Indefatigable, Thy Name is John Kerry

Fight disinformation: Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily newsletter and follow the news that matters.


On “Meet the Press” this weekend, David Gregory asked White House climate and energy adviser Carol Browner whether Congress could return to a climate measure in a lame duck session. She had little to say other than that it could “potentially” be under consideration.

But John Kerry (D-Mass.) isn’t giving up on getting something done this year. Unwilling to let clean energy legislation be pushed to the wayside now that an emission-curbing bill isn’t likely to get any attention this year, Kerry has a new measure on the table, one that would fund clean energy through a variety of incentives and tax-cuts. Kerry has, of course, been the main senator pushing for climate action this year. His newest bill is the Clean Energy Technology Leadership Act of 2010, which includes provisions that would, according to the summary his office released:

  • provide additional funding for the advanced energy manufacturing credit and uncap the credit for solar energy property, fuel cell power plans, and advanced energy storage systems, including batteries for advanced vehicles;
  • extend and modify tax incentives for new energy efficient homes, nonbusiness energy property improvements, and energy efficient commercial buildings;
  • encourage clean transportation by providing incentives for natural gas heavy vehicles;
  • extend the excise tax credit for biodiesel and renewable diesel retroactively for 2010 and through 2012;
  • modify the cellulosic biofuel tax credit to include algae based fuels;
  • extend the credit for domestic manufacturers of energy appliances;
  • provide an additional $3.5 billion for clean renewable energy bonds; AND
  • extend the research and development tax credit retroactively for 2010 and through 2012 and provide an additional 10 percent credit for qualified advanced energy research expenditures.

Maybe the Senate can get their act together on this. Oh, and while they’re at it they should refund the money they took from renewables to pay teachers last week.

More Mother Jones reporting on Climate Desk

BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

Mother Jones was founded to do journalism differently. We stand for justice and democracy. We reject false equivalence. We go after stories others don’t. We’re a nonprofit newsroom, because the kind of truth-telling investigations we do doesn’t happen under corporate ownership.

And the essential ingredient that makes all this possible? Readers like you.

It’s reader support that enables Mother Jones to devote the time and resources to report the facts that are too difficult, expensive, or inconvenient for other news outlets to uncover. Please help with a donation today if you can—even a few bucks will make a real difference. A monthly gift would be incredible.

payment methods

BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

Mother Jones was founded to do journalism differently. We stand for justice and democracy. We reject false equivalence. We go after stories others don’t. We’re a nonprofit newsroom, because the kind of truth-telling investigations we do doesn’t happen under corporate ownership.

And the essential ingredient that makes all this possible? Readers like you.

It’s reader support that enables Mother Jones to devote the time and resources to report the facts that are too difficult, expensive, or inconvenient for other news outlets to uncover. Please help with a donation today if you can—even a few bucks will make a real difference. A monthly gift would be incredible.

payment methods

We Recommend

Latest

Sign up for our free newsletter

Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

Get our award-winning magazine

Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights.

Subscribe

Support our journalism

Help Mother Jones' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation.

Donate