Policy must refrain from the oil agenda

Policy must refrain from the oil agenda

By JOHN NOEL

America faces the need to address high energy prices, achieve energy independence, and transition to clean energy sources that do not create pollution or add to global warming. While few would argue against these goals, there is much debate about how to realize them.

Many in Congress are confronting these issues by continuing to push an "oil biased" agenda rather than clean energy sources. Government studies show that U.S. economy wastes over 50 percent of the energy it consumes.

It makes sense to start with policies that incentivize energy efficiency and conservation, which are our greatest and cheapest source of new energy. Cleaner and more fuel-efficient vehicles can substantially reduce our oil dependence. Every single mile-per-gallon increase in our nation's automotive fuel efficiency standards saves more than 400,000 barrels of oil per day. Heating our water with the sun is more sensible than blowing tops off mountains to squeeze oil out of tar sands or mine for coal.

Look at technology advances

Advanced transportation options like plug-in hybrid vehicles can already achieve 100 miles per gallon. Congressional support for further research and development in addition to tax incentives for consumers will help drive innovation and demand for advanced transportation options and clean energy technologies.

Investing in clean, renewable energy sources has globally produced a cascade of new jobs and tilts us toward energy independence. Tennessee and the Southeast are already leading in developing sustainable biofuels like woody biomass and switchgrass that don't affect food prices. Gov. Phil Bredesen's creation of the Tennessee Energy Policy Task Force is and has been working on tangible energy solutions.

Instead of providing a substantive plan to transition America away from dirty fossil fuels, current congressional energy proposals overwhelmingly rely on new offshore drilling and unconventional oil sources like liquid coal and tar sands.

The recent congressional proposal offered by the so-called Gang of 10 senators marks a step forward in bipartisan collaboration, but it fails to offer the reform needed to create a substantial shift toward clean energy sources and independence from fossil fuels.

Although this proposal purportedly represents a "balanced" approach to energy policy, the proposal disproportionately supports the dirty fossil fuel energy sources. At a time when our nation should prioritize conservation and clean, renewable sources of energy, this proposal excessively reinforces our dependence on fossil fuel and the questionably expensive (and fuel dependent) nuclear energy sources. The act falls far short of the policies we need to address high-energy prices in the near term while we

plan for our future.

As our leaders continue to discuss how to confront our energy challenges, we encourage them to

promote a truly new and reformed energy policy that clearly moves us away from the perpetual trap of

fossil fuel dependency.