With the American presidential election heating up and promising to be close, RESNET will focus on the leading candidates’ energy policies. This article will focus on the Republican nominee Mitt Romney. On August 23, 2012 the Romney campaign released its energy plan. The campaign says that the plan will allow North America to be energy independent by 2020 and decrease costs to consumers by increasing domestic production. The plan included calls for: Streamlining existing environmental regulations “Aggressively opening new offshore areas from drilling starting with California and Virginia Allowing the states not the federal government to handle permitting and oversight of onshore energy production on federal lands Approve the Keystone XL pipeline from Canada Conducting a full assessment of the nation’s potential oil and gas resources Revitalize nuclear power by equipping the NRC to approve new designs and to license approved reactor designs on approved sites within two years. Focus government investment on research across the full spectrum of energy-related technologies, not on picking winners in the market; The Romney energy plan did not address either energy efficiency or renewable energy sources. To download the plan click on The Romney Energy Plan RESNET will next feature President’s Obama’s energy policy.
