Organizers and Leaders: Start Here

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Comment by Robert Schultz on November 7, 2009 at 11:48pm

Here's the latest response I received from Sen. Maria Cantwell. Perhaps we should start with her and Sen. Hatch of Utah to get an Energy Plan moving forward...

Dear Mr. Schultz,

Thank you for contacting me about the urgent actions our nation must take toward energy independence and a clean energy future. I appreciate hearing from you on this important matter.

Despite our country's long-time dependence on foreign oil, plug-in electric vehicles can make significant reductions in oil use and greenhouse gas emissions. By substituting electricity for gasoline and diesel fuels, plug-in electric vehicles can also lower our political and economic reliance on oil markets, cut tailpipe emissions, and boost overall efficiency and performance. Today's plug-in electric vehicles can attain fuel efficiencies approaching 70 miles per gallon, and most importantly for consumers, charging a plug-in hybrid at current rates costs the equivalent of just $1 per gallon of gas, representing a remarkable reduction in annual fuel costs. Wide-scale adoption of this game-changing technology can play a key role in providing our nation with greater energy, environmental, and economic security.

In order to accelerate the domestic production and adoption of plug-in vehicles, on January 15, 2009, Senator Orrin Hatch and I introduced the Fuel Reduction using Electrons to End Dependence on the Mid-East (FREEDOM) Act of 2009 (S. 271). Just weeks after it was introduced, on February 17, provisions from the FREEDOM Act were signed into law as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (H.R. 1). This new law greatly expands the number of plug-in electric vehicles eligible for existing consumer tax incentives and creates new incentives for 2- and 3-wheeled and neighborhood or low-speed electric vehicles. In addition, it will also provide tax credits of up to $4,000 for consumers who invest in equipment to convert any motor vehicle into a plug-in electric vehicle. Finally, our legislation augmented existing tax incentives for the installation of electric vehicle refueling stations.

This legislation builds on the success of a bill Senator Hatch and I introduced along with then-Senator Obama last Congress, the FREEDOM Act of 2007, which adopted a multi-tiered tax incentives strategy designed to accelerate the domestic development, manufacturing, and sale of a full range of plug-in electric drive vehicles including pure battery electrics, extended range electrics, plug-in hybrid electrics, and plug-in fuel cell vehicles. The 2007 bill was well received in Congress, and parts of it were included in a $17 billion clean energy tax package I championed, the Energy Improvement and Extension Act of 2008, that was approved by the Senate on a 93 to 2 vote and was enacted into law as part of a larger legislative package on October 2, 2008. This bill provides new car buyers up to $7,500 to buy plug-in electric cars, trucks or SUVs - vehicles that will start appearing on showroom floors in 2010 and will likely achieve over 100 miles per gallon. This tax credit, which starts at $2,500 and goes up $417 for each kilowatt hour of traction battery capacity in excess of 4 kilowatt hours, covers new all electric vehicles.

I am fighting to make the next chapter in America's energy story less about where we can drill to get more oil, and more about opportunities to help consumers get more from their energy dollar and grow the American economy. Plug-in electric vehicles, which can utilize electricity from a broad array of domestic resources, will be a big part of that next chapter. According to a Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) study, even our current electricity infrastructure could support an estimated 70 percent of America's passenger vehicle fleet. Fully utilizing the grid in this way would displace 6.5 million barrels of oil each day-an amount equivalent to 50 percent of our oil imports-and cut greenhouse gases by an estimated 20 percent.

Thank you again for contacting me to share your thoughts on this matter. You may also be interested in signing up for periodic updates for Washington state residents. If you are interested in subscribing to this update, please visit my website at http://cantwell.senate.gov. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future if I can be of further assistance.

Sincerely,
Maria Cantwell
United States Senator

For future correspondence with my office, please visit my website at
http://cantwell.senate.gov/contact/index.html

Comment by Robert Schultz on November 7, 2009 at 11:42pm

Just a Happy Bunny moment...

Honestly, what I really appreciate about the Pickens Plan, is that we can work together most of the time in a non-partisan manner to try to reduce America's dependence on foreign oil. We may have our differences in political philosophies, but if we are working towards a common goal, we stand a better chance of accomplishing something beneficial to all Americans.

Now what can we do to get Congress and the White House to start developing a comprehensive plan for American Energy Independence?!?

Comment by amy oconnor on November 7, 2009 at 5:33pm

BOTH

Amen Brothers, my sentiments exactly.......

Comment by Sean Kinney on November 7, 2009 at 4:54pm

Hi Robert - are you asking about the lack or wisdom or consideration of others when someone knowingly decides to post and sell propaganda material that promotes politically polarizing individuals that have nothing to do with a shared non-partisan goal described on this website or are you just sick? ;-)

Comment by Robert Schultz on November 7, 2009 at 9:21am

I think I just threw up in my mouth a little bit...

Do we really gain anything by posting this kind of stuff?

Comment by Stacey Williams on November 6, 2009 at 5:10pm

I just recieved my Sarah Palin Going Rogue t-shirt and my husband ordered a Glenn Beck 9.12 Principles and Values t-shirt. to wear the next time we go to our local town hall meeting.
We've been receiving a lot of compliments when we wore them around town and met a lot of new people who want to join the 912 movement, as well as to support our next President Sarah Palin.

You can order these t-shirts for yourself and your family at http://www.crosstrendsclothing.com while they are on sale now with free shipping. We got our t-shirts within a week!

to wear the next time we go to our local town hall meeting. Best Wishes to all throughout the day.

Stacey Williams

Comment by Wayne J.R. Bowser, LEED AP on November 4, 2009 at 12:25pm

Great program today as John Nobles and I welcomed our Maryland State Leader, Chandrashekar, to The Green Revolution Show

Listen to the podcast and hear Chandra suggests we give "green candy" out to Clean Energy Providers on this, National Candy Day!

Comment by John Wesley Nobles on November 3, 2009 at 1:08pm

Tomorrow, Wednesday, 11/04/09, 2 pm eastern, 11 am pacific we are very pleased, and fortunate to have Chandra Tamirisa as our featurued guest on The Green Revolution Show. Chandra has a lot to share with us. Pickens Plan is proud to have him as the State Leader of Maryland. Live Talk Line; (347) 637-3101 or The Green Revolution Show on your computer. Your support makes the difference, please tune in.

Comment by Sean Kinney on November 2, 2009 at 8:10pm

I like to make sure the outcomes from my work measurable. Sometimes it is - sometimes it is not. However, www.unhub.com has been helpful in the number of click throughs of a specific link. It isn't fancy but it works. Totals for the last 7 days from links I posted on Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin - to see the results visit http://unhub.com/7pHk.

Sean Kinney
OH12 District Leader
To learn more about the PickensPlan in central Ohio click here - http://unhub.com/Uu3c
Twitter - http://unhub.com/tSsq
Linkedin - http://unhub.com/PUOZ
Facebook - http://unhub.com/69-G
OH 12th Facebook Group - http://unhub.com/y0Sn

Comment by Sean Kinney on October 30, 2009 at 10:16am

Hi All,

The Newark Advocate printed a letter to the editor submitted from PickensPlan's Ohio Leader (Veronica Gold) and cosigned by myself thanking our US Rep. Pat Tiberi for his support of the Nat Gas Act of 2009.

See the editorial at http://unhub.com/w7fB

My mom will be so proud!

If you haven't done so please support the Nat Gas Act of 2009 and contact your Congressional Leadership at http://unhub.com/WrBS. Just fill in the form - PickensPlan does the work!



Sean Kinney
OH12 District Leader
To learn more about the PickensPlan in central Ohio click here - http://unhub.com/Uu3c
Twitter - http://unhub.com/tSsq
Linkedin - http://unhub.com/PUOZ
Facebook - http://unhub.com/69-G
OH 12th Facebook Group - http://unhub.com/y0Sn

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