Allegations Made Against FERC Intruding Electricity Market, Obama Seeing Waning Support from Environmentalists
Petitioners including the Electric Power Supply Association, the American Public Power Association, and Edison Electric Institute, along with the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association and Old Dominion Electric allege that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has overstepped its bounds recently when it began offering payments to retail consumers for reducing their electricity consumption, according to a recent article. The FERC has no authority to regulate sales of electricity, and thus claims have been made against the body for attempting to “circumvent” limits on authority.
A front page Politico article by David Samuelsohn has a provocative story on environmentalists and their concerns on Obama’s reelection. The President’s inability to pass substantive progressive energy policy legislation throughout his first term have led to waning enthusiasm from the Green party and environmentalists. Although furious with the lack of results, they may have no choice but to “shut up and fall in line” behind Obama again because of even stronger potential opposition from Romney.
Obama was able to pass remarkable legislation that would greatly increase fuel economy standards to 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025, but with the rejection of the Keystone XL pipeline as the only other major environmental success of the administration, and the decision to send Hillary Clinton to the Rio conference rather than attend himself, Obama has not fared well in placating green voters, who want determined action from the President. Plus, there is skepticism about his true commitment to the environment; he rarely if ever mentions the term “climate change” in speeches or on his website, and has shied away from being a clear voice on taking action. Regardless of whether it is because he is truly not an environmentalist, or because he is being stymied by a bafflingly obstructionist anti-environmental congress, Obama risks alienating a large group of environmental voters if he doesn’t at least try to take direct action on the climate change crisis.
