Energy Bill Next Likely Slugfest
Oct 12th, 2009 | By Dawn R. Rivers | Category: TechnologyWhen it comes to controversial, gigantic, game-changing legislation, Congress is not slacking off. When lawmakers are finished with the current health care reform slugfest, there is another major legislative initiative waiting in the wings for the to fight about next. And the probable subject of the next round of mud-slinging is the Clean Energy Jobs & American Power Act of 2009 (S. 1733). The bill, introduced by Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Chair of the Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW), and Senator John Kerry (D-MA), best known to MEJ readers as the former Chair of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, is an 800-plus page work in progress. It has been referred to Chairwoman Boxer’s Committee.
The bill is broad and ambitious. Key provisions include $10 billion over ten years for research and development, worker retraining for jobs in new industries, consumer protections against price fluctuations, implements a carbon pollution reduction goal of 20% by 2020 and 80% by 2050 via cap-and-trade plan. Kerry and Boxer are quick to point out that the cap-and-trade system they have crafted excludes all farms (even corporate farms) and just about every small business in the country. At the same time, small firms and a variety of different types of high tech startups will be able to take advantage of the wealth of opportunity that this sort of concerted investment in new industries should open up. That is, assuming the bill survives an arduous trip through six Senate Committees, past flogging Republicans, to the President’s desk. Stay tuned.
