Atomic Power, Fossil Fuels, and the Environment : Lessons Learned and the Lasting Impact of the Kennedy Energy Policies

Because of his short term of office, President Kennedy’s energy policies have not been critiqued, reviewed, or analyzed in the same manner, or to the same degree, as other administrations. This Essay fills part of that void by reviewing the key components of President Kennedy’s energy and environmental goals and policies that managed to have a lasting impact, despite his short term in office, and discusses the results of those policies, both positive and negative. Through this review, President Kennedy’s policies can become a resource and roadmap for the current Administration and all those who seek to ensure access to affordable energy while preserving the environment. This essay considers the motivation behind President Kennedy’s key energy initiatives and proposed legislation and puts that motivation in context. More specifically, the Essay discusses some of President Kennedy’s key energy initiatives, in light of the technological, regulatory, economic, and political (domestic and international) climate of the Kennedy years and compares President Kennedy’s key initiatives to the concerns the United States faces today. From nuclear energy to coal-fired power to electricity infrastructure, this comparison indicates that President Kennedy’s energy and environmental policies were both insightful and prescient, but not without consequences