How to fix energy in the US: A sensible approach

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How to fix energy in the US A sensible approach

• Steve Kirsch

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Executive Summary

• Wind has everything going for it
• Enough wind in 4 states to power the country
• All new power should be renewable/clean wind,
  solar, geothermal
  
• Need national electrical grid and H pipelines to
  optimize (can use existing grid and pipelines
  today)
  
• Todays ICEs can run on H or gas or mixture. Car
  manufacturers can start building H capable cars
  now (dual power)
  
• Putting in H infrastructure now makes transition
  to fuel cells even easier
  
• Need to fund intriguing new wind technologies
  sea/sky
  
• We will have to do this sooner or later. What are
  we waiting for?

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Agenda

• Why existing approaches dont work
• A responsible process
• A vision and strategy

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Existing approaches

• Carter Couldnt get a good plan because no
  crisis
  
• Clinton No plan
• Bush Has crisis, but plan is totally tactical,
  ignores all progress made in the past 30 years.
  Lousy process, secretive committee membership,
  political decision making within the committee.

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How bad is the Bush plan?

• Ignores all progress since 1969 in alternative
  fuels
  
• Its dumb. A good plan is to do the opposite.
• Whitman NRDC plan is virtually same as the Bush
  plan. We agree on almost every count. interview
  on CNN Late Edition w/Wolf Blitzer
  
• NRDC Bullshit. We differ on every single point.
  And you completely ignored our efforts to provide
  any input.

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Bush v. NRDC
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Bush v. NRDC
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Bush v. NRDC
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A responsible approach

• Democratic plan isnt much better we cant
  continue to think short term.
  
• We must have a VISION. Without this, it is
  impossible to develop consistent strategies and
  tactics.
  
• Next, we must adopt a strategy which we believe
  will achieve the vision.
  
• It must be a bi-partisan plan, endorsed by energy
  experts (without ties to any special interests)
  adopted for the good of the American people.

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A responsible process

• Appoint a non-partisan, small committee of
  experts in energy
  
• Task them with
• Defining the long-term vision of energy in the
  US
  
• A strategy to achieve that vision
• Recommendations for steps we should adopt now
• Make their conclusions publicly available for
  challenge
  
• The committee will weigh credible input and
  either modify their recommendations or explain
  why the input was rejected
  
• Adopt their recommendations into law

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How I can help

• Ask 5 university presidents to name 3 of the best
  people in energy
  
• Take the list of 15 people and ask 30
  non-political respected organizations of all
  types to vote for the 5 they feel are most
  qualified or write-in their own suggestion(s)
• Appoint a panel of the 5 experts with the largest
  number of votes
  
• The 30 organizations, and the public, can provide
  input to be considered by the panel
  
• Ask each the 30 organizations to support the
  final result and to ask 2 organizations each to
  endorse the results
  
• Result An energy policy that is created for the
  best interests of the American public endorsed by
  90 of the most prominent groups in America

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A possible outcome
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Vision

• Our country is 100 powered from energy sources
  that are
  
• Clean/safe for people and environment
• Renewable/available
• Inexpensive
• Reliable
• Eliminate dependence on foreign energy sources
• Export the technology to other countries to
  reduce the threat of global warming

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Strategy

• Efficiency this is the most cost-effective way
  to create new power
  
• Wind Most new power is wind energy, esp in ND,
  SD, Texas corridor. Options land, sea,
  sky-based.
  
• Hydrogen Excess wind power beyond that that can
  be immediately used by the grid (e.g., at night)
  is converted to Hydrogen (H).
  
• This hydrogen can be used to fuel cars and
  trucks, and stored to generate electricity from
  fuel cells in times of insufficient wind
  capacity.
• Build a cross-country network for
• electrical transmission
• Hydrogen transmission

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Tactics

• Phase in H over 5 years.
• Auto manufacturers required to produce 100
  hydrogen vehicles within 5 years, at first with
  standard internal combustion engines, and later
  with fuel cells.
• Align phase in with availability of H from wind
  power and H transmission lines.
  
• Fund development of new wind technologies (sea,
  sky)
  
• Subsidize solar shingles on new homes so slightly
  less than the cost of standard shingles

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Result

• We accelerate the switch to the most abundant,
  inexpensive, renewable, reliable, and clean
  energy source on the planet
  
• We eliminate dependence on foreign oil
• We virtually eliminate the threat of global
  warming
  
• We stop polluting the environment California for
  the first time in 30 years, finally has a path to
  compliance with federal and state clean air
  guidelines
• We sacrifice virtually nothing to get there now
  since the long-term investment will have to be
  made sooner or later. Its cheaper for everyone
  if we make it sooner.