Energy and Environmental Policy Debate, "Déjà vu All Over Again"
By John Blaney, ICF Consulting

For those who have been in the energy and environment business a long time, the controversy swirling around the Bush Administration’s proposed national energy policy must create a certain sense of déjà vu. Many of the issues being hotly debated today have been discussed, analyzed, and "resolved" several times since the Arab Oil Embargo in 1973. President Bush’s proposal outlines the not new challenges of increasing the supply of domestic fossil resources and continuing to encourage energy efficiency and renewables, while also maintaining and improving environmental quality. This renewed energy debate is occurring at a time when the California energy crunch is also forcing us to reconsider our commitment to energy market restructuring. And once again, we are reevaluating the proper roles of the government and the market place in addressing these challenges.

While there is an inevitable sense of déjà vu engendered by the current energy policy debate, there is also a tremendous amount of uncertainty about the ultimate resolution of these critical issues. Will a renewed focus on domestic fossil fuel production lead to a reversal in the recent sharp run-up in coal and natural gas prices? Will energy efficiency improvements lead to a leveling off in the growth of electricity demand? Will government R&D or subsidies improve the economics of renewables? President Bush’s energy policy also raises critical air emissions questions. Will NSR enforcement efforts be redirected? Will the Bush Administration’s commitment to a three-pollutant strategy be sustained in the face of the need to address this nation’s energy needs? These are only a few of the questions that will be addressed during the forthcoming energy policy debate.

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Also in this issue:

• The President's Corner

• A Cleaner Olympics

• EMA 5th Annual Fall Meeting & International Conference

The Fall 2001 program will be multi-track and will include over 30 speakers including sessions on:

A Special Workshop Offering "Emissions Trading 101" will be offered as a pre-conference course designed to reinforce the basics and bring you up to speed on emissions trading trends. This course is a must for both the market professional wishing to brush up, as well as new entrants to the market.