Fluff & Bluster

"The choice we face is not between saving our environment and saving our economy — it's a choice between prosperity and decline. The nation that leads the world in creating new sources of clean energy will be the nation that leads the 21st century global economy."

-- Barack Obama

“We will modernize more than 75% of federal buildings and improve the energy efficiency of two million American homes, saving consumers and taxpayers billions on our energy bills. In the process, we will put Americans to work in new jobs that pay well and can’t be outsourced – jobs building solar panels and wind turbines; constructing fuel-efficient cars and buildings; and developing the new energy technologies that will lead to even more jobs, more savings, and a cleaner, safer planet in the bargain.”

- - Barack Obama

"The renewable energy economy is exploding in the United States."

- - Barack Obama

"Virginia has the potential to create tens of thousands of green jobs by 2025."

- - Governor Tim Kaine

"The clean energy industry will create good jobs that can't be shipped overseas in high-tech research, construction and manufacturing. Democrats reject the false choice between a healthy economy and a healthy environment: Green can be good for our planet and our pocketbooks."

- - Governor Tim Kaine

"[The Clean Energy Security Act] opens the door to a more secure energy future and the creation of millions of new jobs innovating, deploying and exporting to the world the new low CO₂ emitting technologies that will power our energy future."

- - Congressman Rick Boucher

In today's news:

Austin's clean energy program costing more, selling less
By Marty Toohey, Austin American-Statesman staff

For the past decade, Austin's ambition to become the world's clean-energy capital has been best exemplified by one effort: GreenChoice, a program that sells electricity generated entirely from renewable sources such as wind.

Now the nationally renowned program is struggling to find buyers — the latest allotment is 99 percent unsold after seven months on the market — and Austin Energy is looking for ways to bring down the rising costs.

But those are short-term talks.

Austin Energy officials say that times have changed and that the nation's most successful (by volume of sales) green-energy program, which offers the renewable energy only to those who select it, might no longer be the best way to carry out the city's goals. It now costs almost three times more than the standard electricity rate.

"I think it's time to sit back and look at the philosophy behind GreenChoice," said Roger Duncan, the head of Austin Energy and the chief architect of GreenChoice.

Duncan said part of the solution might just be adding new wind, solar and other renewable-energy projects into the bills of all Austin Energy customers, which could increase rates for everyone.

The reason is that GreenChoice prices have risen more than fivefold since the program started. GreenChoice now would add about $58 a month to the electricity bill of an average home. [link] [my emphasis]

The rhetoric.

The reality.