What is the so talked Waxman-Markey bill?

Chairman Henry A. Waxman of the Energy and Commerce Committee and Chairman Edward J. Markey of the Energy and Environment Subcommittee drafted a clean energy legislation in March 2009 that had certain very important subject matters addressed. The Bill claimed that it will create jobs, help end the US's dependence on foreign oil, and fight and tackle global warming.

This began to be known as The American Clean Energy and Security Act. The legislation itself had four titles:

Clean Energy: Renewable Energy Sources promotion, low-carbon fuels, clean electric vehicles, the smart grid and electricity transmission, and carbon capture and sequestration technologies, ;
Energy Efficiency: Increasing energy efficiency across all sectors of the economy, including transportation, appliances, buildings, and industry;
Global Warming: Limiting emissions of heat-trapping pollutants; and
Transitioning: Transition to a clean energy and in the process create green jobs and protect interests of U.S. consumers and industry.

The above bill seems to be all positive and encouraging as it seems, however, recently some Texas businesses have shown worries and have felt uncertain about climate change bill. These business are the Airlines, Ranch owners in Texas etc.

Some business like the Railroad giant BNSF Corp., based in Fort Worth feel that the bill is too complex. John Fainter, the president of the Texas Association of Electric Companies has indicated worries about the bill too. His organization is of the belief that the bill is "certain to mean higher costs for consumers."

Whether the Waxman Markey Bill would successfully address the concerns of these troubled businesses is yet to be seen.

Electricity and Cars

It seems that the competition in electric cars will soon be the next big race for companies. Just when ZENN Motor Co declares its plan for a better energy technology for cars , its the turn of ExxonMobil, the oil and gas behemoth.

ExxonMobil is all set to back up Electrovaya with around $500,000 investment on their electric car project - the Altcar. Electrovaya is a low-speed electric vehicle maker making a larger push for vehicle technology. The team seems to work out a fuel efficiency through synthetic blends and lightweight plastics unlike Texas based EEStor which intends on better battery technology.

The car that Electrovaya intends to launch with these joint endeavors is Maya 300. The launch is scheduled for 2011 and a 4 seater Maya 300 may cost anywhere around US$ 25000. Now this is not a highway capable elctric vehicle like other companies are planning to launch. It seems electrovaya have their own strategy with these low speeders.

Though there are many other companies getting funded for their plug-in vehicles and ready to launch in the next few years, the biggest rivalry may come from China-based automakers like BYD Auto.

Where is The Texas Energy Planning Council?

In late November 2003, Governor Perry signed for the initiation of a Government body that would keep a check on every energy need in Texas called the Texas Energy Planning Council. This was a great initiative as was recognized at that time mainly because the council was supposed to be a step towards creating efficient energy resources, cleaner energy technologies and to keep Texas ahead of any other state or country in terms of energy production or energy regulation.

The council's birth was actually a good step in this direction because deregulation in 2002 had anyways led to a major competitive force of energy companies flocking Texas like anything. There are hundreds of retail energy providers, energy consultants and energy brokers right now in Texas. A governing body that could help Texas utilize the resources to a maximum was actually necessary and this happened by the launch of TEPC.

One of the key roles of TEPC was also to check the gaps between the energy demand and supply in Texas. The last Texas Energy Plan that we see anywhere on the internet was in 2005 by Victor Carrillo, the Chairman of the Railroad commission of Texas and also of the TEPC. But after 2005, there seems to be no news of TEPC anywhere on the internet. Even the TEPC pages on the TEPC website is updated only till Dec 2004. I wonder if they have disappeared into thin air!