SI
SI
discoversearch

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor.  We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community.  If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.
Politics : Formerly About Advanced Micro Devices -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?


To: tejek who wrote (543008)1/12/2010 4:15:25 PM
From: RetiredNow  Read Replies (2) | Respond to of 1574356
 
It's hard to say. Investors, entrepreneurs, and Silicon Valley types are 100% with Obama on the need for a massive push into renewable energy. However, at least 1/4 of Dem Senators are in coal and oil states, which make it politically difficult for them to support Obama. Then 100% of the GOP is for a status quo on energy policy that favors oil and coal. So no matter how you slice it, Cap and Trade is probably dead, the gasoline tax was never alive, and doing anything about Global Warming is iffy.

The best the Dems are going to be able to do is to pass something that focuses on tax incentives and jobs in the renewable energy arena. That means far less than what we were all hoping for. The other thing that Obama can do is to continue to support the EPA's moves to drive regulatory policies that favor renewable energy. That's an end run around the need for legislation, but that has its own problems too.

The bottom line is that the best policy is one that is top down and unifies the rules to create a predictable and level playing field for all energy companies. If we could do that, then renewable energy would take off faster than it has already started to do, and then maybe we could catch up with China.

We'll see. Will Obama play it safe going into the 2010 mid-term elections? Or will he go for broke and pass the best renewable energy legislation that he can get before then, while he still has a super-majority. I'd bet he'll play it safe, disappointing me yet again.