Looking at The Candidates Energy Policies - Lieberman

[NashVegas]

In the wake of September 11th and the War in Iraq, the American people have never been more aware of the dangers of our dependence on foreign oil particularly oil from the from the Middle East. They have seen over and over how our national and economic security are too often at the mercy of a few unreliable nations in the world's most unstable region -- from the periodic supply disruptions to the routine price shocks to the constant diplomatic headaches. And recognizing the vulnerability this volatility creates, they are seeking a cure for our unsustainable addiction to foreign oil.



Today, Joe Lieberman presents an innovative plan -- a Declaration of Energy Independence -- that will make America more prosperous, stronger and greener by weaning us off foreign oil. It's an ambitious but realistic agenda that will not only fix this Achilles heel in our security, but open new markets, spur new technologies and create new jobs for working Americans. And it will do all this without abandoning our values and sacrificing our environment.



The Lieberman Energy Independence Plan rejects the fossilized, drill-first-ask-questions-later policies of George W. Bush, which have done nothing to reduce our dependence, and the heavy-handed, hyper-regulatory approach that some have favored, which too often only serves to handcuff the genius of America's entrepreneurial class. Instead, the Lieberman plan will set bold goals and challenge America's businesses and consumers to meet them, with the government providing strong leadership and powerful incentives to get there.



What are those goals?



· Within 10 years, reduce dependence on foreign oil by nearly two-thirds

· Within 20 years, eliminate the need for foreign oil completely



To do this, the United States under Joe Lieberman will:



· Increase Energy Efficiency

· Make Smarter Use of Our Existing Resources

· Speed the Deployment of New Clean and Renewable Technologies

· Protect Our Environment






INCREASING ENERGY EFFICIENCY



Raise Fuel Economy Standards for American Cars: The National Academy of Sciences has clearly found that fuel economy standards (known as CAFE) could be raised to 40 miles per gallon without sacrificing any power or selection in automobiles. Instead of setting a rigid one-size-fits-all standard for every car, the Lieberman plan would establish a national efficiency level that would save 2 million barrels of oil a day by 2015 while allowing automakers flexibility in how to achieve that goal. The promise of clean diesel engines under development by Detroit may provide some of the answer to this question, as long as the new diesel engines are able to meet strict air quality requirements.

Provide Incentives to Encourage Higher Fuel Standards: In addition to setting a flexible national fuel efficiency standard, the Lieberman plan would reward car manufacturers that voluntarily exceed those minimums. Specifically, it would enable domestic auto manufacturers that produce superefficient vehicles vehicles that exceed the average fuel economy by 20 percent or more to receive valuable pollution credits, which will make it easier to meet expected new limits on greenhouse gas emissions. (This measure is currently included in the Lieberman-McCain cap-and-trade global warming legislation.)



Reward Efficiency Across the Country: The Lieberman Plan would structure a system that provides market incentives towards efficient technologies by providing rewards for efficiency gains. For example, the Lieberman/McCain legislation would allow companies to receive money for the averted greenhouse gas emissions achieved by efficiency gains. Technologies that could create these efficiency gains include renewables, Integrated Gasification-Combined Cycle, and nuclear power (if the safety concerns can be addressed).




MAKING SMARTER USE OF EXISTING RESOURCES



Promote Coal Advances: Right now, America has a 200-year supply of coal. In recent years the coal industry has made significant strides in developing environmentally-friendly methods for turning this resource into power. The Lieberman plan would make a $15 billion investment in promising new coal technologies like the Integrated Gasification-Combined Cycle (IGCC). IGCC is a process that can transform coal into pure hydrogen while pulling out the carbon dioxide byproduct for disposal meaning it would be air pollution-free. By providing funding for research and development and cost-sharing arrangements, the Lieberman plan would significantly expand the use of this technology and in the process preserve high-paying coal jobs in economically troubled areas.



Harness the True Power of Renewable Energy Sources: While most of our energy is consumed by the transportation sector, we can still make a big dent in our oil usage by tapping alternative energy sources in other sectors of the economy. That's why the Lieberman plan would put a priority on using renewable resources like wind and solar power to generate electricity. The Energy Information Administration found that we could realistically increase our renewable electricity output to 20 percent by 2020. The Lieberman plan would get us to that goal by setting a national "portfolio standard" that would require utilities to gradually increase their usage of renewable resources.

Encourage "Fuel-Efficient Planning" at the Local Level: A number of communities have adopted infrastructure development strategies for tackling congestion and shortening commuting distances for their residents. The Lieberman Plan would accelerate this trend by offering a range of supports and incentives to states and municipalities to reduce the amount of miles driven by Americans. For example, it would set up loan programs for families buying homes in high-efficiency locations and increase funding for high-efficiency transit and public transportation programs.


Use New Technologies to Reduce Electricity Demand: Technological advances are already changing the way we use electricity. For example, the city of New Haven has had great success lowering consumption by allowing electricity users to communicate by wireless transmission with a central computer bank and automatically lower their energy usage in nearly imperceptible ways when electricity demand exceeds certain levels. The Lieberman plan would build on this progress by providing incentives to develop similarly-efficient energy-saving technologies.



Develop More Clean Energy from More Local Sources: It is not realistic to expect this country to reduce its dependence on oil overnight. That's why the Lieberman plan puts a premium on diversifying our supplies of oil and gas over the next decade so that we are not overly reliant on one region of the world. Specifically, the Lieberman plan would:



1. Increase domestic production. During the Clinton Administration, more oil and gas was made available for development than during Reagan or the first Bush Administration, but without damaging the environment. Today, the Deep Gulf of Mexico is a more promising source of oil than anything in Alaska and can be explored with minimal environmental consequences, and the Lieberman plan would invest in exploring that potential. It would also establish a counter-cyclical tax credit for marginal producing wells so that drillers will not cap them when the price of oil falls.<1>



2. Promote liquid natural gas projects. Liquefied natural gas projects throughout Latin America could provide a market for the large resources of these countries and provide the U.S. with additional sources of energy in its own hemisphere. The Lieberman plan would put a priority on developing these projects as an alternative to Middle East oil.




SPEEDING THE DEPLOYMENT OF NEW CLEAN AND RENEWABLE TECHNOLOGIES


Complete the Fuel Cell Revolution: The Lieberman plan would not just expand the use of fuel cell-driven vehicles, it would anticipate the end of gas-guzzling cars altogether, by dedicating $6.5 billion to a comprehensive, structured research program. Among other things, it would:

· Set hard benchmarks for success calling for 100,000 fuel cell vehicles on the road by 2010 and 2.5 million by 2020.

· Increase R&D funding for hydrogen production and storage, fuel cell technologies, and other advanced alternative vehicles.

· Fund pilot projects to disseminate fuel cell technology and hydrogen infrastructure.

· Include energy companies, not just U.S. automakers: diverse participants will encourage active debate and ensure that this initiative does not hastily prejudge what technologies are up to the challenge.

· Create a "FreedomTRAINING" partnership to develop tomorrow's fuel cell engineers, assemblers, and technicians.

·

Encourage Consumers to Buy Cars of the Future: The markets for highly efficient hybrid and natural gas vehicles are not developing as quickly as the technology. To get more of these energy savers on the road now, the Lieberman plan would provide a tax cut of at least $1,000 per vehicle, ramping up to $5,000 per vehicle, depending on the amount of oil conserved by the vehicle. Owners of business fleets could achieve significant cost savings for themselves, and oil savings for the nation, by turning over entire fleets. (Lieberman has cosponsored and fought for the CLEAR Act in the past two Congresses, legislation that would provide tax incentives to encourage such technologies.)

Promote Real Electricity Reform: The antiquated system for electrical transmission and generation has too many barriers to new entrants. For example, different interconnection standards across the country prevent the development of new production capacity from renewable sources and fuel cells. The Lieberman Plan would overcome these hurdles by fostering the development of "distributed generation technologies" such as microturbines and fuel cells, which are not dependent on potentially vulnerable energy infrastructure, and will provide a more secure, as well as more efficient, source of energy for Americans.


Jumpstart Production of Biomass Ethanol: The Lieberman plan would build on the ethanol program included in the major energy bills of the last two Congresses. Biomass ethanol, produced from agricultural waste products, is a largely untapped source of renewable fuel that could offset significant amounts of oil usage and result in lower greenhouse gas emissions.





PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT


Reject the False Promise of Arctic Refuge Drilling: The Arctic Refuge won't provide a drop of oil for 10 years and won't make a dent in our dependence on foreign oil all it will do is destroy one of the most precious parts of our natural heritage. That's why Joe Lieberman has led several fights against Republican plans to open the Refuge to drilling. As President he will work to protect it forever as a wilderness area.



Oppose New Drilling on the Outer-Continental Shelf: Despite the deep opposition of residents on the California and Florida coasts, the Senate Republicans, with the blessing of the Bush Administration, have promoted legislation authorizing an evaluation of the oil and gas resources of those shores. Lieberman has long opposed drilling in those areas and the Lieberman Plan would continue the ban on drilling in those areas.



Stop Any Weakening of Air Quality Standards: The Lieberman Plan would continue to strongly enforce existing protections on our clean air, both to protect our public health and environment and to drive cleaner technologies.

[NashVegas]

1. Like Kerry

He puts emphasis on coal and natural gas.

On the plus side, he's in more of a hurry than either Dean or Kerry to reduce our dependence on foreign resources.