American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009
Advisor
Semester
This group researched the efforts of the federal government to promote clean energy, more energy efficient technology, global warming pollution reduction, and to create an economy based in these practices. Several goals of the bill are: 1) Requiring utilities to use renewable energy for 6% of their power generation in 2012 and 25% by 2025, 2) To make clean coal a reality, 3) Provide greater incentives for electric vehicles, 4) Further installation of Smart Grid and Electricity Transmission. Throughout the presentation, the students stressed the fact that global warming is a public policy problem because of its multiple components. Global warming can cause significant disruption to environmental, social, and economic systems throughout the world. Success of the program can be measured in reductions in economy-wide emissions and atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases, improvement in environmental conditions, and improvements in nation's resilience to impacts of global warming. The students concluded that the Bill reflects a compromise between political debate and scientific uncertainty and if passed through the Senate, will mark a federal policy precedent.