After listening to the president last night I wanted to share and make a few points that I believe the Senate should take up. Lets ask ourselves how we can reduce our dependence on fossils fuels.
I can break this down into several categories because not all is simple.
- Raise CAF standards on all cars. They have the technology to do it now. I know of an Australian company that can put a device on any vehicle and save about 25% to 30% of the fuel. If this was mandated to be on all cars they would have that fuel savings immediately. This is a small company and foreign and would need help manufacturing these parts. We have plenty of moth balled plants that we could make available to a company like this. Also require all cars by a certain date to be Hybrids. The industry is going that way now so make them continue.
- Make all fuel in the US and this includes Diesel, home heating fuel, and gasoline to contain a minimum mandated amount of biofuels. B5 for Diesel, B5 for home heating oil, and E10 for gasoline. Who does this hurt? Oil companies only. The most profitable companies in the US and we are worried about the impact of a biofuels mandate on them?
- Require all homes to be powered by at least 20% solar. This mandate will add a small percentage to each home.
- Do like the french and have a single plan for future nuclear plants. In France you can go into any nuclear plant and operate it because they are all based on the same design. In the US every nuclear plant is different. Do this like we do electronic equipment and get the industry together and decide on a single design. This design will have federal approval for a fast track to build.
- Invest in wind. There is a company that has a new design that I believe should be given some funding to build. It is based on maglev technology and it could leap frog current wind design technology.
If these things alone would be done it would mean millions of jobs. Pass these on to anyone that will listen. I know you may not agree with all but this is what a true energy plan looks like.