By Bernadette Del Chiaro, Clean Energy Advocate, Environment California
In the State of the State
address, President Bush correctly highlights the dangers inherent in America’s
over dependence on oil. However, there is nothing visionary or new about reducing
our dependence with coal and nuclear power. Instead, breaking America’s
addiction to oil by shifting to coal and nukes is akin to a heroin addict
trying to kick the habit by switching to cocaine and speed.
America needs real energy solutions. Instead of promoting
coal fired power plants and nuclear power, President Bush should have proposed
true energy solutions such as:
Committing to renewable energy and following
the lead of 20 states, and the District
of Columbia, with a federal minimum renewable energy
requirement. By 2017, these state requirements will result in enough renewable
energy to power 20 million homes.
Instead, the Bush Administration and their allies in Congress have
blocked a provision in the 2005 Energy Policy Act, which would have required
utilities to generate at least 10% of their electricity from renewables by
2020.
Committing to Cleaner More Fuel Efficient Automobiles instead of standing in the way of at least 10 states
(CA, WA, OR, NJ, NY, CT, MA, RI, ME,VT) that have adopted clean cars standards that
would put more hybrids and advanced technology cars on the road; which will
reduce pollution and reduce gasoline consumption by billions of gallons per
year.
Committing to Energy Efficiency as the fastest and cheapest way to address our energy
needs. Ten states (WA, OR, CA, AZ, MD,
NJ, NY, CT, RI, MA); frustrated by federal in action, adopted energy efficiency
standards which will save consumers in those states billions of dollars. If the
Bush Administration followed the lead of Massachusetts
and adopted the efficiency standard for furnaces and boilers the savings
nationally would be 4.5 billion dollars annually and equal 1% of today’s
natural gas consumption. Instead, the
Bush Administration has dragged its feet in adopting energy efficiency standards,
responding only when sued or pressured by the states.
Promoting Energy Conservation. The
American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy has found that a 2% reduction
in electricity and natural gas demand could trigger a 25% reduction in
wholesale natural gas prices within a single year. Instead the Bush Administration has cut
weatherization programs and fuel assistance for low income Americans to balance
the budget while allowing the oil industry off the hook for millions of dollars
in royalties at a time of record profits.
Promoting
Clean Energy Sources which are cheaper and quicker to bring on line
rather than casting our lot with expensive and risky technology like nuclear
power. The Bush Administration is
choosing to ignore both the costs and the risks associated with nuclear power;
including the lack of a safe disposal for nuclear waste, the heightened risk of
proliferation of nuclear materials into the hands of terrorists, and the
extraordinary costs associated with nuclear power.
