My office light switch recently acquired a little sticker that politely reminds me to turn it off when I leave. And over the past year, an edgy Lawn dude and an amicable Bear have been urging Californians to cut back on water use in order to meet our drought-stricken state’s water restrictions (which have to … Continue reading »
energy policy
Keystone XL, energy policy and the job-creation shuffle
Renewable energy proponents and advocates of the Keystone pipeline finally agree on something: that the right way to count “job creation” is to focus narrowly on the jobs in the industry they want to boost and ignore the overall impact on employment. Unfortunately, researchers who actually study employment are not on board. The “green jobs” … Continue reading »
European partnership could signal a new direction for renewable energy
President Francois Hollande of France announced a new renewable energy partnership between the French and German governments last week. The idea, modeled on the Airbus partnership, would expand cooperation between the governments on renewable energy projects. Airbus, which began in the 1960s, was formed as a joint partnership between primarily between French and German corporations, with Dutch … Continue reading »
Ten energy stories to watch in 2014
In our energy law classes at Cal, we like to start the day by talking about Energy in the News. The media never fails us. Every day, there are multiple energy-related stories of significance touching on resource development, new technologies, policy shifts, jobs, regional politics, prices, international relations, or the environment. Once you start looking … Continue reading »
Great expectations: A dozen views of Obama’s second term
As we approach inauguration day next month, I thought it would be interesting to pull together the advice that people are giving him about his second term. Here are some links if you’re interested in what people are hoping for (or in some cases, dreading): From the N.Y. Times, the views of Carol Browner (advocating … Continue reading »
From green governor to conservative candidate: The amazing transformation of Mitt Romney
“EPA New England applauds Governor Romney for his strong environmental leadership.” That quote from EPA’s regional director in 2004 shows the extent of Romney’s transformation in the past eight years. It’s no secret that Mitt Romney’s current views on many issues differ from his actions as Governor of Massachusetts. Still, it’s a bit shocking to … Continue reading »
Romney vs. Obama: Showdown at the auto CAFE
Perhaps lost in the media focus on the Republican convention, the Obama Administration created CAFE standards two months ago. (CAFE stands for Corporate Average Fuel Economy, a fancy name for gas-mileage rules.) Romney immediately attacked the rules. It’s a very revealing – not to mention acrimonious — dispute. According to the Administration, the new standards … Continue reading »
The G.O.P. candidates on energy (and environment)
I’ve taken this information from the websites of some of the Republican contenders. What they say about their policies and records may not be exactly objective, but it’s interesting to see how they’d like to be perceived on environment and energy. Here are four takeaway points: Republican primary voters apparently don’t care very much about … Continue reading »