Barack Obama's Energy Plan

Although Obama says he favors research on "clean coal" and tapping the energy reserve, overall he has the most comprehensive well-designed energy plan. His plan is divided into near-term and long-term goals and actions, and how to exercise global leadership, without which nothing will happen.

In the near term we must improve regulation to cut speculation in oil, and to remove the tax breaks of oil companies. Because the high price of gas hits them hard, we must find ways to soften its impact on the poor.

The most important part of Obama's plan consists of his long-term goals. These are as follows:

• REDUCE OVERALL CARBON EMISSIONS - Reduce them 80% by 2050. We should achieve this through a cap and trade system, where the units to be traded are auctioned off.

• REDUCE CARBON EMISSIONS AT UTILITIES - Utilities should increase their use of clean non-carbon fuels 25% by 2024

• REDUCE CARBON EMISSIONS FROM VEHICLES - Make vehicles flexible fuel vehicles, that is, capable of using either cellulosic ethanol or gas.

• REDUCE CARBON EMISSIONS FROM BUILDINGS - All new buildings should be carbon neutral by 2030
  

Important methods for achieving these goals are:

• EFFICIENCY - Improve efficiency in the use of fuels across the board 50% by 2030

• INVEST IN NON-CARBON FUELS - Spend $150 billion over 10 years. Also establish a venture fund with $5 billion per year for 5 years

• INVEST IN BIOFUELS - To feed flexible fuel vehicles, produce 2 billion gallons of cellulosic ethanol by 2013

• INVEST IN NUCLEAR ENERGY - To be used when it is considered to be safe
  

In addition, Obama addresses the problem of leadership, which has been overlooked or disregarded too long. Because it is the greatest carbon emitter and because it is the sole superpower, leadership must be exercised by the U.S. Obama takes the first step in leadership by calling for a Global Energy Forum consisting of G8 (the group of 8) plus 5, where the additional 5 are Brazil, China, India, Mexico and S. Africa. The leaders of these 13 countries will meet for discussion of worldwide energy problems at least once per year.
I like this program, especially the Global Energy Forum. Instead of convening almost 200 nations, as the UN has done, the 13 greatest carbon emitters will meet. This alone will reduce the complexity of the problem markedly.

You may read about the Obama energy program here. It's an excellent plan and deserves to be considered as the basis for Cogressional action during the next administraton.