Chairman Henry A. Waxman of the Energy and Commerce Committee and Chairman Edward J. Markey of the Energy and Environment Subcommittee today released a draft of clean energy legislation that will create jobs, help end our dangerous dependence on foreign oil, and combat global warming. The American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (ACES) is a comprehensive approach to America’s energy policy that charts a new course towards a clean energy economy. [editor’s strikethrough – coal isn’t clean or new]
Highlights:
● Calls for 6% renewable energy by 2012 and 25% by 2025.
● Clean fuels and vehicles. Includes biofuels.
● Smart Electricity Grid.
● This ‘clean energy’ bill draft includes support for developing carbon capture and sequestration as a means to “ensure a continuing place for coal in our nation’s energy future”. Perhaps it’s better just to leave the coal in ground in the first place and avoid a whole host of problems.
Excerpt from the draft summary:
“Carbon Capture and Sequestration. The draft promotes development of carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) technologies to ensure a continuing place for coal in our nation’s energy future. CCS is a method of reducing global warming pollution by capturing and injecting underground the carbon dioxide emitted from electricity generation plants that use fossil fuels.”