Energy:

The great potential and risk in Reid’s big, bold, green push

Wed, Dec 3, 2008 (2 a.m.)

Go forth, cooperate, Reid advises leaders (10-29-2008)
Reid continues to hammer McCain on renewable energy (9-8-2008)
Reid summit in green spotlight (8-16-2008)
Renewable energy will shape future of state, world (8-3-2008)

Sen. Harry Reid: Energy

Washington — Here’s a strategy for either great success or a political flop: Assemble some of the best and brightest thinkers on a policy issue, ask for their legislative wish lists and tell them you will deliver.

That is essentially what Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid did at an energy policy forum here Tuesday — the latest episode in his increasingly high-stakes goal of pushing the country toward a new energy future.

Reid has asserted himself on energy issues since becoming majority leader two years ago, putting his political capital on the line in Nevada and nationally in a way that is raising expectations for a green revolution.

With President-elect Barack Obama talking about vast investment in the “energy economy” and expanded Democratic majorities in Congress, clean energy advocates say the time to deliver is now.

One participant at the forum said Washington has just a two-year window of political good will to show results. Others said the window will be open only a year. The Democratic majority in Congress is not likely to get any bigger than it is now. And by early 2010, the midterm congressional campaign season will be under way.

So the pressure is on Reid.

“He has got to produce — and he knows that,” said Matthew Bennett, executive director of Third Way, a Washington think thank that hosted Reid’s policy forum on Tuesday.

The event drew three dozen leaders from across the energy spectrum — labor leaders, utility companies, oil and gas industry representatives, environmentalists, academics, and wind and solar energy producers. Energy advisers to Obama participated, as did Nevadans.

Participants discussed investment in green energy to create new jobs; a national requirement on the amount of renewable energy each state must use, as is the law in Nevada, and a cap on carbon emissions that cause climate change.

Many believe the promised $400 billion economic stimulus package, the first order of business for Obama and the new Congress in January, will include a hefty amount of public spending and tax breaks for green energy.

Reid said he could envision as much as $100 billion of that package going toward energy.

“For me, that would certainly be appropriate,” Reid said. “With the new president and Congress we have a great opportunity to abandon the baby steps and embrace some giant leaps forward.”

Gene Karpinski, president of the League of Conservation Voters, said Reid, like Obama, is doing well in pushing the nexus between energy, the economy and national security.

“No one has done more than Leader Reid to really highlight and raise the profile of that vision,” he said.

Yet Reid’s prominence on energy issues is not without risk nationally and in Nevada, where his views have detractors who could give him political problems as he heads toward his own reelection in 2010.

Reid convened a high-profile energy summit this summer in Nevada, drawing in former President Bill Clinton, oilman-turned-windman T. Boone Pickens and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg to discuss such issues.

A few weeks later he gave a purposely partisan, prime-time speech on energy at the Democratic National Convention. His opposition to four proposed coal-fired power plants in Nevada has touched off a divisive debate in the state particularly among rural residents who support the plants as potential jobs centers.

At one point, he became a YouTube sensation in a not-so-favorable-way when he declared, “Coal makes us sick.”

“The story in 2010 will be what did the new Congress, working with the new president, really get done,” Karpinski said. “That’s a challenge, but it’s an opportunity.”

Discussion: 7 comments so far…

By Future2012

12/3/08 at 7:50 a.m.

Suggest removal

Will Reid continue to rant against a reasonable multi-year transition plan to move away from carbon-releasing base loaded power plants?

He keeps promoting base loaded solar and wind which to replace coal, oil, and natural gas would need battery and transmission capability that does not exist.

Harry Reid continues to ignore hydrogen fuel cells (http://www.energy.gov/energysources/hydr...) that avoid these issues and are very local in nature.

If Reid wants to put a solar panel on every public and private building that would be okay.

Hydrogen can be produced from diverse domestic feedstocks using a variety of process technologies.

Hydrogen-containing compounds such as fossil fuels, biomass or even water can be a source of hydrogen. Thermochemical processes can be used to produce hydrogen from biomass and from fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas and petroleum.

Power generated from sunlight, wind and nuclear sources can be used to produce hydrogen electrolytically.

Sunlight alone can also drive photolytic production of hydrogen from water, using advanced photoelectrochemical and photobiological processes.

In the DOE Office of Science's basic research program, a major emphasis is placed on fundamental understanding of photoinduced water splitting that uses the energy of sunlight to separate water into hydrogen and oxygen by semiconductors or photocatalytic assemblies.

To enable more efficient, lower-cost fossil-based hydrogen production, fundamental research in catalysis, membranes, and gas separation are being emphasized.
By Bighorn

12/3/08 at 8:08 a.m.

Suggest removal

Senator Reid is hiding behind the word, green. His plan will actually destroy tens of thousands of acres of habitat, access to public lands and his rush to run powerlines all over Nevada will result in issues of private property siezure and eminent domain. The ecological destruction of what he wants to do will change the beauty of Nevada forever. Reid is not a friend of the environment or Nevada. His political strong-arming tactics are right out of the Bush Administration. He wants to put wet cooled parabolic trough solar plants everywhere. These plants are very costly to operate and use 5 acre feet of water per megawatt. Nevada does not have that much water. Your power bill will certianly rise because of Reid. Solar can be kept on roof top and areas in cities that have already been developed, but the democrats refuse to listen to this. There are enough developed areas to do this. Putting solar plants far away from urban areas will just require more oil to maintain. This will only add to global climate change. Please look at this web site. It explains the ecological destruction that the democrats green energy fiasco is going to cause: http://www.basinandrangewatch.org/SolarD...
By NyeCountyLocal

12/3/08 at 8:35 a.m.

Suggest removal

I just heard an opinion on the news that a company that leases solar panels for home use is not allowed by Nevada law to sell in Nevada. That's ridiculous! I hired a Reno company to give me a quote on making my house solar-powered, but the price tag was too much-- $40k for not even off-the-grid. That would have been if I had bought the parts and labor from them. Now leasing would be a way more affordable idea to get my home solar. I guess it's all about pleasing corporate investors, not helping the little guy with electric bills.
By texexnv

12/3/08 at 9:06 a.m.

Suggest removal

As an "energy summit" this is obviously the second great flop the Boss has convened.

But as a fundraiser in assembling his PACS at taxpayer expense this is Boss Reid as usual putting his insatiable needs for PAC$$$$$ above the NevaDUH voters.

Jeez...will 2010 ever get here?
By neiman1

12/3/08 at 11:01 a.m.

Suggest removal

Harry Reid is the most responsible for driving fuel costs up be 300% last year. harry's sell out to his campaign contributors that have invested billions in the "green" technology will now be rewarded and gasoline costs will rise again. With every increase in fuel costs the visitors to Nevada go down and with it our jobs. Reject harry Reid and turn Nevada back to a green machine with visitors dollars
By mikegino

12/3/08 at 12:57 p.m.

Suggest removal

Prediction: Nevada will continue to have one of the worst economies in the nation in 2010 and the voters will send Senator packing in favor of change and a new face. His time has run out.