re: #378 Targetpractice, Worst of Both Worlds

Carbon tax would likely be a job killer as it would further increase energy prices above where they’re at right now, but higher CAFE requirements are job neutral - and could potentially be a job creator as it spurs new development of propulsion systems and alt-energy systems.

Nuclear and alt-energy are also potential job creators, but the key issue on the nuclear power front is dealing with the waste - as we saw with Japan, it’s spent fuel pools at Fukushima that were among the portions of the plant most seriously affected by the tsunami and have the least amount of safety systems - moving to a dry cask storage system in the US would improve long term storage solutions short of finally opening Yucca Mt., which itself would be years away even if the moratorium was lifted today. Finding an alternative site or treatment path would take years, and does nothing to add to power generating capacity.

New solar/wind power systems are part of the mix, but NIMBY is playing an oversized role in their placement/deployment, which further increases their costs.

Heck, in NJ, PSE&G is installing solar power arrays on telephone poles around the state, and localities are trying to block some of those installations claiming that they shouldn’t be in residential areas or that the localities didn’t get notice or otherwise falling back on the ugly factor. The full PSE&G rollout would create 40 megawatts of power, equivalent to a small fossil fuel power plant and lessens the need for those sources to operate normally, improving air quality. Wind power projects are being pushed offshore - literally - because of opposition to onshore power projects.