What are the positives and negatives of the offshore oil drilling bill was just passed by the House?
Hayden: Bottom line is that Congress needs to put us on a path to a new energy future that will create clean energy jobs in the US, combat global warming and make it so our nation’s energy policy is not held hostage by Big Oil in the future. The Comprehensive American Energy Security Act contained a number of policies that move us in the right direction, including tax credits for electricity produced from wind and solar, incentives for plug-in hybrid vehicles and a National Renewable Electricity Standard (15% by 2020, of which 4% could come from efficiency). The last represents a deal reached in the House on the energy bill a year ago and current state RESs (Renewable Electricity Standard ) on the books are projected by the Union of Concerned Scientists to nearly surpass that goal. Unfortunately, the bill also has a number of policies that move us in exactly the wrong direction. The one everyone has heard about – opening up the Pacific and Atlantic coasts from 100-200 miles automatical
