Sunday, January 2, 2011

Energy Independence In The United States

It is time for Socialists and Republicans to work together to develop a 50 Year Plan that will in fact make the United States Energy Independent something that has been discussed since Richard Nixon was President. To achieve it, we must stop the pie in the sky discussions and subsidies going to future technologies like wind, solar, ethanol and other bio-fuels that are not economically feasible today and recognize that we must instead develop natural gas, nuclear energy, clean coal, oil shale and oil as current feasible energy sources, while we continue research and development on all future sources of energy. This is not about any one source of energy; but rather about developing all sources of energy to make certain that the United States is powered for future generations and economic growth.

Clearly, safe nuclear energy needs to be part of the equation. That means finally opening Yucca Mountain in Nevada, not so much as a storage facility, the original intent; but as a reprocessing facility. More than $13 Billion has been spent on Yucca Mountain, about a 100 miles from Las Vegas when it was conceived as a nuclear storage facility. Today, it just sits there as a big cave and hole in the ground. Yucca was chosen, after careful study, because of its perfect conditions for storage in the arid desert. Storage, however, is an old paradigm.

It is estimated that a nuclear reprocessing industry in Nevada would directly create 10,000 badly needed new jobs in Nevada. Using a multiplier effect, this 10,000 good paying new jobs may create as many as 100,000 new jobs in Nevada to help bring down the 14.3% unemployment rate in Nevada, the highest in the nation. In addition, a vibrant Energy Industry in Nevada could be a great source of badly needed revenues for the state allowing for the diversification of the Nevada economy to make the state less dependent on the casino industry currently supporting the entire state. For these reasons, it is time for Nevada elected officials to work together to get this done.

Reprocessing of nuclear waste is the new paradigm; but it assumes a vibrant nuclear industry both in the US and around the world ready, willing and able to buy nuclear materials to produce more electricity. Countries like France and Japan obtain nearly all of their electricity from nuclear facilities powering all those high speed trains. These countries reprocess nearly all nuclear waste. And, the idea of electric cars is great; but when the owners plug their cars in at night, the electricity must come from some where. Today, that source of energy is primarily coal fired utility plants so whether it is oil or coal, electric cars would still be powered by carbon based fuels unless nuclear energy and natural gas are fully developed.

The United States does not need to go 100% nuclear because we have sufficient natural gas and clean coal to last hundreds of years. However, these three energy sources together could make the US energy independent within 10 years allowing for the development of other non-carbon based sources of energy over time and the move away from foreign oil, which should be our goal.

Obama's CAP & TAX scheme designed to significantly raise of the cost of carbon based fuels to make wind, solar and bio-fuels economically feasible today would result in the loss of millions of jobs and a lower standard of living for the American people. Fortunately CAP & TAX will never be enacted by the 112th Congress, however, Obama plans to use the Environmental Protection Agency to put CAP & TAX in place by Executive Order and Regulations. That effort must be stopped at all costs by court order, Congressional Action, or Tea Party Protests in the streets, if necessary, because it would be very bad for our country and economy.

We need a reasonable, environmentally conscious, well thought out 50 Year Plan to make the United States Energy Independent. Since the Socialists are supported by environmental wackos, it is doubtful that they will see, or support a big picture plan, which is one more reason we must elect Conservatives in 2012 and 2014 that support free market capitalism, limited government, a balanced budget, term limits, real education, ENERGY, and health care reform, a strong national defense, including securing our border and fighting Terrorism, the right to bear arms, the sanctity of life and family values that are the foundation of our nation. This is the common sense platform supported by the majority of the American people and the only way to restore economic growth and job creation in America.

Most important, we must elect Conservatives that will adhere to the Constitution as written by our Founding Fathers, not as contrived by the left wing media, Socialists in the last 98 years, our current, or former Presidents, Congresses, or the Courts. We must take back our country in 2012 and 2014, which must include making the US Energy Independent, once and for all. We can do it. We must do it preserve our freedom, our nation and way of life for the sake of our children and grandchildren.

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