Senate Stops CleanTech Innovation

The CleanTech Industry and technological innovation were dealt a blow by the U.S. Senate.

Sometimes the quickest ways to adopt or stall a new technology(s) are with Government mandates.

Brushing aside a veto threat from the White House, the House passed a package of energy measures on Thursday that includes a 40 percent increase in fuel economy standards for cars and light trucks sold in the United States. But the measure stalled today in the Senate, as expected.

The bill’s supporters say it will reduce the nation’s dependence on imported oil, jump-start development of clean-energy technologies and sharply reduce the nation’s production of heat-trapping gases like carbon dioxide.

The centerpiece of the bill is a requirement that passenger vehicles sold in the United States achieve a fleet average of 35 miles per gallon by 2020, the first significant increase in mileage standards since 1975.

The bill also contains hefty incentives for a variety of new energy sources and efficiency measures, like wind turbines, solar arrays, plug-in hybrid cars and more fuel-efficient buildings and appliances.

In my opinion, the U.S. has a great opportunity to be competitive again. Reducing our dependence on oil and discovering/developing renewable energy sources is a win-win to the umpth degree. Developing renewable energy sources allows us to rely less on foreign oil AND we are then able to provide/sell next generation energy technology for developing countries.