The current turmoil in the Middle East and the consequent rise in oil prices are highlighting the long-recognized need for the United States to reduce its dependence on foreign energy sources. The most promising way to do that is through increased efficiency in our use of energy. My last column (Jan. 13, 2011) discussed the legal aspects of that measure. Today’s column is devoted to the legal aspects of the second most important way—increasing the share of the energy that we use that comes from renewable sources.
Currently 83 percent of the energy consumed in the United States1 is from fossil fuels. This in turn creates 81 percent of the United States’2 emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs), is the principal source of urban air pollution, and leads to major environmental problems where the fuel is extracted from the ground.
