Will Boucher Cash In On Clean Energy Opportunity?

By: TheGreenMiles
Published On: 3/23/2008 6:55:21 PM

As chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Rep. John Dingell (D-MI) will have the most influence of any climate bill that comes before the House this year. But as chairman of the Energy and Air Quality Subcommittee, Rep. Rick Boucher (D-VA) will have nearly as much sway.

An op-ed in today's Bristol Herald Courier calls on Boucher to use his influence to protect Virginia from the worst effects of climate change and spur a clean energy revolution:

The Environmental Protection Agency has predicted that climate change could cause a 40 percent reduction in crop yields in Virginia and cost the state billions in real-estate damage and job losses due to stronger storms and a rising sea level. Higher temperatures and increased evaporation could also cause drier summer conditions and higher rates of disease like West Nile Virus.

Conversely, Virginia – and Southwest Virginia in particular – can benefit from a serious response to global warming. As the region seeks to lure manufacturing jobs, our location, infrastructure and workforce are strong selling points to "green" industries making everything from weather stripping to solar panels. Because ratepayers in Southwest Virginia have seen their energy costs rise faster than other Virginians, an ambitious program to make homes and cars more efficient would also be a shot in the arm for the region’s economy.

With the two key House Democrats representing a car state and a coal state, environmentalists are understandably uneasy. Skeptics say each could use their power to lock in our dependence on dirty fuels and inefficient technologies.

But each has given signals they may play against those stereotypes and take this unique opportunity to leave a clean energy legacy. It'll be a fascinating situation to watch as the House climate bill takes shape in the months ahead.

Comments



Thank you for calling this out ... (A Siegel - 3/24/2008 7:45:25 AM)
that last sentence is absolutely true.  How aligned is it with Bouchers actions in the House over the years?


Election year politics suggests a dry run. (Shenandoah Democrat - 3/24/2008 7:56:42 AM)
I can't imagine that even if the House passes a decent bill the Senate will follow, and of course then there's Bush's veto to deal with. Not to discourage anyone, but the reality is this is really a dry run to see if the House leaders can fashion something acceptable to their more liberal members (like Rep. Ed Markey, chair of the newly-formed climate change committee). I've never seen Congress do much in an election year, especially when it's not a priority of the White House. I think the real deal will be next year with a strong Democratic president and Congress! But right now it will be fascinating indeed to see if Boucher and Dingell come around from their traditional narrow corporate point of view.