Anything but a return to nuclear power, says an L.A. Times editorial, slamming Gov. Schwarzenegger's recent bullish nuclear comments. Renewables might be the answer to the global resource crunch, suggests Energy Outlook, but that will require a top-down rethink of energy policy. One policy prescription: Forget the "safety valve" on cap-and-trade schemes, argues Earth2Tech. An ejection seat undermines the whole point of pricing carbon.
Pain at the pump is the fault of the oilmen in the White House, says a NYT editorial, and drilling in Alaska won't solve the problem. The Economist offers a graphic look at how little pain there really is, comparing gasoline taxes around the world. British prime minister Gordon Brown gears up for a showdown with the European Union over biofuel mandates, after his science adviser sounds the alarm, in the Guardian. Of course, there's always algae: The Energy Blog reports on PetroSun's new 4 million gallon algae-to-oil facility.
The Kansas coal spat is an economic no-brainer, argues SolveClimate: Coal-fired plants will cost a lot more than natural gas once climate legislation is in place, and consumers will foot the bill. Coal-to-liquids technology to run vehicles is still a bad idea, even if the Chinese are doing it, in Grist.