Do you fix supply or do you fix demand? The question comes from an answer to another question. "When Will There Be a Clean Energy Revolution in America?".
It's important listen up!
America has vast global oil corporations and huge internal coal producers whos turnover is greater than many countries. Their domestic domain is a mature US market with billions invested in conventional methods of energy production and billions of dollars in the ground.
It looks like the only bit of turf they might cede to new renewable sources is the import of foreign oil.
Why would they want to support the growth of energy sources that destroy the value of their existing investments and profits? They are looking for a US plan which will allow them to suck profits out of the ground until there is no more to be had. Maybe 50 to 100 years.
These fossil companies are sociopathic, their behavior is based on what is profitable for them not on what is good for the environment or the human race or the American economy. Its their job to maintain demand for oil and Coal and they will throw as much money around as they need to in the halls of power to maintain it, perhaps you've noticed :-)
Think back a year or two to the oil price increases and gas going up to $4,$5 dollars per gallon. Now that was bad but the good thing to see was how quickly people changed their habits and how quickly alternative new technology started coming on line, it scared them, they know medium and long term we can get out of oil addiction. It made the fossil companies realise the limits of their power. The Arabs saw it too and made them fast forward their own alternative energy R&D projects like the new solar city in the United Arab Emirates.
No matter how badly you as an American want a revolution in renewable energy production what you are going to get is a slow evolution. The revolution will take place in China, India, Africa in places with no installed energy capacity but where it is badly needed. The only way you would get a revolution is if INDIVIDUALS said, to hell with this and developed home or community based renewable generation capacity. This is the scariest scenario of all for the Oil and Coal companies it would eliminate the reason for their existence. Government wouldn't like it either, it's much easier for them to control a few massive power companies than it is to control a hundred million or so independent households and companies all generating electricity into the grid.
American industry will innovate and deploy renewable energy related technology and appliances to the world, BUT deploying renewable technology in the US will be a much harder sell. There will be new exciting projects as the population increases to 400 Million in 2050 (309 Now) and new capacity is needed or replacements for burnt out coal plants are needed. But it pales in comparison to the new capacity needed in China, India Europe and Africa as the oil runs out and the consequences of the coal plants poisoning their own citizens become apparent.
When is the right time? For the rest of the world it is now of course, but for America it is when big oil, and coal, and the influence they buy in congress say it is. Its a dollar denominated democracy in which you live.
Big Oil and Coal are retarding America's progress.
Ces't La Vie.
