The Bush-Cheney energy policy, based on the work of Cheney’s notorious energy task force, also had some interesting ideas on promotion of renewable and alternative energy – though the main emphasis of that report was quite different, and it did not recommend setting a “portfolio standard” for renewables. Despite several valiant attempts, congress has so far been unable to pass a new energy bill – likely because of public outrage over the multi-billion dollar subsidies it provided for the coal and nuclear industries, and comparatively meager support for renewables.
Given this history, you would think Kerry’s plan avoids subsidizing fossil and nuclear industries – but unfortunately that’s not true. Billions of dollars are proposed to help replace our coal plants with new ones using “clean coal” technology – more obvious political sops to the coal companies and their constituents. Oh well…