1 million EVs on the road by 2015, 80 percent of the nation’s electricity from renewable energy by

Re: 1 million EVs on the road by 2015, 80 percent of the nation’s electricity from renewable energy

Talk is cheap. We get the same here - it sounds good and everyone cheers, but 80% of Americas energy will be renewable by 2035?

Is that even physically possible? How many wind turbines or hydro plants need to be built every day between now and 2035 to make this possible? Is it happening yet? Every day delayed means more work in the future.

Don't get me wrong, I like the idea of renewable energy - something for nothing, but all we ever do is talk about it and not a lot happens (which ever Country you live in).

 

Re: 1 million EVs on the road by 2015, 80 percent of the nation’s electricity from renewable energy

Let's take them one at a time. First the million EVs by 2015. I'm sure this includes PHEVs and since car companies move slowly everything needs to be in plan now. Starting in 2006 the government did everything it could short of producing them itself to make this happen. Nissan, GM, Ford, Toyota, Hyundai need to average 200K each. I don't think by 2015 will happen, but we are close, and sometime in 2015-2017 there should be there.

Next, let's talk about ending oil subsidies. I think the business comunity would be behind it, especially if it is used to reduce the corporate tax rates which was also in the speech. The problem is the government doesn't really care what is best for business or the American people. Congress loves power and putting loopholes in for their lobbyists is part of the corruption. I doubt this happens. Maybe in future energy bill the dollars in this corporate welfare may be reduced, slightly.

This is the one that in no way will happen. GC in texas the grid is getting upgraded, and 80% of the power could come from wind. This would be very expensive to build it out so quickly but it could be done. In most of the rest of the country there is not a chance that things could be built this fast. Siemens talked about the years of red tape to construct a wind farm. The state and federal governments seem to work at odds of building clean energy quickly. Texas is singled out for being different because they have their own grid and can make rules without going through the federal government or negotiating with other states. It is a good line, and the federal government needs to change regulations so green power can be built.

 

Re: 1 million EVs on the road by 2015, 80 percent of the nation’s electricity from renewable energy

Possible, just not for Americans.

 

Re: 1 million EVs on the road by 2015, 80 percent of the nation’s electricity from renewable energy

it would be possible if we had a consistant energy policy and effort. but with the two parties switching power back and forth, we take 2 steps forward and one back. or is it one forward and two back?

 

Re: 1 million EVs on the road by 2015, 80 percent of the nation’s electricity from renewable energy

I'm not sure how single party would help.

Both parties supported electrification of vehicles. The bush policies were expanded under obama.

Both parties have expanded power and hate limited government. Neither has tried to get rid of corporate welfare. The Left has demonized big oil, but the democrats created most of the energy companies subsidies, and the republicans made them bigger. This is what happened last year when obama tried to close the oil subsidies.
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2010/06/kerry-lieberman-tax-breaks-oil/

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/04/business/04bptax.html?_r=1&hp

Democrats and republicans in most states either work together to build more alternative energy or to stifle it. Democrats seem to lead in both approving money for green power, and for putting in place hurdles to not build it. The two most recent items were cape wind where senator Kennedy proclaimed we need wind, then blocked it from going up near his home until he died. In the concentrated solar democrats got money to subsidize a huge power station in the mojave then enacted a special protection of the endangered species act to slow it being built.

 

Re: 1 million EVs on the road by 2015, 80 percent of the nation’s electricity from renewable energy

Hasn't every President since Jimmy Carter (or was it Kennedy) come out with a grandiose plan to make our Country energy independent?

And aren't we "zero for all" on those promises?

 

Re: 1 million EVs on the road by 2015, 80 percent of the nation’s electricity from renewable energy

We are in Peak Everything - the Era of Declines. Efficiency and conservation are the most cost effective way to go. Negawatts are more cost effective than "go get more" of any energy source. World population & economics are guiding us toward long term investment in walking & bicycle routes, light & high speed rail and less emphasis on individual vehicles. Homes, schools & businesses must become more energy efficient. Increasingly people look to slow food and slow money - living at the local level.

 

Re: 1 million EVs on the road by 2015, 80 percent of the nation’s electricity from renewable energy

Unless the president is anticipating a 5x growth in electricity consumption all from clean energy, an 80% clean energy fraction requires taking dirty energy off-line. There is simply no mechanism is current US business and government law to accomplish this other than carbon taxation leading to voluntary retirement of dirty sources.

 

Re: 1 million EVs on the road by 2015, 80 percent of the nation’s electricity from renewable energy

I love this term

Anti-republicanism at its best.

 

Re: 1 million EVs on the road by 2015, 80 percent of the nation’s electricity from renewable energy

The Daily Show sums it up perfectly:

An Energy-Independent Future - The Daily Show with Jon Stewart - 06/16/10 - Video Clip | Comedy Central

 

Re: 1 million EVs on the road by 2015, 80 percent of the nation’s electricity from renewable energy

great video, thanks! i guess he's right, going out to look at ls460's today.

 

Re: 1 million EVs on the road by 2015, 80 percent of the nation’s electricity from renewable energy

OMG. That was fawesome!

 

Re: 1 million EVs on the road by 2015, 80 percent of the nation’s electricity from renewable energy

Yeah, that's funny. But, really, we as consumers can do something about lessening (sp?) use of energy - can walk or ride a bike to nearby store for a couple things, or for a haircut, etc... weather permitting.

I remember watching an episode of Wife Swap - there was a couple that lived in rural Virginia or SLT. They used hardly any energy, no car, no electricity, etc... they swapped the wife over to a household where that wife was a prima donna - boob job, doesn't work, spends $$$ of husbands money, big house, big cars ... boy was she a bitch to the man of the house (shack) who was ultra-conservative. 'Course it's all entertainment.

 

Re: 1 million EVs on the road by 2015, 80 percent of the nation’s electricity from renewable energy

I just finished a good book, "Why Your World is About to Get a Whole Lot Smaller: Oil and the End of Globalization".

It brought up an interesting point that while cars have become more efficient over the years, we are actually using more gas in cars than ever. We tend to confuse efficiency with conservation. We have a natural tendency to say, "Hey, I've got a more efficient car, it's ok if I drive more". Unlike when a person buys a more energy efficient refrigerator, we end up using less energy. There is now way to change your refrigeration habits in the same way you can change your driving habits.

 

Re: 1 million EVs on the road by 2015, 80 percent of the nation’s electricity from renewable energy

except refrigerators keep getting larger.

 

Re: 1 million EVs on the road by 2015, 80 percent of the nation’s electricity from renewable energy

I perceive presentation of goals 15, 20 years out as mostly just a function of political speech giving.

As current President, Obama has some leverage over what philosophy and approach can be applied today. So IMO work to get standards and laws inplace today.

But utopian statements of ideals, as laudable as they might be, if projected decades ahead? Usually are nothing more than momentary statements meant to garner applause.

You want man to stand on the moon? Show me the boots he'll be wearing....I hate to be too cynical, but- Just Do It...to steal from Nike...

 

Re: 1 million EVs on the road by 2015, 80 percent of the nation’s electricity from renewable energy

that was amazing, funny and really sad at the same time......

a time frame needs to be set but i guess the only timeframe that ever wil be set is that of no return where there is no way out and a lot of people wil die.

 

Re: 1 million EVs on the road by 2015, 80 percent of the nation’s electricity from renewable energy

I wonder where we would be today if:

1) Carter's Energy policies and goals had been followed for the last 30 years?

2) If the 3 trillion dollars that were spent on cheney/bush wars for oil had been spent on energy independence?

 

Re: 1 million EVs on the road by 2015, 80 percent of the nation’s electricity from renewable energy

Also keep in mind, if Kennedy hadn't put forth a goal of putting man on the moon, years before it happened, we might still be talking about wishing now, because we never went back in all this time, we can barely orbit, and almost can't even do that now.