Michigan doesn't have any coal mines. Essentially,every dollar we spend on energy produced by coal powered plants leaves the state forever. Granted, we don't have much of our own uranium either, but if we tried to lead on clean energy like nuclear, wind, solar, natural gas, we'd recycle a hell of a lot of our own money here.

Emissions trading (as Republicans would structure it)gives free rein to the markets to figure out how best to reach the emissions goals. As Reagan believed, it is diametrically opposed to liberal 'command and control' strategies. My fear is that is what we'll end up with, if conservatives don't sit down at the table and try to solve the problems.

A friend at Duke Energy told me that the utility industry is sitting on trillions of dollars of capital investments...just waiting for the US to signal its long-term energy policy. Imagine what impact those dollars would have on the economy if utilities were given the road map to the future?