C-SPAN Coverage: William Squadron, President of the OEP Foundation, introduces policymakers to www.OurEnergyPolicy.org at USEA conference.

Robert Schock presented the results of the World Energy Council's findings of its first assessment of world energy and climate change policy. Energy analysts and others in attendance critiqued the study. William Squadron, President of the Our Energy Policy Foundation, talked about his group's new website www.ourenergypolicy.org.

View C-SPAN's coverage here:
http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/id/215475
(Mr. Squadron's talk begins at minute 67)

Two EPA Affiliated Lawyers Broadcast Reproach on Cap-and-Trade with Carbon Offsets

"Ms. Williams and Mr. Zabel (two EPA affiliated lawyers, who are a married couple) say cap and trade, in which the government sets a limit on gases that contribute to global warming and then lets companies trade permits to meet it, can be easily gamed by industry and fail to reduce the emissions linked to global warming."

The video, entitled "The Huge Mistake," can be seen here.

How can we be sure that the carbon offsets (under HR 2454, Waxman-Markley "ACES") lead to emissions reductions? Are Carbon Fees with Rebates a more effective approach? Go to Carbon Policies to voice your opinion.

"Environmental Agency Warns 2 Staff Lawyers Over Video Criticizing Climate Policy" Broder, John and Kaufman, Leslie. New York Times. 9 November 2009.

Jobs Question Jeopardizes Wind Farm's Stimulus Deal

According to partners in the deal, the proposed 600-megawatt wind farm, announced late last week, would be built on 36,000 acres in West Texas using 240 wind turbines manufactured by A-Power Energy Generation Systems of Shenyang, China.

Partners in the $1.5 billion deal said that while most of the financing would come from unnamed Chinese banks, they would seek about one-third of the project's cost - $450 million - from money set aside in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the huge stimulus bill that passed earlier this year...

In a letter he sent to Energy Secretary Steven Chu, the senator urged Mr. Chu to "reject any request for stimulus money unless the high-value components, including the wind turbines, are manufactured in the United States."

Should "green" stimulus funding go to foreign companies and techonolgies operating in the US? Go to Policy Principles to comment.

What exactly are the needs of wind turbine manufacturing in the US? Go to Wind to comment.

"Jobs Question Jeopardizes Wind Farm's Stimulus Deal" Zeller, Tom Jr. and Bradsher, Keith. New York Times. 5 November 2009.

Fixing a Critical Climate Accounting Error

Daniel Kammen has submitted this stirring article, "Fixing a Critical Climate Accounting Error," insisting that climate legislation must stop ignoring land-use emissions in order to fix carbon cap accounting and the self-defeating incentives it has created. Here's an excerpt:

"This accounting error has carried over into the European Union's cap-and-trade law and the climate bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives (1, 12, 13). Both regulate emissions from energy but not land use and then erroneously exempt CO2 emitted from bioenergy use.

...Instead of an assumption that all biomass offsets energy emissions, biomass should receive credit to the extent that its use results in additional carbon from enhanced plant growth or from the use of residues or biowastes."

What measures need to be taken make sure productive incentives are in place? Carbon Policies to discuss.

A full copy this paper can be found on our Resources page under Carbon Policies.

Searchinger, Timothy D., Hamburg, Steven P., Melillo, Jerry, Chameides, William , Havlik, Petr, Kammen, Daniel M., et al. "Fixing a Critical Climate Accounting Error" Science Vol. 326. 23 Oct. 2009: 527-528