Memphis Energy conference

The 2009 TAPPI International Bioenergy and Bioproducts Conference (IBBC) will be held October 14-16 in Memphis. Details here.

Energy Summit, Sept. 23-24

The National Energy Summit and International Dialogue sessions are viewable via online videoconference, visit here. HT: Frank Munger, KNS.

Stakeholders watch TVA

TVA yesterday announced members of its new Stakeholder Review Group, which is tasked with providing feedback on TVA's power-generation and marketing plans. Members include executives with TN Economic and Community Development, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, and others.

Repower America

Knoxville-based Repower America and its allies aim for passage of American Clean Energy and Security Act by (ACESA) Congress. Its local counterpart is Repower Tennessee. Repower was spun-out of the Nashville-based Alliance for Climate Protection (The Climate Project), which is chaired by former VPUS Al Gore. Knoxville News Sentinel reports. A Reuters report yesterday said ACESA faces an "uphill" fight in the Senate, now it's passed the House.

Rep. Gordon on Energy bill benefits

U.S. Rep. Bart Gordon (D-Murfreesboro) tells the DNJ of the economic benefits that will flow locally from the Energy bill he recently endorsed. Gordon chairs the House Science Committee. Other Bart Gordon reports here.

Laffer curveballs

Nashvillian and fabled Reagan economist Arthur Laffer writes overnight in today's Wall Street Journal that President-Elect Obama is wrong about renewable energy and energy independence and would do well to heed Al Gore's advice, as characterized by Laffer: "The only real solution is Al Gore's proposal to offset a carbon tax dollar-for-dollar with either an income or payroll tax reduction. If a carbon tax increase were offset dollar-for-dollar with an income tax rate cut, I for one would strongly support the policy. The economy would benefit because the progressive income tax does far more damage than a carbon tax would, and we'd use less oil. It's a win-win situation." Google Laffer and see how busy this fellow stays, largely because of a curve that people found easy to 'understand'.