Gassy
A front-page article in today's New York Times
(Jan 9 2002) reports on the Bush administration's decision to change tacks in
encouraging low-emission vehicles. The article quotes two non-government groups,
both of which react with some skepticism to the Bush administration's decision.
One of the groups is the Alliance
to Save Energy, described by the Times as "a bipartisan advocacy group
in Washington."
Just how "bipartisan" is the Alliance to Save Energy? Well, check out
a list of its board of directors. Its chairman is Senator Byron Dorgan, a
Democrat from North Dakota. Its vice chairman is Senator Jeff Bingaman, a
Democrat from New Mexico. Its congressional vice chairman is Senator James
Jeffords of Vermont, the independent who threw the Senate into the control of
the Democrats when he left the Republican Party. Its other congressional vice
chairman is Rep. Edward Markey, a Democrat from Massachusetts. Indeed, of the
four incumbent politicians listed on the Alliance to Save Energy board of
directors, three are Democrats and the other one is James Jeffords. This is what
the Times describes as "a bipartisan advocacy group in Washington."
The other group quoted in the Times article is something called the American
Council for an Energy Efficient Economy, which the Times identifies as
"energy experts" and "a research and advocacy group in
Washington." A quick check of the Web site of the American Council for an
Energy Efficient Economy makes clear that it is backed in part by electric power
companies. The American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy's board of
directors includes a representative of Pacific Gas & Electric and of the old
New England Electric, and the council's funders include Boston Edison and
Southern California Edison Company. These companies have a stake in the debate
over low-emission vehicles -- if these vehicles are electric-powered, then
some of the money that now is collected at gas stations may well be collected
instead at the future by electric companies, as consumers who once filled up
their car's tanks with gas instead plug in their cars to charge the batteries.
Smartertimes Jan
9 2002
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