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Is Denmark Recovering from Fossil Fuel Addiction?

Posted by MARK DANIELS in International, Science & Technology.
Nov 6th, 2009 | Comments

Here are two recently broadcast reports on the development of wind power and other alternative energy sources in Denmark. Steep energy taxes seem to be helping the northern European nation to both end its dependence on foreign oil and do its part to clean up the global environment.

[This is being crossposted at my personal blog.]

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ProfElwood

I was surprised when I recently heard about this one: tax breaks for SUVs just a few years ago:

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/Hybrid/story?i...

It's partly against my libertarian vein, but couldn't the states offer tax breaks for personal power generation and storage, instead of for just the energy companies?

DLS

Never mind the eco-and-PC-silliness.

"couldn't the states offer tax breaks for personal power generation and storage"

Yes.

I suspect some kind of federal program (under energy efficiency or "sufficiency" [chuckle], if not "stimulus" as its rationale) might be tried. (Tax deduction or tax credit) That would be especially true if Al Gore or ObamaCo insiders would stand to profit from financial interests in companies who would benefit (as well as profiting from gaming any system of tax or other incentives by Washington).

ProfElwood

So you're saying we might be able to help everyone (I'm attacking this from the angle of energy independence, from both foreign countries and domestic oligopolies), if we can just find a way to get politicians dependent on "green" energy manufacturers instead of energy companies?

DLS

No. I said first that yes, the feds could offer tax breaks for personal power generation and storage -- that yes, they could do this if they wished. Second, I wouldn't be surprised if some kind of program to get people (not politicians) using "green" energy were tried, and I also wouldn't be surprised if politicians such as Al Gore or the Obama insiders profited directly from this -- be it Al Gore's investments in either "green" companies or in cap-and-trade intermediaries (market makers), or if Obama administration people did this, or claimed excessive benefits for them, their families, or friends (such as by installing solar panels on the buildings they or their relatives or friends owned).

ProfElwood

"I wouldn't be surprised if some kind of program to get people (not politicians) using "green" energy were tried"

I've seen a lot more emphasis on cutting back on energy usage than on making that energy come from "green" sources, including in this article.

And yes, I'm sure politics as usual would apply here, "green" scandals and all.

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