Tough sell on energy? Focus beyond general public

Americans don’t care about energy unless the price of gasoline is high. They don’t care much about climate change and global warming. For the most part, both of these statements are unfortunately true. If all Americans really cared about these these things the streets would be flooded with Priuses, buses would be overflowing with passengers and all the McMansions would be abandoned by now.

Obviously this hasn’t happened.

Recently, President Barack Obama laid out a transformational vision for green energy and a smart grid at the opening of FPL Energy’s DeSoto Next Generation Solar Energy Center in Florida. OP-ED columnist Bob Herbert of the New York Times noted afterward that “The nation was not moved. The President’s remarks not widely heard.” Well Bob, it’s because Americans, for the most part, don’t care. When Obama was running for office the price of gasoline was out of sight. People were livid. They no longer are. People are concerned about jobs and don’t recognize the opportunities that could be created in a “new pathway for energy” that Obama mentioned in his speech. People will recognize the jobs when they see them.

All that said, Obama should still pursue his energy agenda: Enough people as well as business, industry, utilities, organizations, governments large and small care enough to create markets, to build an industry and an economy along the new pathway.

Continue »