Updated 12/11/11
Why should we re-power America with clean energy? Watch the above short video. Dirty coal and oil lobbyists are the ban of our existence! Repower America is urging all of us to support the plan of achieving a 100% clean power mix over the next ten years.
See what Vice President Gore has to say about why we need to support this plan.
But what is the plan, you might think?
According to the Repower America,
“Immediately commence a clean energy plan that includes efficiency, generation, transmission, and transportation.
- Energy Efficiency: A national upgrade to eliminate waste, save money, and improve comfort. Make every bit of energy we produce work harder for us.
- Renewable Generation: Accelerate the ramp-up of clean, renewable electricity sources through policies that support increased private and public investment in technologies that work, like wind, solar, and geothermal.
- Unified National Smart Grid: Modernize transmission infrastructure so that clean electricity generated anywhere in America can power homes and businesses across the nation; Build national electricity ‘interstates’ that move power quickly and cheaply to where it is needed; Establish local smart grids that buy and sell power from households and support clean plug-in cars.
- Automobiles: Transition to efficient plug-in cars that ‘fuel’ with clean electricity. In combination with the unified grid, a nationwide fleet of plug-in vehicles also provides a key source of electricity storage.”
Still have doubts? Everyone should support this plan whether or not you believe in Climate Change or not. What we need to do is be less dependent on foreign oil and dirty coal. This is our future. Let’s power it together.
Tip from Mary Frances Blatchley of ForGreen.com, a green marketing and design website.
Malika Risley says
Thank you for posting the link to Repower America Plan. I got a chance to check it out. I am definitely pro green power, but at the same time I want to know how much money this plan is going to cost? They haven’t mentioned a word of financial analysis in their plan. I want to see their financial projections for installing wind power, solar power, geothermal power, etc. How much tax money is it going to cost for the plant to work?? That’s why I won’t sign a petition for it at this point.
Malika Risleys last blog post..Baby Phone Conversation
Green Talk says
Malika, go point. I like that it is on the table. Thoughts, anyone else? Anna
Ciara says
Not only do we need greener energy but also green cleaning products. Harmful chemicals are everywhere – especially in the cleaning products used in schools. The Center for Health, Environment, and Justice is hosting a national day of action Friday, February 13 2009 to raise awareness of the importance of green cleaning in schools. Check out the site to learn more on how to join the campaign.
http://salsa.democracyinaction.....s/key=3960
Green Talk says
Ciara, can’t agree with you more. Do you know about the Kids’ Safe Act? That is probably right down your alley as well. Although its name implies Kids, it is for everyone. Removing toxic chemicals from our environment. Anna
Josh says
I am an ardent conservative, but I’m all for cleaning up the environment. Thanks for the post.
Ciara says
Thanks Anna for the response. The Kids’ Safe Act outlines very important things that we are campaining for as we try to take steps to makes schools less harmful to the health of the people that attend them everyday.
Steve says
The Unified National Smart Grid is pie in the sky. They are defying the laws of physics. They are telling you that they can build an electic grid that they can’t build and won’t build. They are proposing DC lines running across the country, but in the same breath saying don’t disturb the environment. The cost of Al Gore’s repower America would be astronomical. Every appliance, in every home in America would need to be replaced to achieve the energy savings of 28% that they propose. This does not count for the fact that they also propose plug in vehicles for everyone, which won’t save any energy on the power system it only adds to the energy requirements of the power system, which of course they do not account for.
So who is paying for all this? The taxpayer? Each individual? Maybe Al Gore should pay for this. I cannot afford to buy 2 new electric cars, replace all my appliances, and make my home more energy efficient, while also paying massive amounts of taxes to pay for the complete rebuild of the trillion dollar US electric grid, Trillions of dollars for unreliable wind power and the retirement of 1000’s of GW’s of coal and natural gas generation, all so Al Gore can fatten up his wallet.
Just say NO to drugs and Al Gore’s complete lies.
Green Talk says
Steve, if you could create a plan, what would it be? Anna
Steve says
If I could create a plan? Good question.
First, I would not tell you lies and deceive you into believing that we can get to 100% renewable energy in the US in 10 years. It just is not possible, even if you don’t include electric cars.
I would be completely honest with you. I would tell you that in reality the power system can handle some amount of wind power but not 20%, WHY because it is far less reliable, and costs more due to needing alternate capacity available when the wind is not blowing. I would expand solar, far more then wind power, realizing that it is also very costly due to not being available when the sun goes down.
I would be honest with you about meeting our energy needs. If the goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, then we MUST talk about the real alternatives. Nuclear, while HATED by environmental groups has ZERO greenhouse gas emissions. Hydro power, ZERO greenhouse gas emissions. These both get left off the table because environmental groups HATE them. The reality is if we want to limit carbon emissions and not have a third world power system we would have to expand both of these sources. That my friend is the truth. Environmental groups tell you that coal, natural gas, hydro and nuclear power are BAD. What is the alternative, StoneAge?
If AL Gore really believed what he is telling us, Nuclear and Hydro power would be his number one priority. If he truely believes that we must reduce greenhouse gas emissions in short order, then these 2 sources of power would be key. That is the main reason I do not believe Al Gore. A Convenient Lie, to make him big bucks.
Green Talk says
Steve, why is hydro off the table? I actually know companies working to create small hydro systems. Their hurdle will be getting state approval with the waterways.
Also, with nuclear, the issues seems to be how to handle the radioactive waste. Any thoughts about this?
What’s your feeling about financing some of the new color related solar ideas out there? Anna
PS Steve, thanks so much for continuing this discussion! I find it fascinating.
Steve says
Hydro is off the table with some environmental groups. We cannot have wind power in a more substantial way without increases in Hydro power/pump storage. With significantly more pumped storage, wind becomes much easier to manage. This of course increases the true cost of wind power. We currently generate about 1% of total US electricity consumption with wind power. Imagine what needs to happen to generate even 10% of our needs via wind power.
Nuclear power does have a waste issue and I do not have a solution for it. I do not know enough about all of the issues. Obviously we need to get to some solution. Which is worse greenhouse gas emissions or stored nuclear waste? If you think nuclear waste is worse then you will have a hard time meeting our future energy needs without increasing greenhouse gas emissions.
Being from California and working in the power industry (and I do not work in the solar power industry) I love the idea of solar. Financing R&D I feel would be well worth the investment. Solar currently comes at a pretty high cost so anything to reduce that cost or increase the efficiency is great.
The reason I posted here in the first place was because when I read the information on Repower America.org I found it to be completely unrealistic. In all of their plans they reduce consumption by 28%. They also increase wind power by a minimum of 23%, which means 23 times the current number of wind turbines, what is that like 2300% increase. They hold nuclear and hydro at current percentages. If this is a plan it is a plan for failure.
Andrea Smith says
With all of this energy problems still ongoing until now, I wonder when we can find a clean and efficient alternative solution for our energy needs… The earth is warming up as we speak because of the fuel that we burn
Anna@Green Talk says
Andrea, I totally agree. Clean energy is the way to go. Anna