Schwarzenegger calls for level energy playing field

The Washington Post recently featured a noteworthy opinion article from former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) concerning market distortions in government treatment of energy sources and calling for a level playing field. Highlights:

– While “support for energy innovation has always helped drive America’s growth … [w]hen the oil, gas and nuclear industries were forming, federal support for those energies totaled as much as 1 percent of federal spending. Subsidies available to the renewables industry today are just one-tenth of 1 percent.”

– “If our goal is to encourage competition in the energy marketplace, then the conversation in Congress shouldn’t be about attacking green energy or cutting all oil subsidies. The conversation should be about leveling the playing field so that renewables are bound by the same rules as fossil fuels.”

– The “green sector” of California's economy has grown dramatically, more than 10 times faster than any other sector, since 2005.  Concludes Mr. Schwarzenegger, “Nurturing the green-tech sector was the right thing for me to do as governor, and it is the right thing for the federal government to do.”

More reading:

Fact check: Pompeo and Labrador miss mark with subsidy bill, December 1, 2011
Selective Use of Energy Subsidies is Unfair (letter to editor, Washington Times), November 30, 2011
Red State Energy, Red State Jobs, November 29, 2011
Governors' letter urges prompt extension of wind tax incentive, November 16, 2011
Wind power: Keeping America's lunch money at home, November 14, 2011
Clean energy: A bipartisan goal, November 9, 2011
Nonpartisan Congressional report underscores need for stable wind energy policy, October 3, 2011
Iowa Gov. Branstad cites wind jobs, current and future, September 14, 2011