Given the gridlock in Washington, government action in The War Against Oil is playing out in state legislatures. (Picture from Treehugger.)
I have been critical of many of these actions. I criticized Colorado for giving away control to an old-style electrical grid. I dumped on Iowa and other states for giving in to special pleaders — corn, coal, even wind.
So what can states do, right now, to fight the War Against Oil?
Here are some simple things states can do now:
- Take an energy inventory and identify steps that reduce costs. Prioritize them based on payback period and spend the money.
- Encourage every home and business in your state to do the same thing.
- Pay for some demonstration projects in the form of a contest, whoever makes the most energy at the lowest cost, including environmental cost, gets the prize.
Back in the 1970s there were stunts like wearing Guayaberas in the summer or sweaters in the winter. These had a minimal impact on real costs and ended up making the people involved look really bad. They were easy to lampoon.
On the other hand, insulating buildings in the South so they conform to standards of the North would save billions of dollars. Why aren’t we doing it?
Obviously the first and second ideas are the most sound and the most
practical. It is really amazing just how fast we can reduce demand for
hydrocarbons, and the short-term impact that will have on the market,
if we set our minds to it. And states can lead the way by setting a
good example.
Ideas like floor prices, hydrogen planning, subsidies and grants are
not where states should be involved. Let’s do the easy stuff first. And
there is a lot of easy stuff to do.
The problem with the easy stuff is that it’s not sexy. It doesn’t
generate cash in the pockets of lobbyists, or special pleaders. But
it’s effective, it’s good government, and it’s something every state
should be doing right now.
