That philosophy can perhaps best be described as eco-energy planning, the belief that government intervention in the energy economy is necessary for environmental protection and, in the end, the nation's economic vitality.
Renewable energy is the centerpiece of eco-energy planning.
Yet all renewable energy sources are not created equal. Some are more economically and environmentally viable than others. The list of renewable fuels that were once promising but are now being questioned on economic or environmental grounds, or both, is growing. Wind power is currently the environmentalists' favorite source of renewable energy and is thought to be the most likely renewable energy source to replace fossil fuel in the generation of electricity in the 21st century. Hydropower has lost favor with environmentalists because of the damage it has done to river habitats and freshwater fish populations.