Green energy cut in the new stimulus package
By Susan Wilson
The House and Senate reached a compromise on the new economic stimulus bill. First, they both agreed to reduce the overall amount from $838 billion to $789 billion. That meant a lot of cuts throughout the bill including many that affect the funds that were geared towards the green energy sector.
CNN reported all of the cuts in the bill including many that will impact various schools and local governments, museums and various agencies.
Some of the worst cuts came in sections of the bill that would have promoted many areas of green technology growth. For instance, the original bill called for $7 billion to be spent to make federal buildings more energy efficient. That amount was reduced to $3.5 billion. Sadly this means that many cost saving and energy saving applications that might have been implemented will either be deferred or scrapped altogether. Since improving energy efficiency also saves tax payer money, while providing work, this was a sad compromise.
Some other green areas took hits as well. The $600 million that was originally allotted for a federal fleet of hybrid vehicles was reduced to $300 million. Since many of the vehicles purchased would have meant large purchases of American made hybrid vehicles, the hoped for a boost in sales of the Big Three car manufacturers will be minimized.
Other items were cut entirely like the $1 billion for Energy Loan Guarantees, $50 million for NASA, $50 million for aquaculture, $100 million for science, $200 million for the National Science Foundation, and $50 million for Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service.
All of these areas provide research and money for new technologies and environmental initiatives. Cutting these funds out of the new stimulus plan will slow down or stop many projects that would have provided new fuel technologies, environmentally sound farming techniques and more energy efficient products. Worst of all, trimming these areas limits job growth.
The stimulus or fallout from this bill will not be fully known until several months from now.
During President Obama’s speech on Monday night he feared that the final bill passed would not be large enough to provide the jolt that our economy needs. Let’s hope that when they trimmed this bill, Congress didn’t damage our future.
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February 12th, 2009
There could be no better investment in America than to invest in America becoming energy independent! We need to utilize everything in out power to reduce our dependence on foreign oil including using our own natural resources. Create cheap clean energy, new badly needed green jobs, and reduce our dependence on foreign oil. The high cost of fuel this past year seriously damaged our economy and society. The cost of fuel effects every facet of consumer goods from production to shipping costs. After a brief reprieve gas is inching back up. OPEC will continue to cut production until they achieve their desired 80-100. per barrel. If all gasoline cars, trucks, and SUV’s instead had plug-in electric drive trains, the amount of electricity needed to replace gasoline is about equal to the estimated wind energy potential of the state of North Dakota. There is a really good new book out by Jeff Wilson called The Manhattan Project of 2009 Energy Independence Now.
February 12th, 2009
There could be no better investment in America than to invest in America becoming energy independent! We need to utilize everything in out power to reduce our dependence on foreign oil including using our own natural resources. Create cheap clean energy, new badly needed green jobs, and reduce our dependence on foreign oil. The high cost of fuel this past year seriously damaged our economy and society. The cost of fuel effects every facet of consumer goods from production to shipping costs. After a brief reprieve gas is inching back up. OPEC will continue to cut production until they achieve their desired 80-100. per barrel. If all gasoline cars, trucks, and SUV’s instead had plug-in electric drive trains, the amount of electricity needed to replace gasoline is about equal to the estimated wind energy potential of the state of North Dakota. There is a really good new book out by Jeff Wilson called The Manhattan Project of 2009 Energy Independence Now.
February 12th, 2009
oops sorry about the double post