The Importance of Policy

"Domestic policy can only defeat us; foreign policy can kill us." -- John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Policy impacts technology … and technology impacts policy. I read with interest the following BENTEK study …
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How Less Became More: Wind, Power and Unintended Consequences in the Colorado Energy Market
Prepared for Independent Petroleum Association of Mountain States
April 16, 2010
Conclusions and Mitigation Suggestions
“The overarching conclusion of this analysis is that, like many other public policies, there are unintended consequences to implementation of Colorado’s RPS. Wind and renewable energy programs have been implemented in Colorado and around the country for the best of intentions: reducing air pollution (primarily CO2 and other greenhouse gases). The research in this report, however, suggests that wind energy, as it has so far been developed by PSCO in Colorado and by numerous utilities in ERCOT, has had minimal, if any, impact on CO2, yet has lead to a significant increase in SO2 and NOx. This chapter presents the study conclusions and makes a number of recommendations to improve the effectiveness of wind resources.”
source: BENTEK Energy (www.bentekenergy.com) 303-988-1320
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The study interested me because it points out how a well intentioned policy can make worse a situation it is intended to improve. In this case, because the focus is on CO2 reduction without considering the impact on the level of other harmful substances like SO2, the other substances can actually increase to more dangerous levels than they would have done had everything been left as is.

The implication is clear … effective policy requires a comprehensive approach in order to produce a successful outcome.

The same is true of technology research. Successful outcomes require a comprehensive approach that includes obtaining information about policy decisions being made that can impact the work done in the laboratory.

If you don’t have time to conduct research outside your technical field, get help from someone who can. Contact your corporate or academic librarian … or, lacking such a resource, an independent information professional like Jean Steinhardt Consulting LLC (www.JeanSteinhardtConsulting.com)