Introduction

Hi, I'm Robert Fox, 2nd-year graduate student in Sustainable Development at the University of Maryland, where I am specializing in Green Energy Policy. Previously I worked for 7 years as a consultant in the energy industry, mainly focusing on analysis of the fuel, power, and transmission markets for clients that run natural gas-fired power plants.

You've probably heard of "Red States" (politically more conservative) and "Blue States" (politically more liberal), with "Purple States" being those that hold the middle ground. The "Purple State Energy Plan" project will attempt to find progressive energy policies that can satisfy the political demands of both sides, so that we can more quickly get to work on updating our energy infrastructure for the 21st century. Why shoot for the middle ground? Well, simply because all sides (businesses, environmentalists, regulators, and other activists) have valid arguments, but we simply can NOT afford to wait until one of them convinces everyone else that their plan is the best.