PLEA
Plan to Localize Energy for Amercia
By: Azeen Bemani and Katie Pitts
Outline of Plan
-The United States relies on imported oil for most of our energy needs. The step towards not relying on foreign oil is to start conserving and being more energy efficient. In order to accomplish that, we need to create more fuel efficient cars including hybrids and total electric cars. Also, we would need more energy efficient appliances such as washing machines, tvs, and refrigerators. Additionally, better insulation for homes would be necessary. The government could require more strict building codes to build more energy efficient buildings.
-Encourage the production and consumption of America’s domestic natural gas supply. Natural gas is cleaner burning opposed to other fossil fuels and we have an abundant supply of shale formation around the US including the Barnett Shale. However, significant improvement in fracking technology is required to eliminate the possibility of groundwater pollution.
-The U.S. could develop more reliance on solar energy because it’s clean, renewable, potentially cheap, and a never ending source. In order to increase our usage of solar energy, we would need to develop more efficient solar films and panels. Additionally, we would need to connect the solar plants to the electric grid by building transmission lines. We could also encourage the use of solar power in individual homes and businesses. One problem with that idea is that homeowner associations and city governments don't allow that, so the government could start encouraging it. Also, by creating energy fields, it could create a lot of jobs. And by exporting the energy to other countries, it could majorly help our economy.
-We would also increase our wind power source because it is natural, clean, potentially cheap, and renewable. Again, we would need additional transmission lines to connect wind farms to the existing electric grid. America could encourage the use of individual, home-sized wind turbines for homes and businesses. In order to be more efficient in receiving the clean and renewable sources, we could combine the fields into one big area.
-To continue developing the energy of the future to replace the domestic oil supplies, we would need to further develop in research fuels such as ethanol, biomass, geothermal, and nuclear energy. There's also algae that could possibly make a biofuel.
-Also, we would need to develop domestic oil supply. We would need to allow more oil exploration on america and offshore. To develop safer offshore and deep oil production, we would need to create new technology in order to revitalize oil fields previously thought to be depleted.
Written Statment
Our program basically aims to reduce the country’s dependence on foreign oil, improve vehicle fuel efficiency, and protect United State’s consumers from gas price spikes. Not only does our plan completely not rely on foreign oil, but it also promotes the usage of a cleaner energy source that is potentially cheap and renewable.
The United States has an abundant amount of natural energy sources, so we could take advantage of our opportunities. If we exported the cleaner, renewable energy we have to other countries, it would significantly help our economy. It would also create a lot more jobs, which would greatly help our economy and country.
America has a lot of land, and a lot of it is not being used. So our program could connect transmission lines from the wind farms and solar panels to our existing electric grid, then we wouldn’t have to furthermore rely on foreign oil.
By conserving the energy and being more energy efficient, the dramatical increase in population of America wouldn’t matter because we could start keeping up with our oil needs. Overall, America could be independent by using our own energy sources and oil. And not only that, but we would reduce our carbon footprint, and form a more stable economy.