Americans coming up with solutions for energy independence

More American Energy Now. America is suffering from an artificial energy crisis that is also a dangerous national security crisis – artificial because America is gifted with enormous reserves of energy, and dangerous because it makes us vulnerable to unreliable and potentially hostile countries. Oil prices are skyrocketing, electricity costs are rising, and the American people are rightly outraged at soaring gas prices and our dependence on foreign oil. Here are ten proposed American Solutions to slash gas prices and solve our energy crisis.

Drill Here, Drill Now — Offshore

America has an estimated 19 billion barrels of oil and 85.7 trillion cubic feet of natural gas offshore that Congress has made illegal to develop. It is time for Congress to lift its ban on offshore drilling, allow coastal states to share 50-50 in oil and gas royalties, and auction off leases so that exploration can begin.

Drill Here, Drill Now — Alaska

A small area of the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve (ANWR) in Alaska has an estimated 10.4 billion barrels of oil and would require drilling in an area the size of Los Angeles International airport to develop. It is time for the Congress to authorize drilling in ANWR.

Lift the ban on development of oil shale in Colorado, Wyoming, and Utah

Oil shale is rock that contains oil that is released when heated. A government study estimates that there at least 800 billion barrels of currently recoverable oil trapped in shale in Colorado, Wyoming, and Utah. Modern technological advance show great promise in being able to obtain this oil without harm to the environment. It is time for Congress to lift the ban on developing oil shale.

Encourage building refineries

Right now it is so expensive to build refineries that most companies do not even try. We should change the tax code immediately to allow a company the benefits of depreciation within five years. We should also allow companies to write off 100 percent of their expenses in the first year if their new refineries significantly expand refining capacity. These are significant incentives to start building.

Reduce bureaucratic obstacles and prevent frivolous litigation

Currently eight agencies are required to approve permits before on-shore drilling can begin. The company has to wait for one permit to be approved before the approval process for the next can begin. We should assign permitting to one federal agency. We should also pass laws that diminish frivolous law suits, such as a “loser pays” rule for litigants.

Encourage new clean coal development plants

We should fund clean coal projects that create the possibility for a wide range of experimental breakthroughs for America’s most abundant and lowest cost energy. These plants could be built on a cost share basis with electricity generating companies and with an agreement that any profit from their success would be split evenly with the federal government until the taxpayers were repaid for the investment.

Open Fuel Standard for New Automobiles

Congress should set a standard that most new cars will be built with a flex fuel engine so that a competitive market can be developed in transportation fuels, and provide auto companies with tax credits to help with the transition costs associated with this new standard.

Prizes to Accelerate Breakthroughs in Alternative Energy Technologies

Congress should develop a series of prizes to encourage alternative energy sources, such as carbon reduction technologies, a mass market car that gets 100 miles per gallon, and hydrogen fuel cells.

Invest in nuclear power

No new nuclear plants have been built in America since 1979. At least 34 new nuclear plants will be needed by 2030 just to maintain nuclear power’s current 20% share of our electricity generation. Nuclear power is emissions free, very safe and reliable, and can be operated 24 hours a day. We must support construction of more nuclear plants.

Make solar and wind tax credits permanent

There are enormous opportunities in solar, wind, and other renewable electricity sources, but we need a stable tax policy to encourage their development. The United States already has tax credits available for companies investing in solar and wind power, but they should be made permanent or at least extended on a long term basis.

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