Policymakers continue to be confused about the role electricity
generation plays in any attempt to make the country energy
independent.  In a post on EnvironmentNC.com, I discuss this and other extraordinary environmental policy mistakes made at last night’s Republican debate.

When the North Carolina legislature was considering Senate Bill
3 (legislation that pushed renewable energy sources such as biomass,
wind, and solar for electricity generation), some policymakers thought
it was a good idea because of the need for energy independence. 
As I wrote along with my colleague Geoffrey Lawrence in a report at the time:

Q: Wouldn?t a renewable portfolio standard [this is a requirement
for utilities to provide electricity from renewable energy sources,
such as wind]  help with national security by reducing our
dependence on foreign oil?

A: It is very important not to confuse renewable energy as it
pertains to fuels, such as ethanol, with renewable energy as it
pertains to electricity, such as wind power. According to the Edison
Electric Institute:

“RPS proposals are virtually irrelevant to that debate [regarding
dependence on foreign oil]. For example, based on EIA [the U.S.
Department of Energy?s Energy Information Administration] estimates, a
ten percent RPS mandate would save the equivalent of less than one
gallon of gasoline per household per year! Only three percent of the
electricity generated nationwide comes from oil, so the electricity
industry is not a significant contributor to our oil dependence
problem.”

Actually, that 3% is lower based on 2006 data–it is about 1.5%. 

The Republican candidates for President are making these same mistakes, as seen in the debates.  

On an issue as important as energy independence, it would be nice if
the candidates understood that renewable energy for electricity,
objectively, not subjectively, would make no difference when it comes
to energy independence.

Renewable energy is just lumped together into one big pot.
However, renewable energy to address transportation issues (oil is
heavily used in transportation: 68%
of all U.S. petroleum consumption) is a lot different than renewable
energy to address electricity generation (oil is rarely used: about 1.5% of all U.S. petroleum consumption).

Hopefully, they’ll start getting this factual point.