Is there a clean energy future for the US?

Two bits of recommended reading:

First, this piece from Tom Friedman about how we are failing to invest in Energy Secretary Steven Chu's vision of energy innovation--mini-Manhattan projects:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/13/opinion/13friedman.html

Second, this piece from the Breakthrough Institute that holds up a vision of a post-partisan path forward (which is, of course, already under partisan attack):

http://thebreakthrough.org/blog/2010/10/postpartisan_power.shtml

We've seen federal action on 2 of CSCC's top 3 issues (Ending the Iraq War and Health Care) in the last couple years. We know we need to do something about energy/environment, but when? How?