Article Top Ad

Bush's Green Energy Man

I wonder if Andy Karsner, who is the assistant secretary of energy for energy efficiency and renewable energy, sometimes feels like a fish out of water. Read More

I wonder if Andy Karsner, whois the assistant secretary of energy for energy efficiency andrenewable energy, sometimes feels like a fish out of water. I shouldhave asked him that when I went to see him earlier this week, but ourtime was limited and we spent most of it talking in general terms aboutthe proper role of government in the energy economy. I wrote aboutKarsner in today’s Sustainability column.

Karsner’s an energetic and impressive guy, very passionate about climate change and renewable energy. (He got a nice shout-outthe other day from Tom Friedman.) He was excited about passage of theenergy bill signed this week by the president. Here’s how the columnbegins:

Andy Karsner was in an ebullient mood the other day, and for good reason. Congress had just approved an energy bill, which, despite serious flaws, puts the country on a path that will promote renewable energy, reduce our dependence on oil, dramatically increase energy efficiency and curb the growth in greenhouse gas emissions.

These are all passions of Karsner, a hard-charging entrepreneur who joined the Bush administration early last year, as assistant secretary for energy efficiency and renewable energy. He’s been pushing a clean energy agenda ever since, and this bill, which the president signed on Wednesday, takes a big step in that direction.

The new law is “historic in size, scope and time frame,” Karsner says. “It’s truly unprecedented.”

You can read the rest here.

Trellis Briefing

Subscribe to Trellis Briefing

Get real case studies, expert action steps and the latest sustainability trends in a concise morning email.
Article Sidebar 1 Ad
Article Sidebar 2 Ad