USA, Opinion:

Romney’s Energy Plan Ignores Renewable Energy’s Success (Bloomberg)

(Courtesy The Business Insider)

U.S. Presidential candidate Mitt Romney sets an ambitious goal with his pledge to achieve U.S. energy independence by 2020. It’s just too bad his plan relies almost entirely on fossil fuels and largely ignores the solid promise of clean energy.

When it comes to renewable sources such as solar, wind and geothermal, Romney’s plan says more about what he won’t do -- namely, provide any more of the subsidies and loan guarantees that have allowed those technologies to gain a foothold. Instead, he offers to relax barriers he says are stymieing clean energy and expand government funding of research. We also favor supporting clean-energy research, but question Romney’s assertion that simply “streamlining” regulations and permitting will somehow catapult clean-energy projects.

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