Energy Smart: Action Plan

Smart Energy: Renewable. Efficient. Green.

We recommend the following legislative and regulatory actions to make us Energy Independent by 2010.

1. Offer significant tax credits to individuals and businesses to encourage the manufacture and purchase of:

a. Fuel-efficient vehicles. The size of the tax credit would depend on how much fuel is saved: the largest credit would go for vehicles that use the least gasoline. Such vehicles would include: hybrid automobiles such as the Honda Insight, Toyota Prius and Honda Civic Hybrid; fuel-cell vehicles powered by hydrogen or hydrogen-producing liquid compounds; electric cars; or other non-fossil-fuel vehicles.

b. Gasoline/ethanol blends, neat ethanol or other biofuels.

c. Electrical systems that generate electricity from solar, wind or other renewable sources.

2. Require that all government agencies purchase fuel-efficient vehicles.

3. Require that all public utilities produce a significantly larger percentage of their electric power using renewable resources: solar, wind, geothermal, hydrogen and biofuels.

4. Initiate and significantly increase funding for CRASH research programs to develop and commercialize:

a. Fuel cells and hydrogen-generation processes that do not use petroleum as a feedstock.

b. Biofuels from non-food feedstocks: farm waste, energy crops, urban waste and wood chips.

c. Fuel-efficient vehicles.

d. Electricity-generation systems using solar, wind, and other renewable sources.

5. Require higher fuel-efficiency standards for ALL vehicles manufactured or sold in this country. These standards should be appreciably increased for SUVs, light trucks, mini vans and large gas-guzzling automobiles.

6. Initiate nationwide outreach programs to educate the public on:

a. The gravity of the crises this country will be facing if it does not become energy independent.

b. The need to conserve gasoline by switching to fuel-efficient vehicles, or by using mass transit, bicycles, or just walking whenever it is practical.

c. The need to conserve electricity and heat in the home and business.

d. The benefits of purchasing fuel-efficient vehicles and making your home energy-efficient.

e. The benefits to the environment of conserving fuel, heat, and electricity.

7. Do NOT explore or drill in any environmentally sensitive areas that are a priceless part of our national heritage.

8. Urge Congress to vote YES on renewables, energy efficiency and energy conservation. They can make our nation ENERGY INDEPENDENT.

Our thanks to Paul Notari, former Board Chair of the American Solar Energy Society, for his assistance is preparing this Action Plan.

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