Obama energy policy is really Enron energy policy in terms of climate alarmism, renewables as the silver bullet, business/government alliances (political capitalism), and the smartest-guys-in-the-room (Holdren, Chu, et al).

See this video for more: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G08bIB2Y9Cg

There is an adage in politics that perception is reality. Belief that something is true, no matter how preposterous, often results in pretentious public policy. The notion that volatile, intermittent “renewable energy sources” can reduce our dependence on foreign oil, make the air cleaner, shore up any shortage of electricity supply, and meaningfully abate CO2 emissions from fossil-fueled plants is now deeply entrenched in our political rhetoric, in large part because of the history you recount. Such belief has the same basis in reality as the Wizard’s glitzy illusions had for the Emerald City of Oz.

Environmental history is the chronicle of how adverse consequences flowed from the uninformed decisions of the well-intentioned. When perception is wrong, reality will ultimately impose itself as itself, often with rude effect. Even in Washington.