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- Are you interested in becoming an organizer in your area?
- Maybe--But Not Sure What to Organize
- Tell us about your experience with alternative energy:
- none
- What excites you about this campaign?
- it delivers a real plan to help us thru this crisis, and it keeps our money here and not given to Arabia.
- What do you want to do to help?
- I would like to get more people understanding this plan and possibly support it. Too many are apathetic to the elcetion and how to fix our problems.
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We the people of the United States of America deserve a coherent energy policy that looks toward an energy independent future.
There are numerous examples of nations working toward energy independence. Brazil, for example, has already achieved this goal through sugar cane ethanol and increases in their domestic drilling program, resulting in stable fuel prices not subject to international fluctuations. Please note that many Brazilian alternative fuel vehicles are manufactured by Ford and General Motors but are not available for purchase in the United States.
Iran has initiated a government-subsidized program to convert all cars to natural gas or bifuel (natural gas and gasoline) capability, and to make both fuels available at filling stations.
China’s alternative fuel of choice is methanol. It’s more corrosive than ethanol but doesn’t require organic food sources to produce, instead being made from coal, natural gas, organic or industrial wastes, or even power stations’ smokestack emissions, reducing greenhouse gases and fueling cars at the same time.
There are many other nations that are either working toward energy independence or have already achieved it, including Iceland, India, Israel, Denmark, and Sweden. The too-often vocalized opinion that the United States is incapable of achieving this same goal is absurd.
For too long we have been hostage to external influences over which we have no control. Reliance upon foreign oil has allowed the politics of our international friends no less than those of our enemies to undercut our economic and industrial freedom. This must stop.
Also for too long we have been polluting our own land, air, and water. All forms of toxic emissions must be reduced to preserve a heritage for our descendants.
The elements for energy independence and a more livable environment are present throughout America, including natural gas, wind and solar power, and nuclear energy. The necessary technology is readily available to achieve this goal, allowing for electricity generation and transportation needs by alternative and cleaner means. All that has been lacking is a logical plan to put these pieces together and the leadership to see it through.
Such a plan has recently been proposed by Mr. T. Boone Pickens. As a citizen of these United States, I ask you to support the modify Pickens Plan in your sphere of political influence and to help us achieve energy independence for now and for our children’s future. Enclose is copy of modify Pickens’ plan
Sincerely,
Our Plan that we would like to be enacted into legislation
1. We need a modern, updated national grid system capable of handling alternative energy sources from multiple providers as advocated by the Pickens Plan. We propose that Congress legislate this national grid for harvesting wind, solar, and other power sources from appropriate locations, including the interior wind corridor, offshore wind sources, the solar corridor in the Southwestern states, and others as established through ongoing research and development. Design and preparation for upgrades and/or new construction should be undertaken in the next 24 months, financed by Federal loan guarantees and a $500Bn grant building program.
2. We need a national net metering standard enacted for all states.
Discussion: Net metering is a tariff that allows you (the people) to have your own renewable energy system located at your house or place of business, allowing you to generate electricity on your premises and trade it against your power usage. Essentially, this means your power meter would run backward when you generated power.
A tariff limitation of 10 kW or 100 kW, as is the case in some states, is generally too small for many businesses. The limitation is tied to transmission line capability, and a recent study conducted in Oregon concluded that 2 MW is an appropriate limitation standard. Several states, including California, Nevada, Oregon, and now New York, have already enacted that standard.
Solution: Make 2 MW the national standard for the net metering tariff limitation and apply it both to individual premises, such as residences or businesses, and to community solar or wind parks.
3. We need community solar and wind farms, not only to supply power within local load and service areas, but also to supply electricity to the grid through net metering. However, the current definition of “customer” in the concept of net metering limits its application to individual locations, such as a residence or business, and does not allow for the application of community co-ops. We need to change that definition to allow for such local initiatives within load and service areas, and to allow for orderly grid management of distributed energy systems.
4. We need a comprehensive incentives program, much like the Europeans but different. We need an energy trust of $50Bn, to be managed by the states, as incentives for individuals, businesses, and industries. These incentives can take the form of either tax credits or rebates to encourage the adoption of the renewable energy technology.
5. We have the technology today for wind and solar energy production, and private venture groups are funding all manner of systems. For example, organic dyes developed by the MIT and new work by spectral spitting by the University of Delaware have the potential for solar efficiencies 50%. In addition to these private groups, the Department of Energy has enacted a $10Bn loan guarantee program, which in June 2008 entered its second round of solicitations. We need to support this program. As well, the SBA’s Office of Technology includes award programs to encourage high-tech and alternative energy research and development projects among America’s small businesses. We need to pass their new Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs to provide $300K for phase I (startups) and $2.1Mn for Phase II (expansion and evaluations) with a national goal of $2Bn for these programs.
6. We need a real incentive, not only for American manufacturers to develop more fuel-efficient and alternative energy cars for the American marketplace, but also for Americans to buy and drive these cars.
Discussion: Today Americans are faced with increasing inflationary pressures on their pocketbooks, with higher prices in the areas of energy, food, clothing, and housing. Many Americans are unable to purchase more fuel-efficient cars or convert their current cars to run on alternative fuels. Currently available and future alternatives include the 30 electric car companies in America, some of which have products ready for the market, as well as large automobile manufacturers with forward-looking NG, Flex, hybrid, and electrical cars.
Solution: We need a Federal tax credit ranging from $4K to $16K to assist with the cost of upgrading American automobiles to a minimum mileage of 35 MPG, with an additional $1K credit for every 5 MPG increase above that level.
In addition, the current tax credit of $4K for converting a vehicle from burning gasoline to natural gas should be increased to 50% of the cost of conversion over a three-year period.
7. Finally, we need to enact a 10-year Production Tax Credit for wind, solar, and other renewable energy sources, forcing an end to the “stop and go” policy of past Congresses.