Top Senate lawmakers see chance to revamp US energy policy

The United States needs to update its energy policy to reflect the boom in natural gas and oil production that has boosted manufacturing jobs, said the top Democrat on the Senate energy committee on Thursday.

Ron Wyden, who is in line to take over the panel's gavel in January, said he sees the opportunity for "transformative energy policy" to both spur jobs created by the newfound wealth of energy while also protecting air and water from pollution.

Will the new bill increase US energy sector competitiveness?

Renewable energy companies could get some of the same tax and funding benefits that fossil fuel companies enjoy under a bill now before the U.S. Congress.

The Master Limited Partnerships Parity Act would let renewable companies form businesses that are taxed as a partnership yet can be publicly traded as stock.

This means they could get more investment and pay less tax.

Energy and economic development measures become a law

Gov. Neil Abercrombie has signed into law bills that are aimed to move Hawaii forward in reducing its dependence on imported oil.

Two of the measures enacted are Senate Bills 2785 and 2787, which were among the governor’s priority bills this past session.

“I want to thank the Legislature for recognizing the commitment that is needed to act now to move ahead with renewable energy projects that will benefit the State of Hawaii,” Abercrombie said. “These measures are critical in addressing our sustainability. We must view our islands as interdependent and remain open to all renewable projects. My Administration is seeking long-term infrastructure investments that ensure our electric grids are stable, reliable and modern enough to integrate all available alternative and renewable energy technologies.”

New tax break strategy for green energy

If you can't beat Big Oil, join 'em. That's part of a pragmatic new green energy strategy that seeks tax breaks for renewable power that were once limited to fossil fuels and biofuels.

Energy experts view the effort as a realistic approach to Congress' partisan gridlock. Demands to kill all tax subsidies for oil, gas and coal are out. Attempts to extend those subsidies throughout the entire energy industry are in.

Hawaii bills aim to reduce oil use, energy costs

Legislation before Hawaii's governor could expand geothermal energy production across the state.

The pending measures could increase the geothermal output on all islands by amending the Hawaii State Planning Act to encourage development of geothermal energy on state and public trust land.

Mexico leading the way for energy change

Mexico’s Climate and Energy Law

Canada and the US should take a closer look at their southern sister nation’s environmental protocols. Last week, Mexico’s senate approved a groundbreaking climate and energy law, becoming the second country in the world to approve strict guidelines for environmental sustainability. Initially passing Mexico’s lower house with a 128-for and 10-against vote, the Senate approved the bill with a unanimous 78-0 vote on April 19th. Mexico’s President, Felipe Calderon, is set to finalize the bill in the near future.

The end of clean energy subsidies?

The federal government has given generously to the clean energy industry over the last few years, funneling billions of dollars in grants, loans and tax breaks to renewable power sources like wind and solar, biofuels and electric vehicles. “Clean tech” has been good in return.

During the recession, it was one of the few sectors to add jobs. Costs of wind turbines and solar cells have fallen over the last five years, electricity from renewables has more than doubled, construction is under way on the country’s first new nuclear power plant in decades. And the United States remains an important player in the global clean energy market.

GOP congressional reps ‘energized’ over legislation

Three Republican members of the Colorado congressional delegation have proposed three bills to streamline and enhance domestic energy production. But critics of the so-called “Three Stooges” of energy bills say the proposed legislation moves away from long-term solutions in the name of a quick political opportunity to attack President Barack Obama’s administration and Democratic proposals in a tightly contested election year.

Governor Phil Bryant on Mississippi’s new energy proposal

Gov. Phil Bryant stressed the importance of Mississippi's thriving energy sector in Biloxi today at the Gulf Coast Energy Summit.

"Other states envy Mississippi's role as an energy powerhouse," Bryant said. "Mississippi has become a model for other states because of our success in developing both traditional and renewable energy sources.

Wind power still gets lower public subsidies than fossil fuel tax breaks

Public subsidies for the development of wind power in the UK are dwarfed by the tax breaks enjoyed by fossil fuels, a new Guardian analysis has revealed. Financial support for fledgling renewable energy industries has increasingly come under attack in recent months, but the new data shows that the older industries benefit to a far greater extent.

Gas, oil and coal prices were subsidised by £3.63bn in 2010, according to data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development , whereas offshore and onshore wind received £0.7bn in the year from April 2010. All renewables in the UK benefited from £1.4bn over the same period, according to data from the Department of Energy and Climate Change (Decc).

Keystone fight continues as Obama Administration touts need for energy policy

As I sat with several others at a lunch table last week with Secretary of Energy Steven Chu, who was about to address the City Club of Cleveland, I received a text message that the Obama administration's decision on the Keystone XL pipeline was coming that afternoon. And with that decision to deny the pipeline permit, it was fitting that Chu spoke that day of Obama's plan to reduce oil imports by one-third by 2025, modernize the electric grid, support fuel-efficient vehicles, and invest in renewable energy and energy efficiency.

Montana: County commissioners support Public Lands Renewable Energy Act

In addressing our country’s debt crisis, the President and Congress need look no further than the great state of Montana. Our diversified economy must be a marvel to behold in states that are making desperate attempts to balance their budgets on the backs of taxpayers. Montana is one of only 12 states operating in the black with a projected $426.7 million surplus for fiscal year 2011.

Japanese Energy Policy After Fukushima

On December 16, 2011, the government announced that the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant finally achieved a state of "cold shutdown" following the world's worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl. It marked the latest in a series of energy-related developments since the "Great East Japan Earthquake" shook northeastern Japan on March 11, leaving in its wake thousands dead, vast property destruction, and a destabilized nuclear power plant owned and operated by Tokyo Electric Power Corp.

EU invades US for energy resource – offshore wind

By Susan Kraemer 

Not content with dominating the European off-shore renewable energy industry, European juggernauts of offshore wind have landed on the shores of Maine where they want to see if the US is good at making off-shore wind power too.

World: 10 reasons renewable energy may beat the projections

Five percent? That's the EIA's projected global increase in renewable energy generation by the year 2035. You'd think that nearly 30 years of technological, business and environmental inroads would make a bigger dent in the world's future energy mix.

Aren’t we supposed to be living the solar dream by then? Won’t we be driving to the beach in algae-powered vehicles? Won’t we all revel in our views of majestic wind turbines? The utopian vision of our energy future may not exist in our lifetimes, but it has to have a better outlook than the one released this week.