Achieving energy security is an opportunity to create an innovative new industry that will expand the American middle class and reclaim our nation’s moral high ground on climate change.
The Vilsack Energy Security Agenda establishes benchmarks for the United States to dramatically reduce energy imports and carbon emissions.
Today Tom Vilsack gave an important speech about energy policy to the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco. The text of the speech should be up on his website soon.
Let me note one other thing from the press release:
In his speech to the Commonwealth Club on February 13, 2007, Vilsack also made a personal commitment to lead by example in reducing carbon emissions – by neutralizing the carbon footprint created by his presidential campaign travel and the electricity consumed by his campaign’s offices. The Vilsack campaign will purchase carbon offset credits to finance the construction of clean emissions.
There are several key points in the energy plan. These are, as listed in the press release and stated in the speech:
- Adopt a low-carbon fuel standard to require all fuel providers by 2010 to reduce the amount of carbon produced by their fuel at a rate of 1% a year for ten years. This will create a 10% cumulative reduction by 2020.
- Offer a new range of federal tax incentives, including a 25-cent per-gallon credit for the production of ethanol from cellular fiber. Amend the Clean Air Act so that carbon emissions will be cut by 20% in each new coal plant built in the U.S after 2010. To achieve this goal, new coal-fired plants will be required to use Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (known as IGCC) or other emerging technologies to provide similar results in reducing carbon emissions.
- Require that by 2020 all new power plants built in the United States be carbon-free. This requirement could be met with any available energy source, including wind, solar, geothermal, safe nuclear, and coal plants that use carbon capture and sequestration. To help meet this goal, the Vilsack administration will dedicate funding to research and development, grants, and loan guarantees for those developing and using clean technologies.
- Enact a new renewable fuel standard (known as RFS) that will require annual increases in the use of renewable fuels in the US fuel market that achieves 60 billion gallons per year by 2030. Moreover, that standard would require that 45 billion of the 60 billion gallons be cellulosic ethanol, biobutanol or biodiesel.
- Establish a new National Energy Security Trust Fund funded by repealing existing oil and gas tax breaks. Funds from this Trust will be used for research and development in renewable fuel production.
- Set fuel efficiency standards so that, by 2030, cars are 50% more fuel efficient. As President, Vilsack will work with auto companies and auto workers to establish aggressive, but workable new standards for fuel efficiency and emissions.
- Encourage technological developments and offer incentives so that by 2040 America’s transportation system will be virtually petroleum-free. Further development of needed technologies—fuel cells, biofuels, plug-in biofuel hybrids or others—coupled with significant incentives for the purchase of petroleum-free automobiles will be used to achieve this goal.
- Create a mandatory nationwide cap and trade program to limit emissions of greenhouse gases such that by 2050 America will achieve a 75% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from 2000 levels.
- Replace the Department of Energy with a new Department of Energy Security, to oversee and redefine the federal government’s role in energy policy. The reorganized department will act as an institutional advocate for innovation in energy policy, and will ensure accountability as the nation works towards achieving Vilsack’s energy security goals.
Tom will be encouraging people to come to his website and engage in dialog about energy, and about other issues as he releases his positions. He did something similar last cycle with his Heartland Pac, which was dedicated to electing state-wide officials like governors and secretaries of state. Many here participated in those discussions, as I did in education. Heartland later accumulated the suggestions of people and made them available in an organized fashion.
I decided to support Tom because of his position on education. A a governor it was an issue with which he dealt intimately, and it is very personal to him. Others may be drawn to him because of his position Iraq. I assure you that is equally personal to him: as governor he called the families of each of the Iowans killed in Iraq, and that had a huge affect upon him.
Tom Vilsack takes energy security seriously, worked on the issue as governor, and is committed to leading by example. Those who attended the recent DNC winter meetings have already seen an example of that: his palm cards had a message upon them noting they were produced by a company whose energy was wind-powered.
Some of you may already be committed to other candidates, and I - and Tom - respect that. But whether you are as yet uncommitted or already supporting another candidate, I hope you will give Tom's ideas serious consideration, and be willing to dialog about them.
I hope that Tom will again visit dailykos in the next few days, at which time you would be able to talk with him directly about energy security as well as other issues that concern you.
We cannot be secure as a nation unless we have a secure, and environmentally friendly, energy policy. I was not a participant in the Energize America group, and I do not have their expertise. As a layman who tries to reduce his own carbon footprint (both of our cars are hybrids, for example), I find the ideas in this plan challenging.
What about you? What do you think?
UPDATE I am now adding link for speech and for AP story Let me offer some snips of both.
From the speech:
Energy security is the single most important issue facing America. It affects us every minute of every day. It affects our health...personal finances...economy...and quality of life. For more than 3,000 American soldiers, it has literally been a matter of life and death.
Our country is currently importing 64% of oil from foreign sources. Studies say that this will grow to 75% by 2030 if we don’t do anything about the current trend lines.
But energy security is more than a burden, it is an opportunity.
It's a chance to create an innovative new industry that can expand the middle class. And it's an opportunity for us to reclaim the moral high ground on climate change.
and from the AP story:
"These are the types of measures that America needs to move beyond oil and to stop, slow and reverse global warming," said Julia Bovey, an energy policy expert with the Natural Resources Defense Council.
The group does not take sides in elections, but reviewed a copy of Vilsack's proposals Tuesday.
"These are the types of measures we hope every candidate will consider," Bovey said. "Taken together, it's all doable with a real commitment."
Disclosure: I am actively supporting Tom Vilsack's candidacy,but I have no paid or official relationship with the campaign other than supporter