Abstract: Government spending has been spiraling upward—and spending by nearly all government agencies can, and should, be cut. President Obama has just submitted his 2013 budget request to Congress, providing fertile ground for spending cuts.The Department of Energy (DOE), with its many research, development,…
Abstract: A major public concern about nuclear reactors has been that the spent nuclear fuel could remain stranded at the reactor site indefinitely. In the 1970s, courts prohibited the Nuclear Regulatory Commission from licensing new reactors unless it assured the public that the waste…
Revised and Updated on January 12, 2012 Download a PDF version with hyperlinks to House and Senate Appropriations Committee documents: Appropriations Tracker: FY 2012 Designed to inform American policymakers and citizens, the…
Abstract: The Clean Energy Deployment Administration (CEDA) proposed in the Clean Energy Financing Act would act as a “green bank” to provide loan guarantees to energy and automotive projects that Washington deems worthy. Similar to President Obama’s proposed infrastructure bank, in effect, CEDA would…
Abstract:The Blue Ribbon Commission on America's Nuclear Future has just released its recommendations on how to resolve America's nuclear waste dilemma. The Blue Ribbon Commission has provided some sound analysis and introduced some new ideas, but overall, it has focused more…
Abstract: An electromagnetic pulse (EMP) over the United States could end modern life in America overnight. Whether caused by an enemy attack (a nuclear device detonated above the atmosphere) or by a natural phenomenon (a geomagnetic storm), an EMP can cause entire regions of…
The House and Senate are considering bills that are meant to help development of small and modular nuclear reactors (SMRs). These new reactors could provide all of the attractive qualities of large reactors—such as being safe, emissions-free sources of electricity—but at lower upfront costs with greater flexibility. Unfortunately, the two…
Testimony before Subcommittee on Energy and Power Committee on Energy and Commerce United States House of Representatives June 3, 2011 …
In his fiscal year (FY) 2012 budget request, President Obama proposed to end subsidies for oil companies by eliminating tax breaks, including accelerated depreciation options. A growing number of policymakers have echoed that call. Though the President’s anti-subsidy rhetoric is on track, there are several fundamental problems…
Abstract: Government spending has been spiraling upward in nearly all areas—and spending by most government agencies can, and should, be cut. President Obama recently submitted his 2012 budget request to Congress, providing fertile ground for spending cuts. One of the fastest-growing federal agencies, the…
Senator Harry Reid’s (D–NV) re-election campaign against Sharron Angle provides a historic new opportunity to establish a new Yucca Mountain policy that benefits Nevadans and the U.S. Unfortunately, the omnibus spending bill currently under consideration would de-fund the program. While Reid’s staunch opposition to the project has brought it close…
Responding to the BP oil leak, President Obama instituted a moratorium on deepwater (over 500 feet) drilling. Though a judge ruled against the moratorium, drilling has not restarted. In addition, though no official moratorium was issued for drilling in shallower water, the permitting process has slowed considerably.[1] …
The Energy Department’s inspector general released a report recently highlighting the lack of financial oversight in...…
A congressional hearing on May 16 exposed further details on just the kind of political maneuvering that was going on...…
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, a division of the Interior Department, is considering loosening regulations on the...…
A financially troubled green energy company has seen its stock prices plummet to below a dollar per share (UPDATE: see...…
When insurance giant AIG paid lucrative bonuses to top executives after receiving federal support, President Obama...…
The General Services Administration blew through $820,000 in taxpayers' money in a lavish "team building" trip to Las...…
The Energy Department has yet to comply with a congressional request for information on a stimulus-backed company under...…
In a speech yesterday in Elyria, Ohio -- a small town just outside Cleveland sitting at the forks of the Black River...…
In his time in office, President Obama has made some seriously bad proposals and decisions on energy policy, and...…
The final part of a three-part series. As Scribe noted in part two of our series on Ecotality, a company spokeswoman...…