Energy independence

Is it possible for the United States to overcome what President Bush calls an “addiction to oil,” both the use of it and from whom we buy it?

First, I want to say that I think the United States has the capacity to remove our need for oil purchases from the Middle East, and I believe we have the technology and resources to expand our use of renewable energy sources such as geothermal energy, solar energy, wind energy, and hydroelectric power.

But, do our politicians have the backbone to look Big Oil, and other big energy corporations, in the face and say: “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore”? I think it’s safe to say the answer to that is a resounding “no.”

So that brings us to the Renewable Fuels, Consumer Protection, and Energy Efficiency Act of 2007 that recently was passed by Congress and signed by the president.

 

Some of the highlights

of this bill

The mandate for U.S.-grown biofuels is 36 million gallons per year by 2022, with 20 billion coming from non-corn-based, or advance, biofuels. The requirement is 9 billion gallons for 2008 and 15.2 billion gallons in 2011, up from the current level of about 6 billion gallons. Ethanol is used primarily as an additive to gasoline.

The Corporate Average Fuel Economy, or CAFE, standards are increased to a fleet-wide average of 35 miles per gallon by 2020. Beginning with 2011 models, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will increase the CAFE standard annually for cars and light trucks.

The law calls for higher efficiency standards for consumer appliances, from lighting to home heating and cooling systems. There also are research and development funds earmarked for lighting efficiency, smart grid technologies, and advanced transportation and batteries.

 

Some of what you don’t see

The Senate stripped out an extension to an investment tax credit for renewable power generation from solar, wind, and biomass. Also taken out was a renewable portfolio standard that would have mandated that utilities get 15 percent of their power from renewable sources.

Solar and wind industry experts said losing the investment tax credit will delay growth of the renewable energy industry. The current tax investment incentives are set to terminate at the end of 2008.

Big Oil opposed the renewable energy provisions because they would have been paid for by taking away existing tax incentives for oil companies, according to John Felmy, the chief economist for the American Petroleum Institute. If the tax package had gone through, consumers would have paid higher prices for transportation fuels, he argued.

There are several other programs that I do not have room to discuss that are in the legislation, but as you can see there are some programs that will certainly cut our use of oil, but no money for renewable energy sources because Big Oil said that if Congress took the tax credits from the oil corporations to pay for renewable energy source research and development, they would raise the prices at the pumps. What a pile of malarkey. Those pump prices are going to go up at the whims of Big Oil, and not even Congress has the backbone to say enough already.

So, can we become energy independent? In my opinion, yes we can, but not until the corporations that currently supply energy are forced to accept new change, either by the so called free market or by a government with a backbone.

Someday in the distant future, Americans will no longer accept the status quo, and they will say to their elected officials: “I’m mad as hell, and I’m not going to take it anymore,” and vote the bums out.