How Will Renewables Fare in the New Political Environment?

[jpak]

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/story?id=54014

Americans have heard the Presidential and Congressional candidates talk about renewable energy for the last 24 months. Now it's up to Democrats to live up to the talk.

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President-elect Barack Obama and Democrats in the House and Senate will have many items on the clean-energy agenda in 2009. Extending the Production Tax Credit, creating a Renewable Portfolio Standard and passing carbon cap and trade legislation are some of the top goals for lawmakers.

Both parties showed stronger support for clean energy and energy efficiency efforts throughout the campaign season. While the Congressional stalemate over the extension of the Investment and Production Tax Credits tainted the political conversation over renewables in 2008, there was an obvious bi-partisan shift in favor of renewable energy on the campaign trail.

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“President-elect Obama is the first national presidential candidate who has explicitly campaigned for renewable technologies and green jobs– and the U.S. will now more likely embrace more comprehensive policies that will drive these U.S.-created technologies to become integrated into our nation’s energy mix resulting in significantly lower energy imports and greenhouse gas emissions,” said Scott Sklar, President of the Stella Group.

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