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What the Mid-term Elections Mean for Geothermal Energy
The geothermal energy association sees promise in the coming years.
The results from the 2010 midterm elections show a positive outlook for geothermal energy. Both at the federal and state levels, there will be continued support for the policies and programs needed to expand geothermal production in the United States. Republicans taking control of the House will likely increase support for action on extending tax credits – a top priority for the geothermal industry. The House Republicans energy blueprint, the American Energy Act, proposes making the renewable production tax credit permanent, which is important for continued growth. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid proposed similar legislation in a previous Congress. The on-again, off-again history of renewable tax incentives undermines investment in new geothermal projects and their supporting manufacturing, drilling, and construction industries. In addition, the new House of Representatives is anticipated to provide strong oversight of agency processes and support streamlining of areas of persistent bureaucratic delay. Reducing bureaucratic delays can only help move new geothermal projects forward. In both the House and Senate, key geothermal supporters won re-election, several by significant margins. We believe this reflects that their efforts to support more clean, domestic geothermal power production were recognized by their constituents. At the state level, the election results also brought positive developments. In California voters rejected Proposition 23—which would have suspended the state’s historical climate law. Not only does this demonstrate public support for action on climate change, but it means there will be a strong market for clean, reliable geothermal power in California where geothermal continues to be the leading renewable power provider.
The information and views expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of RenewableEnergyWorld.com or the companies that advertise on its Web site and other publications.
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Karl Gawell
Recent Opinion & Commentary |
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The Republicans are well known for being aggressively unfriendly anti-environmentalists and I think they will do anything they can to ensure oil, coal, and natural gas remains the leading producers of the energy grid - no matter how much pollution it produces or how much of our environment it destroys. The Republicans also believe that global warming is a democratic hoax and preventing it is a strain on the American tax payer, so why would they do anything to curb greenhouse gases?
The Republicans are more into nuclear reactors that can take as much as $50 billion of taxpayers money to build just one and do another $50 billion in damages to the land in extracting the radioactive rocks to power all the reactors we would need to produce a fraction of the power this country needs.
That $50 billion it takes to build just one nuclear reactor can build enough Geothermal power plants that can produce 2,000 times the power America uses in a year. So let's wait and see if the Republicans will continue to spew Bush's toxic scare tactic venom or actually do what is needed to get America away from all fossil fuels as fast as possible.