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Moving to a Clean Energy Future
The importance of our clean energy future goes beyond lowering high gas prices, saving beautiful landscapes and ensuring the health and security of future generations.
This effort is the great challenge and opportunity of our times. We are talking about the future of my home state of Nevada, of America and of our planet. I believe Nevada can lead the clean energy revolution we so deeply need, helping our country regain and embrace a critical global leadership role. We simply cannot let this chance pass us by.
Many of you know about the bright lights of Las Vegas, but long before the Strip, Nevada first offered gold, silver and minerals to the union when it became a state in 1864. We now offer the world unparalleled solar and geothermal resources, and Tuesday, my great state will host the National Clean Energy Summit that we believe will continue to set our energy priorities and action items for the next President and Congress.
With pride and hope, I am partnering with the Center for American Progress Action Fund and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas to host this historic gathering. This is a bipartisan assembly of great minds from all walks, coming together to set a course for ending our dependence on dirty, unsustainable fossil fuel use that hurts us environmentally and economically, and weakens our national security. Look at the current conflict between Russia and Georgia, and once again, oil is right in the center of the dispute. We cannot continue to tie ourselves to these situations that severely limit our economic options.
Joining me in Las Vegas will be President Bill Clinton and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, as well as governors, senators, CEOs, executives, scientists, labor unions and experts from across the political spectrum to talk about creating a clean energy revolution. Our summit will go beyond just words to find realistic action we can take in the coming months and years.
When people are cheering about a drop in gas prices to just below $4 a gallon, something is fundamentally wrong with our nation's approach to safely, affordably and reliably meeting our energy demands. We must act to relieve the burden of high costs in the present and we must better prepare for the future. Passing an extension of federal renewable energy and energy efficiency tax credits is at the top of the list for me. It is past time for our government to do more to spur investment in clean energy to complement and catalyze the growing interest and willingness of the private sector in this critical new industry.
Right here in Nevada, the list of solar projects awaiting Bureau of Land Management approval could power millions of American homes in the not too distant future. The total solar thermal energy potential in the desert Southwest is seven times the nation's entire electricity demand -- enough to consistently charge millions of plug-in hybrid cars and trucks. We also sit atop one of the largest supplies of geothermal energy in the world.
Potential in resources translates to potential in jobs as well. We can bring good-paying jobs to areas of our country that most need them, jobs as sustainable as the energy they will help create. We will need to build and maintain the infrastructure of this new clean energy industry, and demand for skilled labor will be great. Our languishing economy desperately needs this kind of boost, and the longer we wait to begin this revolution here in America, the more likely it is those jobs will be created elsewhere.
This is an ambitious vision, but I believe by working together, we can accomplish these goals. All these hopes and challenges will shape our discussion at the Summit on Tuesday. I hope our event will trigger the crucial next steps in moving America and the world toward a cleaner, safer and more sustainable energy future.
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Green jobs would shift the desert economy from futile endeavors to productive business. Gambling and cattle would take a lesser post on the great Nevada totem pole. By respecting the true colors of desert ecology, business and people would flourish without depleting the scarce water resources.
Thank you for promoting a saner plan according to available riches, sun, sand and steam.
How's that vacation coming, Harry?
Harry has it exactly right. We need a revolution in energy. Clean energy.
The last eight years of childish overconsumption of finite fossil fuels has been an economic disaster. It is time for a little discipline. Start with Impeachment.
Oh right! What a laugh. Who mandated the low CAFE STANDARDS for USA Vehicles but
congress/senate! A few years ago congress even offered a tax break to those who bought
vehicles over 5000 lbs. Why oh why did we not have the same mileage standards as Europe
does. Why do their cars (VW GTI Diesel) get 66 mpgs while our same model gets 41 mpgs?
Why is the public being played when it is the hands of our leaders. Why does it still cost
$ 25,000 for a windmill in the backyard for a 1500 sf house? Why did the senate not react to
Prof. Michael Greenberger's testimony on 14 December regarding the Enron Loophole created
with their Commodities Future's Modernization Act and his warnings that it will collapse the
banking and housing industry along with the sky rocketing energy prices?
Harry, you have led us around by the nose. I hope we can replace you with the next election.
CAFE standards are a hoax . . . we won't even see the benefits for years . . . same argument drilling right?
What pathetic whining. You are blaming everyone but yourself.
Try some discipline. Sell your +5000 lb vehicle and get a fuel efficient one. They are available in the U.S.A. Ride a bike around the neighborhood and walk more.
Regards
We have lost this energy battle.
pack it up and go home.
A failure.
A war with energy we can not win.
You fight this war one light bulb at a time.
Please do it, sir.
Before turning the desert ecosystem into an industrial wasteland, how about shutting down Las Vegas and the like? Reid is not talking about a "clean energy future" -- it's about desperately trying to keep things going just as they are. A little conservation, please, before building yet more power plants, "green" or not.
Shutting down Las Vegas?
Thanks Chavez.
or maybe using LV to experiment on how to make high density consumption green and self-sustaining. if you can make LV self-sustaining, then you can do it anywhere.
without this type of experimentation to understand the best opportunity for innovation, anything we do now will not, as Reid hopes "...bring good-paying jobs... ...as sustainable as the energy they will help create."
creating "green" or "clean tech jobs" without understanding - changing the nature of local energy ecosystems will only result in a shifting of labor, equivalent to unsustainable outsourcing we are dealing with now.
Shutting down Las Vegas? What for? It could be one of the best solar sites in the whole world. Just put collectors on every suitable roof in town and the city will make more money with energy than they have ever made with gambling.
Senator Reid
Will you stand up to the environmentalist in your party that work hard to defeat alternative enrgy projects?
In my home state of Maine, environmentalist were one of the leaders in defeating the proposed wind farm in the western mountains of the state. This project would have been two wins for my home state renewable energy and much needed jobs. Unfortunately it will not be happening. Will you also fight against those within your party who seem to more concerned with the asthetic beauty of the horizon then clean energy?
Solar is the best shot IMO, wind isn't a solid solution
Just because wind generates electricity in a renewable way does not make it environmentally friendly.
Oh, Harry, you have such gravitas within the Democratic Party - Now, please explain once again why you refuse to join with so many and overturn the archaic federal give away program connected with the 1872 Mining Act. The mining community has no better friend in the Repug Party, than you have been while falsely representing yourself as a Democrat.
Nevada is a desert state that steals the resources of other states so it can operate the worst most wasteful abomination in America, you know Harrrry the one that screams conspicuous over consumption and corruption.... Vegas
I hardly think your the poster state (or child) for 'clean' anything.....
Vegas rocks, stop crying.
I want to see you nationalize solar power and take those profits and light up the Vegas Strip with solar panels..
Good Going Harry.
Nevada , Arizona , and New Mexico could probably power Most of the country.
Current technology can harness the sun and get the Foreign Oil interests off of our backs.
Combine that with the wind power available in the midwest and we could be SELLING power.
China will replace USA this year as the biggest CO2 contributor. But China and USA are collaborating on a lot of new energy projects... wind, solar, renewable energy, waste water... Two energy / carbon exchanges are established in Beijing and Shanghai to trade CO2.
It is about time that China toughens up on environmental policies.
On the other hand, I hope the world is prepared to have a squeeze of their wallet. Production costs are going to rise further and prices as well. So, the Dollar Stores might have to become Two Dollar Stores...
You win some, you lose some.
From:
http://www.chinationreport.com/#EditorsChoice
How long will we allow these partisan frauds to dominate our political and economic world? Until it really is Mad Max time and the Saudis, Russians, and Chinese control the worlds oil and squeeze us into a 3rd rate power? Wake up, people. Harry tells fairy tales that will haunt your grandchildren.........
1. at least mr. reid is involved in having a conference. and can think of his state being a LEADER in renewable energy.
2. check around on internet to see how many states have ANY kind of energy policy
3. look to see how any of our u. s. policies relate to policies around the world?
4. if we had the info on the amount of dollars our 'leaders' have made on oil we'd know HOW we got in this mess. why change ANYTHING?
5. hopefully someone from KY will be at your meeting. hopefully with a brain. although those statement seem to cancel each other out.
6. clean coal is NOT clean. no more nuclear waster is needed regardless of our need for energy. no more coal needs to be burned in power plants till we can contain the mess we're putting in the air. period.
And who makes the energy policy. Did you even pay notice to the one they just passed and
proudly announced a few months ago how good it is LOL, a mere 35 mpgs by 2020. What a
joke.
35mpg EPA does not mean you can't drive a car that gets 40mpg. It's really up to you.
If we can make solar work in the future I'm for that. In the mean time lets use clean coal technology, build nuclear power plants, and drill for oil here at home.
Correct, stop corn ethanol and throw that money at wind or something.
Future? Wind and Solar out installed everything but dirty coal last year.
It takes 10-20 years to build a nuke, by then, solar and wind can replace the need for nukes, coal and fuel oil.
Clean coal is 10 years away also.
Solar and wind are also cheaper the nukes coal and oil.
See my profile for details.
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