Small Step, Big Victory on Energy

A majority in both houses of Congress, reflecting the desires of the American people, wants to shift the direction of our energy policy away from the fossil fuel past and towards a renewable energy future.

To that end, the Senate passed an energy bill in June, the House followed in August.

But despite the urgency and overwhelming public support for clean energy, a final bill remained elusive. With special interest lobbies gumming up the works, it took another three months of heavy lifting from congressional leaders [1] and counter-pressure from the grassroots [2], to hammer out a deal that included some of the best parts of each [3].

The preliminary compromise agreement [4] would increase by 2020 the average car and SUV fuel efficiency standards [5] to 35 MPG, the amount of electricity from renewable energy [5] to 15%.

These are just small steps towards ending our addiction to oil, helping us solve the climate crisis, create green-collar jobs, and prevent continued occupation of resource-rich lands.

And it is no by means certain that these small steps will actually become law.

Conservatives in the Senate are still threatening filibuster [6] (though since the whole point of these protracted negotiations was to secure 60 votes, presumably the deal was announced because congressional leaders believe they can overcome conservative obstruction.)

More likely, a final bill will be killed with a veto by President Bush, protecting his father's legacy in the Petroleum Hall of Fame. [7]

But no matter what happens next, getting this far, staring down auto CEOs and standing up to utility CEOs, is a big deal.

And it will be even more significant with an unmistakable filibuster-proof Senate super-majority.

Bottom line: even though we have little time left to solve the climate crisis, no comprehensive solution to the energy crisis will be put into place while Bush sits in the Oval Office. But we can hammer out what needs to be done, and show strong public support through Congress, enabling us to hit the ground running once a new leadership is in Washington.

A change in the Oval Office is critical, but it's not sufficient. Bush is not the lone obstacle to a clean energy economy.

As the past few months show, small steps on energy often gin up enormous battles -- between the public interest and the special interests, and special interests against each other.

But we don't have the time to have enormous battles for every little thing that needs to be done.

We need to build broad and deep public support for specific comprehensive policies, and break the back of the corporate interests standing in the way.

In turn, small victories like this week's deal on the energy bill must be built upon, not be used as excuses for more inaction.

There's still a proposal to provide long-term tax credits for renewable energy [2], paid for by ending handouts to Big Oil -- which appears to be left out of this week's deal, but could live on in another bill.

There's still a need for a strong global warming bill so we can permanently slash carbon pollution -- which the Senate Environment & Public Works Committee [8] is currently drafting and grappling with contentious issues. [9]

Yet the forces for inaction still lurk.

For example, auto CEOs are trying to say that since they failed to stop better fuel efficiency standards, they shouldn't have to comply with better carbon pollution standards [10].

They should be mocked and marginalized, while the rest of us get back to work.