Platts Energy Week: Obama hints at reshaping methods to implement energy agenda
Washington - September 27, 2010
Also on Sunday’s program: New fuel efficiency standards expected and US rare earth metals compete with China
The White House is likely to follow through on indications it will address major energy and environmental goals through smaller pieces of legislation rather than a comprehensive climate-change bill, a former energy aide to President Barack Obama said Sunday on Platts Energy Week, an all-energy television program.
“I've personally been an advocate of the general policy of getting a price on carbon for the last decade," Jason Grumet said on the TV program.
"I think that in fact is the only way you can stimulate the free market to develop and innovate at a scale that's necessary to deal with this issue. Unfortunately, the politics of the possible just wasn't there," Grumet said.
"And I think you will see post-election...a movement away from these overarching, existential policy efforts toward...practical but aggressive options," Grumet added.
Obama, in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine published last week, said he might pursue implementation of his energy and environment agenda in "chunks" rather than sweeping bills, like cap-and-trade legislation for greenhouse gas emissions that passed the House last year but died in the Senate this year.
Grumet, the president of the Bipartisan Policy Center, a Washington think tank, and an adviser to Obama on energy and environment during the president's election campaign, said tougher government standards for energy efficiency and a national standard for use of renewable energy in electricity generation are among the issues that enjoy support from Democrats and Republicans alike.
"You do have some broad-based congressional support for significant components of energy legislation that was moving forward," he said. "It was just overshadowed by what has become a very polarizing and toxic debate about the cap."
Karen Harbert, the president of the Institute for 21st Century Energy at the US Chamber of Commerce, said Obama's remarks in the Rolling Stone interview reflect public opposition to his climate-change policy.
"People were ringing the bells and I don't think anyone was listening," Harbert said. "Now the message is in. Let's hit the re-set button and do things that are good for the economy, don't raise the costs and over time improve our energy security."
Like Grumet, Harbert said energy-efficiency initiatives enjoy broad support in Congress. She added the increased government support for nuclear and renewable energy and other "clean energy" options would also find favor on Capitol Hill. To watch the full discussion, click here.
In addition to overarching energy policy, Sunday’s program also looked at the Obama administration’s expected announcement of plans to consider rising substations fuel efficiency standards for cars and other vehicles in the coming years. Loveless spoke with Mark Cooper, director of research for the Consumer Federation of America and Charles Territo, communications director for the Auto Alliance about prospects for fuel economy standards. Watch the full discussion here.
Also on the program was Jim Sims, communications director for Molycorp, the second largest producer of rare earth metals about the company's plans to compete with China. He speaks with Bill about the company’s operations in the industry. Click here to watch the full interview.
This week’s Market Spotlight looked at the coal industry’s continued role in utility industry. Click here to watch the full segment.
Platts Energy Week
airs weekly at 8 a.m. Eastern time on Sunday mornings on W*USA 9 TV in Washington, D.C. and is available online at www.plattsenergyweektv.com shortly thereafter. The program follows an interview format featuring guests from the Obama administration, Congress, government agencies, think tanks, the investment community and the energy industry. Host Bill Loveless, long-time chief editor of Platts’ Inside Energy, brings nearly three decades of energy journalism experience to the anchor chair.
Program information, special news features, advertising contacts and more can be found at www.plattsenergyweektv.com. Guest booking and related inquiries should be addressed to this email box: plattsenergyweektv@platts.com.
Platts Energy Week is produced by Platts, the world’s leading source of information and intelligence on energy and related commodities and a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies [NYSE: MHP], and W*USA 9TV, the Washington, D.C., CBS affiliate and flagship television station of Gannett Co. [NYSE: GCI]. While the program is U.S. focused and produced in Washington, it reflects the global vantage point of Platts, whose correspondents are stationed in such major capitals as London, Dubai, Singapore, Tokyo and Moscow.
Additional information about Platts and the energy sector can be found at the Platts website at www.platts.com. For more on W*USA 9 News Now, visit the W*USA website at www.wusa9.com.
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