News here in Europe say, the new democratic majority wants to decrease tax benefits for big oil companies and shift it to programs in order to promote the use of renewable energy technology.

On first glance this sounds really good. But will there not be big resistance against this programme? Especially promoting bio ethanol would probably direct most of the money to the big energy companies (bio ethanol needs as well the network of gas stations etc). Further using ethanol - as I know as frequent TOD reader - doesn't help escaping the PO dilemma, because this form of energy needs a lot of energy to produce and uses fertile soil which is better in use for agriculture.

Or will solar, wind, tidal, geothermal energy be as well among the technologies which will benefit.

marotti32 from much to warm Berlin, germany (this is definitley NOT a winter this year!)

Yes. Yesterday's DrumBeat has a story about the Democrats' plan...and one from the American Petroleum Institute, warning that doom will result if it goes through.

...doom will result...Distinguishable from the doom we are headed for anyway, by having someone to blame for it.

.. might even trigger a civil war in Iraq, if we're not careful!