Kerry unveils energy bill

Senator John Kerry (D-MA) calls his "American Power Act" a climate and energy bill, but it reads more like an energy bill rather than a climate bill.

In a nutshell, Kerry's bill calls for more nuclear power, more coal and more natural gas. It does seek to meet Obama's target of reducing carbon emissions by 17 percent from 2005 levels by 2020 and 83 percent by 2050.

"The American Power Act will finally change our nation's energy policy from a national weakness into a national strength," Kerry said in a prepared statement.

The bill also allows for offshore oil drilling for states that are cool with it. Under Kerry's bill, states can prevent any drilling within 75 miles of their shores if they feel like it.

However, it's difficult to see how more nuclear, coal, natural gas and offshore oil drilling has anything to do with "climate" legislation. This is an energy bill that includes wishful thinking about future carbon emission caps.

Certainly not everyone agrees that nuclear should be under the section of "clean energy technology" (page 260). Nuclear may not produce carbon emissions, but a reactor that's leaking radiation into the groundwater isn't clean.

"Just because the pollution is invisible, doesn't mean it's clean," Greenpeace's Jim Riccio said.

What Kerry is hoping for is that he has loaded the bill up with enough stuff so that he can get the 60 votes needed to break the upcoming Republican filibuster in the senate.

The complete bill is available here, and a summary is available here.

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