Green technology initiatives are controversial
Daniel Farber, Sho Sato Prof. of Law and Director of the Center for Law, Energy, and the Environment, at the University of California, Berkeley, Turning Point: Green Industrial Policy and the Future of US Climate Action, Winter 2024, 11 Tex. A&M L. Rev. 303 lexis-nexis
It seems to be no more than common sense that a jurisdiction's approach to climate policy will be heavily shaped by economic factors. In particular, one would expect that jurisdictions whose economies rely heavily on fossil fuels would be unenthusiastic about reducing carbon emissions. On the other hand, jurisdictions with high potential for producing renewable energy would be more likely to favor emissions reductions. As one striking example, consider the vote on the Waxman-Markey climate change bill, which passed the U.S. House of Representatives by a [*323] single vote in 2009 before dying in the Senate.117 The House vote clearly reflected economic factors: "[f]orty-four Democrats voted against it, the vast majority representing Midwestern, Southern, coal-producing, and industrial states."118