Post #24: The Greenness of Hope

January 19, 2009

Happy Martin Luther King Day.

Starting tomorrow, with the Obama Presidency, we’ll forget the color of our skin and focus on the greenness of our character—as Martin Luther King might say.

In other words, it looks as if the Obama administration might support green changes.  With real money.

Well, we can hope.
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A few days ago, House Democrats introduced the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.  It proposes an $825 billion fiscal recovery package for these initiatives:
(1) modernize the nation’s infrastructure;
(2) enhance America’s energy independence;
(3) expand educational opportunities;
(4) preserve and improve affordable health care;
(5) provide tax relief; and
(6) protect those in greatest need.

Let’s focus on purpose #2 for this blog.

David Herzenhorn in the New York Times says that $54 billion of this whole package will “encourage energy production from renewable sources.”

That sounds pretty good.

The San Francisco Business Times adds that this $54 billion will be used to develop renewable energy projects and improve the electric grid.   Here’s their breakdown:
•    $8 billion in loan guarantees for renewable energy and transmission projects;
•    $11 billion to improve the electrical grid;
•    $6.9 billion to improve federal buildings and make them more energy efficient;
•    $2 billion in loan guarantees and grants for advanced battery technologies; and
•    $1.5 billion in grants and loans to help schools become more energy efficient.

Better and better.  Making a smart grid and advanced batteries are big deals.  We’ll have much more efficient power for our appliances and electric cars.

Trip Jennings of the New Mexico Independent has read the appropriations report for this stimulus package.  He mentions these other green-related items:
•    $31 billion to modernize federal and other public infrastructure with investments that lead to long-term energy cost savings;
•    $19 billion for clean water, flood control and environmental restoration investments;
•    $10 billion for transit and rail to reduce traffic congestion and gas consumption;
•    $6.9 billion to help state and local governments make investments that make them more energy-efficient and reduce carbon emissions;
•    $2.5 billion for a new program to upgrade low-income housing sponsored by the Department of Housing and Urban Development to increase energy-efficiency, including new insulation, windows and furnaces. Funds will be competitively awarded;
•    $2 billion for energy-efficiency and renewable energy research, development, demonstration and deployment activities to foster energy independence, reduce carbon emissions and cut utility bills. Funds are awarded on a competitive basis to universities, companies and national laboratories;
•    $6.2 billion to help low-income families reduce their energy costs by weatherizing their homes and make our country more energy-efficient;
•    $300 million to provide consumers with rebates for buying energy efficient Energy Star products to replace old appliances, which will lower energy bills;
•    $600 million to replace older vehicles owned by the federal government with alternative fuel automobiles that will save on fuel costs and reduce carbon emissions.
•    $200 million for a new grant program to encourage electric vehicle technologies;
•    $2.4 billion for carbon capture and sequestration technology demonstration projects. This funding will provide valuable information necessary to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere from industrial facilities and fossil-fuel power plants;
•    $350 million for research into using renewable energy to power weapons systems and military bases;
•    $400 million to help state and local governments purchase efficient alternative-fuel vehicles to reduce fuel costs and carbon emissions;
•    $500 million for energy-efficient manufacturing demonstration projects.

Well.  This is definitely more than $54 billion.  No doubt modernizing our infrastructure overlaps with enhancing our energy independence.  Cool.

Anyone who wants to click on Blueprint America, from PBS Reports, can see an even more thorough breakdown of the proposed funds.

Any way you cut it, The House Democrats have put lots of green investment on the table.

Sure, the House Republicans will have their say, and then the Senate will weigh in.  Even so, with the House Democrats’ proposal we’re further toward “can-do” green than I ever thought we’d be, during these last eight discouraging non-green years.

We can hope now.

Happy Presidential Inauguration.