Election Brings Change To Energy Policy

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Elections have consequences, and one place where the Democratic takeover of Congress will make a difference is in energy and environmental policy.

One of the themes of the Democratic party’s successful campaign was a pledge to find a way to reduce the U.S. dependence on foreign oil by boosting conservation measures and boosting funding for alternative fuels. At the same time, prospects for drilling for more oil in environmentally sensitive areas such as the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) and coastal California and Florida, which had been promoted by the Bush administration and the Republican Congress, now appear very remote since Democrats are dead set against the plans.

However, the newly empowered Democrats are expected to hold pointed, inquisitorial hearings on issues such as gasoline prices and the payment of royalties for oil recovered from public lands. No Democrat lost any vote when they promised to torment the big oil companies.

Meanwhile, the newly re-elected Republican governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, is urging the GOP to consider embracing a greener environmental policy. Schwarzenegger’s own decision to embrace efforts to curb global warming through tougher regulations are thought to have been one of the keys to his easy victory last week. The global warming legislation Schwarzenegger signed last summer might not have done much for his standing among conservative voters but it seemed to do wonders for his image.

Other Republicans, such as Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) are showing an interest in following Schwarzenegger’s lead. McCain also has argued that energy independence and tougher conservation measures are a matter of national security. Vocal Republican critics of the environmental movement, such as Rep. Richard Pombo (R-Calif.) were defeated or like Sen. James Inhofe (R.-Okla.), defanged by the election results.

In one of the most dramatic changes, Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) will take over as chair of the U.S. Senate’s environmental committee from Inhofe. Inhofe was intensely skeptical of threat from global warming and just before the election had issued a statement ripping the British government’s Stern Report, which had warned that global warming could trigger a global economic catastrophe.

Boxer’s views on global warming are the opposite of those held by the outgoing Inhofe. In a post-election interview posted online by the San Jose Mercury News, Boxer, one of the Senate's most liberal members, said she wanted the federal government to follow Schwarzenegger's lead and take a tougher stand on curbing the emissions thought to contribute to global warming.

“Time is running out, and we need to move forward on this,” Boxer said during a conference call with reporters. “The states are beginning to take steps, and we need to take steps as well,” she said in the interview with the Associated Press. “Some of the practical solutions are in the California approach,” Boxer added.

Another Democrat who takes the threat of global warming seriously is Sen. Jeff Bingham (D-New Mexico), who has indicated, according to The New York Times, a distinct interest in working with allies to curb global warming emissions.

However, representatives of the San Francisco-based Sierra Club predicted that real change on the global warming issue will probably have to wait until the new President occupies the White House in 2009.

Nevertheless, Schwarzenegger’s success in California means the emerging consensus among Democrats and Republicans is to emphasize alternative energy sources and conservation.

The silver lining in the election returns for the auto industry is that the Democratic victory enhanced the influence of John Dingell, who will take over as chairman of the House Energy and Commerce committee in January. At 80, Dingell doesn’t have the same kind of clout he did during his earlier tenure as chairman of the same committee. But he is expected to exert his influence to shield Detroit’s automakers from tougher fuel economy standards.

However, Dingell also has said in a post-election interview with USA Today he wanted to see the U.S. reduce its dependence on foreign oil.

Moreover, the environmental lobby stood by Congressional Democrats through their twelve years in the political wilderness, and probably is now in a position to neutralize some of Dingell’s authority on this issue.

In addition, the United Auto Workers, while it doesn’t want to hurt the domestic industry, hasn’t been terribly impressed with the energy strategy used by General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler in recent years. The UAW is mindful that the current strategy has wiped out the jobs of thousands of union members over the past couple of years. Thus, UAW President Ron Gettelfinger, the owner of a Ford Escape hybrid, has said he wants to see the domestic carmakers do more to innovate and to challenge the Japanese edge in fuel efficiency.

He may finally get some help.