Energy and Environment: What to expect from an Obama Administration
During the long months leading up to yesterday’s election, energy issues were woven throughout the campaign narrative of the man who was elected the 44th President of the United States. In an interview with Time Magazine late last month, President-elect Barack Obama said, “There is no better potential driver that pervades all aspects of our economy than a new energy economy….That’s going to be my number one priority when I get into office.” President-elect Obama has highlighted his support for renewables and the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and with the support of both a Democratic Senate and House, it is likely that he will be able to implement many of the policies laid out during his campaign. What are President-elect Obama’s energy and environmental positions, and what will they mean for businesses and government agencies?
1872 Mining Law
Stated that law should be updated “to improve environmental protection and require reasonable compensation for the use of federal land, while taking into account the effect of new regulations on this important industry.”
Automobile Emissions and Technology
Fuel Economy Standards (CAFÉ standards)
- Increase federal fuel economy requirements from 35 miles per gallon to 40 miles per gallon by 2020; raise fuel mileage standards 4% each year.
Hybrids
- “Get one million 150-mile-per-gallon plug-in hybrids on our roads within six years.”
Technology
- Give a $7,000 tax credit for the purchase of advance-technology vehicles; put one million plug-in hybrid cars on the road by 2015.
Energy
Ethanol
- Expand federal requirements for ethanol from 36 million gallons to 60 million gallons a year with increase coming from non-corn sources.
Fossil Fuels (Oil, Coal)
- Opposes drilling in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
- Would consider limited expansion of offshore oil and gas drilling.
- Supports development of clean coal technology with low clean carbon and sequestration technology as long at it emits 20% less carbon over its life cycle than conventional fuels.
- Proposes windfall-profits tax on largest oil companies to pay for energy rebate of up to $1,000.
Nuclear Energy
- Supports nuclear power but says we must come up with a solution to deal with radioactive waste; opposes present plan to bury waste at the Yucca Mountain site in Nevada.
Renewable Energy
- Create a 10-year, $150 billion fund for biofuels, wind, solar, plug-in hybrids, clean-coal technology and other "climate-friendly" measures.
- Require utilities to produce 25% of power from renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, and biomass by 2025.
Energy Efficiency
Building construction goals
- Federal Buildings: Require that new federal buildings in the US have zero emissions by 2025 and be 40% more efficient within the next 5 years; improve existing federal buildings efficiency to 25% within 5 years.
- Other buildings (nonfederal): Set a goal for all other new buildings to be carbon neutral by 2030; support a national goal of improving new building efficiency to 50% and existing building efficiency to 25% over the next decade.
Incandescent light bulbs
- Supports phasing out incandescent light bulbs by 2014.
Endangered Species Act (ESA)
Supports maintaining strong protections for the ESA; believes ESA is fundamentally sound. Opposed the current administration’s recent proposed rule change that allows agencies to bypass consultation with US Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service on some projects that may involve impacts to Endangered Species.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Supports mandatory reductions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases by 80% from 1990 levels by 2050 using a market-based, cap-and-trade system. Supports using funds raised from auctioning emission permits to develop and deploy alternative energy technology.
National Environmentally Policy Act (NEPA)
“I support NEPA and do not believe any changes are needed.”
Roadless Area Conservation Rule
Supported the Roadless Area Conservation Rule
Wetlands
Endorsed a “no net loss” policy; supports protecting isolated wetlands.
Other
Environmental Hero: Stated that his environmental heroes are Rachel Carson (author of Silent Spring) and Teddy Roosevelt.
League of Conservation Voters (LCV) rating
A rating of 100% means that the legislature voted in agreement with LCV positions on all votes. (Note: LCV endorsed Barack Obama for President.)
Senator Obama LCV ratings:
- 110th Congress (last Congress): 67% (Note: an absence is counted as a no vote; Barack Obama was absent for 5 of the 15 votes; his vote on the remaining 10 agreed with LCV’s position 9 times.)
- 109th Congress: 96%
- Lifetime score: 86% (19 Senators have a higher score, 80 Senators have a lower score)
