new energy for america plan help create five million new jobs by strategically investing $150...

New Energy for America plan• Help create five million new jobs by

strategically investing $150 billion over the next ten years to catalyze private efforts to build a clean energy future

• Within 10 years save more oil than we currently import from the Middle East and Venezuela combined

• Put 1 million Plug-In Hybrid cars – cars that can get up to 150 miles per gallon – on the road by 2015, cars that we will work to make sure are built here in America

• Ensure 10 percent of our electricity comes from renewable sources by 2012, and 25 percent by 2025

• Implement an economy-wide cap-and-trade program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent by 2050

http://change.gov/agenda/energy_and_environment_agenda/

Provide Short-term Relief to American Families• Crack Down on Excessive Energy

Speculation• Swap Oil from the Strategic Petroleum

Reserve to Cut Prices


Eliminate Our Current Imports from the Middle East and Venezuela within 10 Years• Increase Fuel Economy Standards. Get 1

Million Plug-In Hybrid Cars on the Road by 2015

• Create a New $7,000 Tax Credit for Purchasing Advanced Vehicles

• Establish a National Low Carbon Fuel Standard

• A “Use it or Lose It” Approach to Existing Oil and Gas Leases

• Promote the Responsible Domestic Production of Oil and Natural Gas


Create Millions of New Green Jobs• Ensure 10 percent of Our Electricity

Comes from Renewable Sources by 2012, and 25 percent by 2025

• Deploy the Cheapest, Cleanest, Fastest Energy Source – Energy Efficiency

• Weatherize One Million Homes Annually• Develop and Deploy Clean Coal

Technology• Prioritize the Construction of the Alaska

Natural Gas Pipelinehttp://change.gov/agenda/

energy_and_environment_agenda/

Reduce our Greenhouse Gas Emissions 80 Percent by 2050• Implement an economy-wide cap-and-

trade program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent by 2050

• Make the U.S. a Leader on Climate Change


National Research Council (2008) America’s Energy Future

Energy is one of the biggest consumer of water

Water use efficiency (Virginia Tech Study, 2008)

• Natural gas 3 gallons/million BTU• Coal 41 to 464 gallons/million BTU• Liquid natural gas 145 gallons/million BTU• Nuclear 2,400 to 5,600 gallons/million

BTU• Ethanol 2,500 to 29,100 gallons/million

BTU• Biodiesel 14,000 to 75,000 gallons/million

BTU Biofuels – an irony when it comes to

water• Currently 2% irrigated water used for

energy crops

http://aquadoc.typepad.com/waterwired/2008/04/virginia-tech-s.html

Oil supplies 1/3 of world’s energy needs

Demand increasing• Rapidly developing countries – China,

India World is not yet running out of oil,

but the age of cheap oil is over• Look for more oil• Use or waste less• Use something else

US is the largest oil user• Lifestyle and economy based on access to

ample oil supply• 2.9% of proven oil reserve

US supply along the Gulf• Risks of hurricanes – increasing intensity

Middle East• Most of world’s discovered and undiscovered

reserves 1/4 of world’s oil is controlled by states that

sponsor or condone terrorism• US is fighting a war on terrorism• Funding the enemy by buying oil

Alaska Geologist argue that it contains a very small

fraction of US oil needs 1 in 5 chance of finding oil there Alaska support the exploration • State uses oil revenue to finance its budget

Degradation of a pristine and ecologically vulnerable ecosystem

Improving efficiency is a much faster, cheaper, cleaner, and more secure way to increase future oil supplies

Burning oil generates CO2

Gasoline accounts to 43% of global CO2 emissions

Global warming Effect of climate change • Health• Ecology and biodiversity• Water availability

Russia and Iran have almost half of world’s reserves• 62-125 years

US has only 3% of world’s proven reserve Natural gas pipelines can distribute between

countries• Do not cross oceans• Converting gas to liquid form reduces net

energy Clean burning fuel • Produces CO2 when burned• Produces methane if leaked• Greenhouse gases

Coal generate 62% of world’s electricity Supplies may last 217-1,125 years US has 27% of proven coal reserves In 2005 China and US accounted for

53% of global consumption A new coal burning plant open every 10

days in China• China has 300 years of reserves

Half of India’s energy is from coal

Not as versatile as oil and natural gas Much higher environmental impact Releases much more CO2 Single biggest air polluter in the US,

China, and India• Air pollution kills 23,500 people in the US• 38,200 non-fatal heart attacks• 554,0100 asthma attacks

Several billion of property damage every year

Responsible for ¼ of atmospheric pollution

Synfuel• Synthetic natural gal from coal

gasification• Requires 50% more coal = 50% more

CO2

CO2 removal from plant emissions• Produces hydrogen as byproduct• Can be used to fuel nonpolluting cars

Cost of such technology is high Little incentive to build such plant • CO2 is not regulated as an air pollutant

Accounts for 20% of energy in the US Relatively low environmental impact High cost Facilities vulnerable to terrorist

attack No nuclear power plant constructed

in the US in the last 30 years Will increasing the number of nuclear

power plants lessen our dependence on imported oil?

Challenges• Not technology, but policy and financing

Radioactive waste must be stored safely for thousands of years• Yucca Mountain nuclear repository

• Rejected in 2009• Does this threaten the expansion of nuclear projects?

If nuclear power is to provide a considerable portion of the future U.S. electrical power, “we would have to have eight Yucca Mountains by the end of this century in order to store the spent fuel.”


The world is not running out of energy resources, but there are accumulating risks to continuing expansion of oil and natural gas production from the conventional sources relied upon historically. These risks create significant challenges to meeting projected energy demand.

National Research Council (2008) America’s Energy FutureNational Petroleum Council (2007)

new energy for america plan help create five million new jobs by strategically investing $150...

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