Now, with energy prices falling and parts of the country flush with surplus energy, some utilities are rethinking plans to add capacity at such high levels, according to an August 22 New York Times article. Another impetus for the new conservative outlook involves the type of energy slated for development. With 90 percent of planned facilities scheduled for natural gas use, many are wondering if the limited supply of that resource will be enough and if the infrastructure for transmission can withstand such levels. The Conservation Commission is working to reduce smog in the Houston-Galveston area through a program that would cap emissions and allow for trading of allowances among companies. The work of a Japanese scientist funded by the World Bank raises doubts about the veracity of Chinese statistics indicating a large decline in the country s production of coal, a major contributor to pollution.
China produces more greenhouse gases than every country except the United States.
More doubt about China s statistics arose at a meeting in Beijing recently, when a Chinese scientist said that the country s original estimate of coal consumption in 1999 was too low. The upward revision means that half of the purported reductions for that year do not exist. Critics have taken issue with the act for providing large subsidies to energy producers and opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for exploration. With this vote, the House has taken a giant step toward boosting the economy and providing relief and protection to consumers, by setting policies that reaffirm the need to provide a reliable, affordable supply of natural gas and other energies through a modern infrastructure. A Boost of Energy A pair of power-plant projects to be constructed in the states of Washington and Texas will add 1,225 megawatts of generation capacity when the facilities become operational in the next two years.