Very few of us really have comprehensive knowledge. Even experts don't know it all. The environmental laws so hated by Republicans as overly burdensome rarely lay out specific limits detailing exactly how close a new plant can be to a river or how deep it can sink into a shoreline. Calpine can't point to specific rules that prevent the killing of one spotted owl. Therein lies the nut of contention, says Berkeley's Kammen.
Environmental laws give power to the people.
Republicans can huff, puff and scream about what they consider strict regulations, but when they cry out for reform, for a quicker process, they're really calling for a restriction of the rights of people to be involved in the planning process. They want a relaxation of the levels of input. They want to have a discussion just with the CEC and not the people. Even the power wholesalers give lip service to environmental concerns. We want to be environmentally friendly.