Green Policy Recommendations Sent to Obama

Nearly 30 environmental, science and conservation groups presented their top policy recommendations to President-elect Barack Obama’s transition team this week. Representing millions of Americans, the groups provided a document laying out recommendations on key federal agencies and issues, including land, air, water, oceans and public health.

The document reflects President-elect Obama’s early indications that he will take bold measures to harness American ingenuity to solve the economic, climate and energy crises. The document demonstrates agreement with Obama’s call to increase investment in clean, renewable energy as his top priorities. Such investments would re-power America and help stabilize the economy over the long-term.

"In November, Americans made their preference clear that the federal government has a critical role to play in unleashing homegrown, innovative energy solutions that would create new jobs, reduce global warming pollution and cut our nation’s dependence on oil," the groups said in a joint statement. "We welcome this opportunity to collaborate with the transition team, and to work with President-elect Obama to move America forward and re-engage with the international community to reverse eight years of environmental neglect."

The organizations urge:

* establishment of a federal carbon cap-and-trade system, which would limit carbon emissions and provide incentives for companies to reduce global warming pollution. Such a system is critical to address climate change and raise revenue needed to transition to a clean energy economy.

* quickly restore scientific integrity at federal agencies. Under the Bush administration, political appointees routinely distorted and suppressed the work of federal scientists to justify administration decisions. President-elect Obama should ensure that federal science agencies’ decisions be based on science, not politics.

* reinvest in America’s commitment to protecting human health and the environment. Investing in clean water, clean air and conservation not only makes sound fiscal sense, it also offers the opportunity to create new environmental jobs, boost local economies and protect America’s natural heritage.

The Demand Response and Smart Grid Coalition (DRSG) also released policy recommendations which will help policymakers meet their goals in the areas of economic stimulus, infrastructure enhancement, green jobs creation and climate change mitigation.

Many key parties are urging that the smart grid be among the first areas taken up by policy makers.

Among their 21 proposals are:

* establish a Reduction Tax Credit (RTC), whereby eligible parties would receive a tax credit for every kilowatt hour (kWh) of electricity reduced, just as wind and other renewable resources receive a Production Tax Credit (PTC) for every kWh produced.

Just as the PTC has helped lift and support the renewable energy industry, an RTC would do the same for the demand response and smart grid industry.

* create a Smart Grid Infrastructure Fund, modeled after the System Benefit Funds that exist in many states which are dedicated for use on energy efficiency and renewable energy activities. It would accelerate the production and deployment of smart meters and other smart grid technologies, and help create the green jobs that come with them.

* As Congress moves to establish a national Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS), DRSG urges that special recognition be given to (1) the ability of demand response to reduce higher value "peak" kWh (as opposed to average kWh) and (2) complement and support the increased deployment of intermittent renewable resources that do not provide on-peak power.

DRSG specifically urges that on-peak kWh reductions be provided with multiple credits in line with their higher value, providing a targeted incentive to develop demand response resources and deploy their enabling technologies.

* recognize the essential role of smart meters and other smart grid technologies in verifying CO2 reductions achieved through reductions of electricity use. 

With CO2 reductions being more seriously monetized under new carbon-constraining policies, it becomes much more important that they be more precisely measured and verified.

www.drsgcoalition.org