| "The energy challenge is much worse than most people realize. The problem is already imposing a heavy burden on our nation-a burden that will become even more costly. The economic, national security, environmental and climate costs of our current energy system will condemn our children to a seriously constrained future unless America makes significant changes to current policies and trends."
Think those are the words of some Sierra Club activist? Nope, they come from a group of corporate leaders including the likes of Bill Gates, chairman of Microsoft, Norm Augustine, former chairman and CEO of Lockheed Martin, Jeff Immelt, chairman and CEO of GE, and Ursula Burns, CEO of Xerox, among others.
These corporate heavyweights banded together to form the American Energy Innovation Council, for the purpose of throwing corporate weight behind the stalled effort to pass clean energy legislation through Congress. Their report and recommendations can be found at http://www.americanenergyinnov...
Their plan would create a national energy strategy board to develop a comprehensive energy plan for he country, and federal spending of $16 billion per year to fund clean energy innovation.
Without these measures, they warn, America faces threats to its international competitiveness, economic stability, national security, and natural environment.
Unfortunately, while the corporate bigwigs emphasize the need for long-term price or market signals to create a stable investment environment, they back away from the question of a carbon tax versus cap and trade or a renewable energy portfolio requirement. This makes it look like they have a very good plan for spending money, but none at all for paying for it. (Guys, we already have lots of those plans around.)
Regardless, it's good to have them on board. |
