USA Energy Policy Will Still cut Greenhouse Emissions.

Will the newly elected U.S. Congress  fare any better than the last in passing comprehensive, long-term climate and energy legislation?

Smaller, more focused legislation, along with EPA regulations, could have a big impact on greenhouse-gas emissions. And yet these efforts may be too limited to spark the international agreements needed to limit climate.

Policies that could have biggest impact on greenhouse gases are those that promote a switch from burning coal to burning natural gas. Natural gas is abundant in the United States, and burning it releases only half the greenhouse gases that burning coal does, as well as less of other pollutants.

Developing new low-carbon energy technologies, such as cheap and efficient solar panels, will require both funding for R&D and incentives to increase demand for them. President Obama’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), recently released a report that recommended boosting funding for new energy technology development to $16 billion a year—a $10 billion increase.