With the Demcratic National Convention underway in Denver, Barack Obama’s energy platform is coming into focus, and the nomination of Senator Joe Biden of Delaware for Vice President is a good indication that renewable energy and the environment will get top billing, if the Democrats win in November.
The Democratic Party has adopted Obama’s energy platform calling for an economy-wide cap-and-trade program to reduce greenhouse gases 80% by 2050–the level recommended by climate scientists.
It would also set a goal of producing 10% of U.S. electricity from renewable sources by 2012 and 25% by 2025.
In addition, the plan calls for $150 billion investment in clean energy technologies over the next 10 years with the goal of creating 5 million new green jobs.
Also, Obama said he would push for a windfall profits tax on oil companies that would be used to provide a $1,000 emergency energy rebate to American families.
Senator Biden also brings impressive credentials to the table. In addition to his experience as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, he has pushed for progressive energy initiatives.
During his own presidential campain last year, Biden said, if elected, he would make the nation’s energy crisis his top priority. Plus, he has been pushing for the U.S. to take a leadership role in international climage change negotiations.
He has introduced legislation to create an international fund for clean technology with a $2 billion U.S. contribution. He has also introduced a bill calling for the U.S. to invest $100 million a year over five years on research and development for lithium-ion batteries to be used in electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles.
In a Senate hearing last month, Biden stated that off-shore drilling would do very little to reduce gas prices, noting that OPEC could simply reduce it’s supply to keep prices elevated. "We cannot drill our way out of this," he said.
Biden also supports a U.S. renewable portfolio standard requiring 20% of the nation’s electricity supply to come from clean power.
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