“Sense of the Senate that any increases set forth do not assume an energy tax on nonconventional fuels, including solar, geothermal, wind, and biomass-dervived fuels.” (it did exclude hydro, i hadn’t noticed)

it failed

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=103&session=1&vote=00044

but the attempt (Gore suggested it to Wellstone) was bad enough.

Because Republican voters failed to support Chafee, Smith and Coleman in sufficient numbers against Democrats.

Specter was going to be primaried because he was insufficiently Republican, and so he threw his lot in with the other side by switching – but other than on clean energy, was insufficiently appealing to Democrats, so he could find no home there.

I agree that Snowe and Collins are unscathed in 55% renewable Maine. “Only Senators Susan Collins and Cynthia Snowe remained unscathed”.

Hopefully as states become more clean powered due to state level Renewable Energy Standards which mandate increasing the percent of clean power, more states will become like Maine where even Republicans routinely accept responsibility for averting climate disaster.

I’m not sure why you’re blaming Republican voters. Chafee, Smith, and Coleman were all defeated in general elections by Democrats. Specter switched to the Democratic party and was defeated in a primary. Olympia Snowe was considered a shoo-in for re-election, but she opted to retire.

BTW, the BTU tax DID NOT exempt clean energy like hydro. By taxing clean as well as dirty energy it had little or no climate benefits, and was simply a revenue measure.

I recommend “The Case for a Carbon Tax” by law professor Shi Ling Hsu. Terrific research and writing; great case for a tax swap.

James Handley
Carbon Tax Center
http://www.carbontax.org

great point on the greenhouse gases — that’s one i have to use!!

As an aside. You state that CO2 is the primary greenhouse gas. I would suggest that CO2 is (sorry for the drug reference) a “gateway” greenhouse gas. While CO2 is responsible for the initial warming of the globe, it will be the Methane that that warming will release that will be the REAL primary greenhouse gas and there will be NO TAX solution to that Pandora’s Box. When this methane box fully opens (it’s a jar now) squabbling over taxes will be the least of our problems.

Ed

A similar cap/dividend idea that was one of many to fail filibuster a few years ago, despite cosponsoring by Republican Susan Collins.

http://grist.org/article/why-cantwell-collins-is-best-and-how-it-just-might-win/

Also a “feebate” on SUVs/EVs – a fee on gas guzzlers that was refunded to those registering gas sippers.

And yeah, there is exactly that problem with a tax “as fossil fuel use ebbs because of the tax, revenues will drop. How will we then make up the revenue shortfall to fund ongoing government operations?”