Synopsis (104KB)

Complete Analysis (60KB)
The following comparison of Barack Obama’s and John McCain’s energy and environmental plans comes from the statements of their plans on their official web sites. The text first indicates what the respective plans say on each topic, and then provides IER’s analysis of each topic within the program.
Table of Contents

CAFE
Advanced Vehicle R&D
Electricity [...]

As Congress wrestled with the $700 billion bailout program, Google has come up with another massive spending program. Google wants the Federal government to spend $4.4 trillion to subsidize renewable energy. Eric Schmidt, Google’s CEO quipped, “Given the apparent willingness of the U.S. government to write big checks in a crisis, we can do this on [...]

The first oil well in the U.S. was drilled in 1859. Do you know where?
Titusville, Pennsylvania. While historical records indicate that naturally occurring seeps of petroleum were collected and used for a variety of purposes as early as the 1600s, Colonel Edwin Drake was the first to devise a mechanical system to drill into underground [...]

On Saturday, September 27, the “Green Jobs Now” campaign is fielding what it calls a National Day of Action to “build the new economy.” Their goal is to repower “America with 100% clean and renewable electricity within 10 years.” The goal sounds laudable, but repowering America in 10 years comes with a hefty price tag [...]

U.S. Statistics
Emissions and Nuclear Waste
What Does A Nuclear Plant Cost?
International

U.S. Statistics

In 2007, nuclear power accounted for 19 percent of the electricity generated and consumed in the United States [1].  This amount of power is comparable to the electricity used in California, Texas, and New York combined [2].  Behind coal, nuclear power and natural gas-fired generation [...]

by Mary Hutzler

American taxpayers footed a $16.6 billion bill for energy subsidies, tax breaks, loan guarantees, and the like in 2007 alone, according to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). That’s more than double the Federal subsidy level from eight years earlier.�
In fact, on an energy fuel basis, Congress has increased subsidies for [...]

TAX: (noun) a burdensome charge, obligation, or duty demanded by a government (verb) to lay a burden on; make serious demands on; to take to task; censure; reprove.
Washington, DC – The Institute for Energy Research (IER) today called on the U.S. Senate to stop the political charade and address the real issues surrounding high energy [...]

The British Nuclear Decommissioning Authority received proposals from over 30 interested parties for land to develop nuclear sites. These sites would be developed for nuclear power stations.
“Over 30 companies have expressed an interest in our assets. We think this is a very robust number,” a spokesman said.
(Source: Reuters)

The British government warned prospective bidders for British Energy that they would not accept the rise of a monopoly in the country’s pursuit of a new generation of nuclear reactors. This move is an indication that the British government will not accept the bid of a single bidder.
British Energy plants generate 20% of the UK’s [...]