May 14 2008 6:50PM | Permalink | Email this | Comments (0) |
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Today, the Governor of the great state of Georgia signed a bill that provides tax incentives for energy efficiency and renewable energy. It is a relatively modest proposal, allocating $2.5 million to tax credits, but it is long overdue for a state that is addicted to coal generated electricity. Near the bottom of national spending on energy efficiency, our (almost) comically ineffective state legislature is dominated by neoconservatives heavily influenced by utilities that are incented to build power plants and sell power cheaply to its citizens, with few if any incentives to conserve. A small step, but a much needed one, this bill will, hopefully, prove that efficiency and renewables are a viable alternative to waste and pollution. Recently, while we were waiting for the governor’s signature on this bill, the local news reported that the state's main electric utility was planning to pass on to consumers several billion dollars to construct new nuclear reactors. The contrast of a few million for efficiency vs. billions for reactors reminds me of a bumper sticker I saw many years ago that went something like this “It will be a great day when schools get all the money they need and the air force has to hold a bake sale to buy a new bomber”. Maybe someday we will get our priorities straight.