Op-Ed: American Politicians Aren't Serious About Having An Energy Policy

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For two people that are trying to become president of the United States, don't you think that they could be more innovative and creative regarding energy policy? Apparently not! Hillary Clinton has jumped on John McCain's bandwagon to suspend the 18.4 cents per gallon federal excise tax on gasoline for the Summer driving season. This is their definition or answer to America's energy crisis. While it's better than nothing, it certainly won't solve our long-term energy solutions.

This is what happens: We borrow money from China and give it to Saudi Arabia and take a little bit for ourselves as we feed our gas tanks.

Congress, in its infinite wisdom, passed the 2007 energy bill in December and didn't bother to extend the investment tax credit to stimulate capital for solar energy and the production tax credit to encourage investment in wind power. Of course, oil and gas kept all their credits extended but the renewable energy investments will expire this December if President Bush and Congress don't reach a compromise of some type.

These investment tax credits are extremely important because if oil prices start going down a bit; wind and solar investment will still be profitable. You have to do these things to get a budding industry off the ground.

''The Democrats wanted the wind and solar credits to be paid for by taking away tax credits from the oil industry. President Bush said he would veto that.'' Why do we have one without the other? It shouldn't be a trade-off. We should have both forms. The oil and gas tax credits should remain extended and the solar plus the wind power investment tax credits should be renewed as well. The United States must have a comprehensive energy policy which utilizes all forms of energy. One type shouldn't be replaced with another type. All forms should remain in place and in play.

Germany and Japan are clearing beating us to the punch regarding solar energy. Germany has a solar investment program that runs for 20 years; Japan has a program that runs for 12 years. Ours is currently for two years.

Banks won't lend money to American companies that want to develop wind power unless the production tax credit is renewed. This is Rhone Resch's take on the situation. He is the president of the Solar Energy Industries Association. ''If the wind and solar credits expire, said Resch, the impact in just 2009 would be more than 100,000 jobs either lost or not created in these industries, and $20 billion worth of investments that won't be made.''

This fact wasn't mentioned when Obama and Clinton were campaigning in Ohio. America's major solar company, First Solar, which is located in Toledo, Ohio, opened its newest factory not in Ohio or somewhere else in the United States but in East Germany. They hired 540 engineers. Germany has created a huge solar market because of long-term investment tax credits in solar production.

The United States has catapulted downward regarding solar energy technology. In 1997, we had 40 percent of global solar production. Last year, we were down to less than 8 percent and most of that was for foreign markets.

What is it going to take in this country for the politicians to get together and form an energy policy that will be sustainable and clean for the next 100 years or more? Renewing the investment and production tax credits for solar and wind power would be a gigantic first step along with more oil and gas drilling, getting nuclear power plants up and running, digging for coal, conservation and having American automobile manufacturers build more fuel efficient cars. The United States has to become energy independent. Our very future as an economic and military power depends on it. The people of this nation deserve nothing less and should demand much more from Congress and President Bush concerning this vital issue.