America's Clean Energy Blueprint

by the Union of Concerned Scientists, Sound Science Initiative

The Union of Concerned Scientists' (UCS) Sound Science Initiative (SSI), a program designed to relay information and action outlets, has been tracking the federal energy debate closely because the Bush Administration's proposed energy plan includes drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR)-one of the world's last areas of pristine wilderness. The energy debate is also relevant to SSI because the United States' energy consumption-and thus emissions of greenhouse gases-has a direct bearing on climate change. It is now very clear that an energy policy is in fact a global warming policy-and the Administration's proposals would do little to reduce emissions.

For both these reasons, the recently-released report by the Union of Concerned Scientists, "Clean Energy Blueprint," may be of interest. The report found that America could produce at least 20 percent of its electricity from wind, solar, geothermal, and biomass energy sources by 2020 and save consumers money, when combined with policies to save energy. If implemented, these policies would reduce carbon dioxide emissions by two-thirds from a business as usual scenario by 2020, as well as save more oil in 18 years than can be economically recovered from ANWR in 60 years.

Released on October 15, the report's findings were endorsed by approximately 175 business groups, energy experts, and environmental and consumer organizations-a resounding show of support for the policies outlined in the Blueprint. Such policies would increase US energy efficiency and renewable energy use, including a renewable portfolio standard that would require electric utilities to increase non-hydropower renewable energy from about two percent today to 20 percent of overall electricity generation by 2020. The report concludes that the adoption of a federal renewable energy standard would help insulate the United States from energy price shocks by diversifying energy supply.

The study found that consumers would save more than $440 billion over the period 2002 to 2020, if a series of energy-efficiency and renewable energy policies recommended in the report were to become law. Energy-efficiency policies are a major component of the Clean Energy Blueprint, including new minimum efficiency standards on appliances and other equipment, tax incentives for advanced energy-saving products, and matching funds for state-based energy-efficiency programs.

The Union of Concerned Scientists' report succinctly illustrates the need for an alternative to the Bush Administration's National Energy Policy, which is heavily focused on increasing fossil fuel production and the construction of hundreds of new power plants. Many components of the Bush Energy plan were incorporated in the Securing America's Future Energy Act (HR 4), passed by the House of Representatives on August 1st.

The Senate Energy Committee had planned on reporting out national energy legislation in September-but the tragic events of September 11, and the subsequent need for bipartisanship, delayed this debate. On October 2, Senator Inhofe (R-OK) attempted to attach an amendment to the Defense Authorization Bill calling for the opening of ANWR to oil and gas drilling. Consideration of this amendment was defeated by a unanimous vote.

After this vote, the Senate Republican leadership called on Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD) to allow for a debate on energy policy this year. At the end of last week, Senator Daschle announced that he had pulled the energy bill out of committee and would be putting together a comprehensive energy bill to bring to the Senate floor, potentially before the end of the current session.

This development creates an important opportunity to adopt the polices called for in UCS' Clean Energy Blueprint. By implementing these polices, we could lessen the pressure to drill in ANWR, reduce our emissions of greenhouse gases, and increase our national security.

The "Clean Energy Blueprint" was created with assistance from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy and the Tellus Institute. The "Blueprint" compares its figures with the forecast of the Energy Information Administration, the same projections used by the Department of Energy.

The report and additional information are available on-line at www.ucsusa.org/energy.

This column originally appeared in November 2001 in the Chico Examiner.