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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
http://change.gov/agenda/energy_and_environment_agenda/
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
http://change.gov/agenda/energy_and_environment_agenda/
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
http://change.gov/agenda/energy_and_environment_agenda/
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
National Research Council (2008) America’s Energy Future
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.”
National Research Council (2008) America’s Energy Future
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)