In the last few posts, I focused on the lay of the land — the groups and institutions that will shape efforts to tackle climate/energy problems in the early years of the Obama era.
Given that landscape, how will it all play out? What’s the Obama/Democrat strategy? What’s the green roadmap?
Obviously, circumstances and unanticipated events will play a huge and unpredictable role. But based on indications during the campaign and recent months, it’s possible to discern the broad outline of a game plan. In the next few posts, I’ll make some informed guesses on how it will play out, with the necessary caveats about uncertainty in both order and packaging.
Done and done
The first three items on the green to-do list were 1) big green spending in the economic recovery bill, 2) getting California its tailpipe emissions waiver, and 3) kicking DOT’s ass to get it started implementing the CAFE standard boosts from the 2007 energy bill.
None of these are technically done yet — the bill’s winding its way through committee (and some of the green spending was cut); California’s waiver is headed into its comment period, probably won’t get through the full rulemaking process until Spring or early Summer; and it takes time for DOT to implement the new regs (though they will apply to the 2011 fleet).
Nonetheless, the announcement that these moves are underway had the intended effect: it signaled a sharp break from Bush delayism and a serious intent to keep the promises of the campaign. For better or worse, it raised hopes.
(Next up: the energy bill.)
