Oceana’s Vision 2020 is the winner of SACE’s Clean Energy Gulf Challenge
Today, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy announced the winner of its Clean Energy Gulf Challenge: Oceana’s Vision 2020. It is the best plan—according to expert judges and public voters—for the path to end our nation’s dependence on oil and eliminate the need for oil from both the Gulf of Mexico and the Persian Gulf, offered in response to SACE’s challenge lodged in May 2010. With Oceana’s vision, about 20% of our oil consumption will be curtailed by 2020, consumers will save money, more jobs will be created, national security will be bolstered and the worst effects of climate change and ocean acidification will be averted. In later phases, ultimately up to 74% of oil would be displaced. Oceana’s Vision 2020, a common sense plan that would allow the United States to wean itself from offshore oil—as well as oil imported from the Persian Gulf, has won the Clean Energy Gulf Challenge.
As the Florida legislature prepares for a special session focused on banning offshore drilling, the Gulf disaster and its repercussions continue to unfold, and the U.S. Senate prepares to debate what could be sweeping energy legislation.
Oceana’s Vision 2020
- Source: Toyota
Oceana’s winning plan demonstrates that a combination of sound policy recommendations; innovative technologies and common sense solutions can essentially get us out of the ‘Gulfs’. Oceana’s Vision 2020 shows that by reducing oil consumption in shipping, light duty vehicles, residential and commercial heating, and power plant generation, combined with utilizing advanced biofuels and wind energy, it is possible to eliminate our need for dangerous oil from the Gulf of Mexico and the Persian Gulf. Oceana’s Vision 2020 plan would use practical approaches—ranging from energy efficiency improvements to gradual increases in renewable power—to cut oil consumption by more than 20% by the year 2020. Their plan boasts other benefits as well, such as: American consumer savings of $374 billion by 2035, green jobs, and mitigating some impacts of climate change.
- from Oceana’s Vision 2020
Oceana is an international oceans conservation advocacy non-profit organization which focuses on water/beach quality, fisheries and fish habitat, and marine sanctuaries.
Clean Energy Gulf Challenge
The $10,000 Clean Energy Gulf Challenge, launched in May of this year, attracted interest from academic institutions, non-governmental agencies, private companies, and citizens. Several other well-developed proposals came forward to meet the Gulf Challenge, including two additional finalists, the Prometheus Plan offered by Dr. Jerry Brown and the National Energy Independence Plan. Visit SACE’s website for introductions and links to details on these plans. These proposals incorporate valuable ideas of which a few may be prospective additions to the Oceana Vision 2020 proposal.
“The oil disaster has unleashed devastation on the Gulf of Mexico, ruining coastal communities, economies, habitat and livelihoods. We hope the outcome of this contest will help spur serious, thoughtful discussion on how to move beyond risky oil drilling and imports from hostile nations,” said SACE’s Executive Director, Dr. Stephen Smith in a SACE Press Release 19-July-2010.
The Gulf Challenge was dignified further by several other worthy offerings of plans for a clean energy future, including proposals from CO2 Star, Set America Free, Alachua Haskins (at FSU’s CEFA this summer) and the California Cars Initiative.
These Gulf Challenge participants all deserve many thanks for their preparation and participation in the SACE Clean Energy Gulf Challenge, and deserve encouragement to further develop their ideas for integration with needed national and global movement away from fossil fuels for most of our mobile and stationary power needs.
Further resources:
Oil Independence: Declaring Our Freedom from Fossil Fuels , Repower America, Alliance for Climate Protection