Updates on renewable energy legislation and Bali

The House passed the the Energy Independence and Security Act today. Details of the bill can be found here. Both sides are talking tough, with the White House threatening veto and Senate Republicans filibuster.

Especially contentious is the tax package on oil and natural gas companies and the 15% RPS, for a number of reasons (some economic, some political). Most media outlets are reporting that both issues will be stripped out of the final act. To me, it makes sense that Pelosi would ram through as aggressive a bill as possible, to provide cover and negotiating leverage when a compromise bill is eventually developed. Moving the pendulum as far to one side as possible. Sen. Reid has stated he will quickly act on the legislation. More to come as always...

Meanwhile, in another land far, far away, we see perhaps the first result (internationally) from the recent Australian election and the election of Kevin Rudd as new Prime Minister:

American negotiators at a climate conference came under mounting pressure Thursday to back mandatory caps on greenhouse gases, after Australia threw its support behind deep emission cuts and anti-global warming legislation passed a crucial test in the U.S. Senate

This just seemed more newsworthy to me than the main thrust of the article, which is that the US refuses to concede on mandatory emissions limits at the Bali conference. For anyone who's been following the debate, the US stance is, of course, not news in the slightest.

Finally, my buddy and former boss Nathanael Greene has passed on a quick primer I wrote on LEDs. This also isn't newsworthy, but included here just in case you're hungering for a fact sheet on LEDs. Because really, who isn't hungering for a fact sheet on LEDs?