Rising energy imports, climate change, and reliance on polluting fossil fuel and nuclear technologies all threaten the nation's economy, national security, public health, and the environment. None of these problems will go away. None will be solved by the new energy bill. In fact, all may well be made worse by it. Therefore, now that President Bush has signed the Energy Policy Act of 2005, it is time for Congress to pass legislation that actually addresses the nation's energy needs.
Rising energy imports, climate change, and reliance on polluting fossilfuel and nuclear technologies all threaten the nation's economy, nationalsecurity, public health, and the environment. None of these problems willgo away. None will be solved by the new energy bill. In fact, all maywell be made worse by it.
Therefore, now that President Bush has signed the Energy Policy Act of2005, it is time for Congress to pass legislation that actually addressesthe nation's energy needs, which include:
a.) reducing greenhouse gas emissions to a level consistent with aworld-wide goal of global climate stabilization (e.g., curbing U.S. CO2emissions by 60-80% from current levels by mid-century);
b.) eliminating U.S. imports of oil and natural gas (now 58% and 15%respectively) as well as uranium;
c.) phasing out the current generation of nuclear power; and
!ADVERTISEMENT!
d.) decreasing energy waste and making a transition to sustainable,environmentally safer renewable energy sources.
More specifically, it is economically and technically feasible to actuallyreduce total domestic energy use by 20% over the next two decades whilemeeting a fifth of the nation's energy needs with renewables. By 2050,total energy use could actually be cut by 40% or more from today's levelswith at least half of U.S. energy supply coming from renewable sources. Such a scenario would also allow for greenhouse gas emissions to be cut byover 60%.
Such an energy future would simultaneously create new domestic jobs andbusinesses, improve national security and the economy, and enhance theenvironment and public health.
However, it would require legislative enactment of a politically ambitiousagenda that would probably include most of the following components, manyof which Congress left on the cutting room floor as it finalized theenergy bill:
By 2025, fuel economy standards for cars and trucks should be at leastdouble what they are today, beginning with a 50% increase in fuel economyfor new vehicles by the year 2015.
By 2025, total annual person-miles traveled by automobile and truck shouldbe at levels no higher than today through expansion of mass transit,better land use planning, and telecommuting.
By 2025, no less than 25 percent of the nation's liquid transportationfuels should be provided, or displaced, by renewable sources, includingrenewably-generated hydrogen.
By 2025, no less than 25 percent of the nation's electricity should begenerated by renewable energy sources and with a federal mandate toincrease that amount by at least one percent/year thereafter.
By 2025, state and/or federal standards should mandate that the energyefficiency of appliances, motors, and lighting should be improved by noless than 20 percent as measured on a total fuel cycle basis.
By 2025, state and/or federal standards should mandate that 20 percent ofall new buildings must be zero energy buildings (moving twoards a goal ofall new buildings being zero energy by 2050), using a combination ofefficient design and clean on-site energy production;
By 2025, energy use in the electricity sector should be reduced by atleast 10 percent through the use of clean distributed generation such ascombined heat & power, district energy, fuel cells, and improved energystorage and transmission technologies.
In addition, energy efficiency resource standards for electric and gasutilities should be established with a target savings of at least onepercent of annual sales each year, on an incremental basis, such thatsavings build on previous years' impacts.
Expansion of renewable energy, energy efficiency and clean distributedgeneration technologies should be promoted through nationalinterconnection standards (i.e., net metering and transmission accessreforms), production and investment tax incentives, governmentprocurement, updated resource assessment, and state and local planningprograms.
Annual federal funding for the research, development, and deployment ofenergy efficient and renewable energy technologies should be at leastdoubled over the next five years and expanded to no less than five timescurrent levels by 2025.
Funding to support sustainable energy budget outlays and tax incentives,as well as to alleviate low-income consumer impacts, should be drawn froma mix of gradually increased dedicated taxes on carbon-based fuels, energyimports, and fossil fuel leases on federal lands.
Any new coal-based powerplants should be required to achieve energyefficiency and environmental performance equal to, or better than, thebest-available Integrated Combined Cycle Coal Gasification technology, andmust include full and permanent carbon capture and sequestration.
Finally, licenses for existing nuclear power plants should not be renewedor extended and federal nuclear funds should be directed towards plantdecommissioning and waste clean-up, storage & disposal
Such a legislative agenda would require a level of political leadershipand vision rarely displayed by Congress. However, playing ostrich andtrying to duck the tough energy problems facing the United States will notmake them go away. Now that President Bush has signed Energy Policy Actof 2005 it is time for Congress to return to the drawing board and getserious about producing legislation that actually addresses the nation'senergy needs.
If your organization or business would like to participate in the ENN Commentary Series, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Publisher of the Environmental News Network: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
