I was cautiously optimistic when Dr. Ernie Moniz was tapped as Energy Secretary, for two reasons. First, he wasn't picked because he was obsessed with CO2 and $9 a gallon gas, the way Steven Chu was, and second, he had political experience. 

The only thing better was if he had some actual energy experience, but that is asking too much. Bizarre left-wing anti-energy pundits like Joe Romm think actual experience is overrated anyway. Perish the thought that energy, which is driven by the private sector, actually have billions of dollars of taxpayer money being managed by someone who knows how to make it work.

Not everyone is happy with him, of course. Environmentalists are concerned that he did not pass the anti-fracking, anti-nuclear litmus test while Republicans think he does not invest enough in fossil fuel research - but that is just politics. If both fringes have something to complain about he might be right where he needs to be.

House Science, Space and Technology Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) says it's not an "all of the above" approach unless fossil fuels are given equal time, but even he can't believe that. We already know fossil fuels work, we just need the EPA not to throw up irrational roadblocks while we bridge to something better.  The EPA had to be taken to court and told they couldn't blame flacking for everything without doing any studies first. That's not protecting us, it is using unelected bureaucrats in government to placate the militant base of the party in charge.


Credit: Getty Images. Link: CNBC

What needs help is nuclear power - that has been the victim of a vitriolic anti-science agenda for decades. Democrats were so anti-science during the Clinton presidency that he and Senator John Kerry got cheers when they killed nuclear energy in America, right after they killed the Superconducting Super Collider. The regulations and restrictions are so over-the-top on nuclear science that clearly it needs a subsidy; no corporation would be dumb enough to do it without government partnership. And the government is doing that, with $6.5 billion for the AP1000 Generation III+ project, the first allowed in 30 years. Nuclear is as green as you can get.

What happened during the 30 years that anti-science activism blocked nuclear energy in America? We relied more on coal, and thus led the world in CO2 emissions, and got all this global warming concern. Thanks, Greenpeace!

Sure, before Moniz the administration had a bad habit of stonewalling applications and pulling funding they bragged about signing off on, but Moniz seems able to keep that from happening. Steven Chu is in the past and so is Solyndra.

Moniz sees the green future and it involves nuclear science. Give him a chance, Republicans.