Oh, did I forget to mention that they want that done by July 4?

What is the hurry? The question applies here for reasons expanded upon below, but generally, where do Obama and the Dems think the fire is? Obama wants GM to be in and out of their BK in 60-90 days. Obama wants Sotomayor confirmed in time to sit with the court as they pick next term’s caseload. And, as you’ll recall, Obama wanted ACES through committee by Memorial Day.

Not only am I convinced that it is no coincidence that the climate change bill has been tied to two of our most patriotic holidays – after all, like higher taxes, saving energy is patriotic, right Veep? – but, I have to wonder what Obama thinks he gains from pushing this bill through at breakneck speed.

06/08/2009 0 comment

Energy Efficiency

The Clean Coal Conundrum

written by Joe Walsh

The internecine battles in the green community are growing in number: there’s pro-renewable versus open space; the anti-hydro crowd; and the nukes or no nukes debate. Add the fight over clean coal, which the Boston Globe editorial staff weighed in on yesterday.

We know from his comments earlier this year that Al Gore essentially sees clean coal as a shell game, and he is being borne out at least in part by the larding of Waxman-Markey with billions to placate coal state legislators.

But, the Globe editorial touches on an interesting geopolitical/economics quandary. The US and Europe may be pushing toward carbon reduction reforms; but, it is the largest and fastest growing emitters in Asia that pose the greatest threat to the planet and are projected to negate even the most ambitious Western reduction estimates.

So, clean carbon technology might be the liar’s lie that Gore claims it is for US energy production, but what about the possibility of developing technology to export? Do we have an obligation to invest in clean coal research for the greater good even if its not in our future?

06/08/2009 7 comments

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