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.
Loading comments…
Want to reply to a comment? Hint: Click "Reply" at the bottom of the comment; after being approved your comment will appear directly underneath the comment you replied to
I think the oil companies are diabolical ! They are undermining what is best for this country ! The numbers speak for themselves.
$1400/ min in profits
$4000/sec in taxes
$15,000/sec in costs
$1,000,000,000 per day in operating costs
Only an industry with the evil behind it could generate these numbers !
I think when Obama wins he should heavily tax the oil companies and take those revenues and spread the money out among the least of us. At least a 30% punitive tax for stealing so much from the American people.
I think sooner or later the oil companies will move overseas and although we wil lose their tax revenues, green companies will make up the difference. Once "oil people" are out of this country, we will be better off. We will be forced to pay much more for gas, but this will wean us off gas. We are too addicted to gas !!! It will be tough, but we will be stronger for it.
You are in error. Should read: $1400/sec in profits and $4000/sec in taxes. And with numbers like that it's obvious that it's our government that is diabolical. The oil companies fork out almost 3 times in taxes what they make in profit. Only a person with a small sense of what is "fair" can look at numbers like that and think the oil companies need to pay more.
I think we need to be clear about this. When you say they pay "3 times in taxes what they make in profit, that's gross profit. The net profit of ExxonMobil in the second quarter was $11.68 billion on revenue of $138 billion. Yes, they paid $32.36 in taxes in the second quarter too. It does sound like a hell of a lot of taxes to pay, but then my corporation didn't make close to $12 billion in net profit in one quarter. Oh, that's right no company ever has.
More to the point, even the Rockefeller heirs-major stockholders in ExxonMobil, believe the company should be focusing on alternative energy and cleaner fuels.
How many oil spills do we need to make the rest of us realize how imbecilic it would be to drill off the coasts or ANWR?
"I think when Obama wins he should heavily tax the oil companies and take those revenues and spread the money out among the least of us. At least a 30% punitive tax for stealing so much from the American people."
That would be ideal, but not going to happen... this is America... crime pays.... War crimes pay handsomely !!! Big Oil will have Obama in their pocket in no time, just like the all the other slimy Oil and blood soaked politicians in Washington.
I'm thrilled to read Harry Reid on HuffPo because this post reads so much better than the posts on Give 'Em Hell Harry (at least in Google Reader).
Go Harry and go Nevada. It would be great for your state to eke out a better identity than "the state where Las Vegas is".
It would be better for America if your politically connected family could help eke out a win in Nevada for Obama!!
Time to upgrade to energy 2.0
Not to mean and off subject, but Impeachment against Bush and Cheney would be more important to me right now. Make these War Mongerers and Thieves of the American Treasury pay for what they have done to this Country.
Frankly, I wish the American people would stand as one and quit paying income tax, they just might wake up the Democrats and Republicans.
I'd be happy if Congress could fine Bush & Cheney the amount they have spent in USD overseas for their "war of choice". Maybe we could garnish their income and apply it to renewable energy projects..
You are too soft on these criminals. They should be charged with murder (4000 plus military) as well as treason and should face the death penalty. ANyone who facilitated thieir efforts should face the same charges !
It is never too late. Once Americans see true justice (for a change) I bet we unite as one !
Bet this works wonders on our friends overseas as well ! We can repair the world as OBama said in his speech in Berlin.
So Obama should face the same charges? He facilitated Bush's and Cheney's efforts by voting for the war funding. You can sign me up too since I voted for Bush in '04 after voting for Gore in '00 (I was such an idiot).
Aint gonna happen.
I'm happy someone in the government is tackling real alternative energy, instead of the canard of of offshore drilling. Senator Reid is to be applauded for these efforts. Of course the Bush administration did absolutely nothing about alternative energy, unless you count the "alternative" oil fields in Iraq that they thought would pay for the war etc...
I am in agreement with others here that the congress is going way to easy on the Bush administration. Every week we hear about more crimes and chicanery that are going on and condoned by this administration and nothing gets done. By all appearances these people are above the law as they routinely ignore congressional subpoena's. Is there anything you can do?
Mr Reid.
It's a beautiful and flowery vision you offer us, but certainly I hope you understand that for many Americans this means abandoning an entire lifestyle, not of driving gas guzzling cars only, but consumption as a whole has to be redefined in a country that has consumption (in large quantities please) as it's hallmark. Americans have been made to feel throughout the years that gas, food and goods come cheaply and as quickly as a new credit card.
Quantity above quality. Now look where we stand.
Americans, though, have no right to complain until they pay the same price for gas that the rest of the world has been paying for 20 years: $5 a gallon at least. No right to complain because they didn't care to inform themselves about practices of over-consumption while the rest of the world managed it's economy carefully and patiently. No right to complain because they didn't dare question the people that shoved that culture down their brains, and their government is to blame because it never taught them to question anything at all, neither through media, nor (most appallingly) from our very own education system.
Many countries are light years ahead in terms of energy efficiency, and here we are; trying to convince our citizens that there is nothing wrong with reducing consumption and, failing to comprehend what terrible flaws plague our education system, we offer them a free i-pod as an incentive, instead of educating and empowering them.
First you are incorrect.
European countries are a small land mass... much less traveling! You cant re engineer the society in even 50 years and the cost of living in a cave would greatly increase given the restrict area to build in and the coost of upgrading utilities in cities for increased population. The suburbs are a reaction to those cost and crime and that man does better in more open space.. its genetic.
By all means solar, wind, geothermal and electric cars. And in large quantities
But stop with all of us having to move to the City and live in caves. Keep that up and attach your views to the Democratic party and you will lose every election. How did the no offshore drilling stance workout?
The problem is not using energy, its using the wrong kind and not doing it efficiently. Attack the real problem as opposed to you deciding how best we ALL should live.
And the real problem is really over population which is killing the planet.. with the waste flowing into the oceans along with fertilzers and pesticides
Regards
"In europe they paid $5.00 per gallon.. but got free healthcare. " Nobody in Europe ever got "free" healthcare. It doesn't exist. What they got was healthcare paid for by the taxpayer.
Here is my question, how much of our power can be provided by wind, solar and geothermal right now? That is, of course, as long as we build wind farms far away from the Kennedy compound. No more then 20%, right? No oil, no coal, no Nuclear, right? Drill here, drill now, pay less.
What a crock. Do some elemental research. Don't just parrot Repug talking points.
Over ten-20 years .. about half... So yes it will take NUKE and more natural gas and oil... Infact even if we dont burn any oil at some point to reduce CO2... you will need oil for plastics and etc... growing your hydrocarbons to replace oil used in plastics would create more pollution than the oil in that case.
Regards
HEMP can replace petroleum 100% from manufacturing to transportation fueling needs. And oh yeah. Tell them Democrats to repeal the ban on Cannabis and allow INDUSTRIAL HEMP to compete in the market.
That's great. While we're waiting for that to develop (and I hope it does), can we drill for oil in the meantime? Pretty please?
And what should we do while we are waiting for them to drill for oil?
The current numbers I've seen are that we can start ramping up wind and solar, and start getting plants online on 3-5 years. Drilling for more oil, and building nukes won't have an impact until about 10 years after saying so. All of the current oil rigs are in use.
As I said in my post, what we should do while waiting for them to drill is to *also* work on those alternatives that I keep hearing about.
I don't believe for a second that the alternatives will useful before the oil comes online, but I'd love to be wrong.
Either way, we'll need energy, so it's foolish not to do both.
What in God's name is wrong with you people? The oil companies are perfectly free to drill on the lands in which they hold leases. They just don't want to. Talk to them.
Secondly, what do you want the government to do? Invest in alternatives, or use up the oil we have so by 2050 we have no energy at all? Don't you get it? It's time to invest in alternatives. You oil people have had your way long enough. You're burning up the planet, and ironically, we're running out of easily recoverable oil, and we have absolutely nothing to show for it. The private sector has failed us. They haven't developed alternatives.
And change the wording in your comments and it exactly describes the need to vote third party THIS election until waiting for the next or the next or the next......
Maybe the reason they "just don't want to" is because they've, you know, studied it more than you have, and they realize that it doesn't make economic sense to drill in those areas.
I mean, isn't the fact that they're not drilling on those leased lands pretty strong anecdotal evidence that there's not enough oil on those lands? What, exactly, would be the motivation to not drill on leased land, other than that there's not enough oil under it?
Exxon can sell every barrel of oil it can extract, and it can sell at record prices. Why on earth wouldn't they extract every drop that is feasible?
Knock yourself out.
You'll just need geo surveys, test wells, oil platforms, an undersea pipeline, and off shore storage facilities.
What you guys are REFUSING to realize is that drilling is now more expensive, riskier, and more complicated than putting up wind turbines and solar plants.
So your oil policy is "drilling is hard, so let's not allow it?"
I realize that drilling is difficult work. I also realize that there are very capable people in this world who will get the job done, and they'll pay for it themselves.
Why is increased domestic production such a bad thing in your estimation? Do you work for OPEC?
Hmmm... our old oil fields are running out of oil, so we should use up the remaining reserves as fast as possible huh? Renewable infrastructure is going to become a necessity, we ought to invest in such projects ASAP while we still have plenty of oil available to build them cheaply.
IMHO, off-limits areas should remain off-limits to drilling for as long as possible. Those areas will become our last reserves and will be far more valuable in 20-40 years to us than they are today. Drilling them out now is like raiding your 401k when you're 30 years old.
You need to make up your mind. Are we getting off oil or not. This 401K when your 30 is a terrible analogy. I don't want to hear about "saving" the oil for a rainy day. It goes against all the current talk that there is no difference between domestic production and world production. I haven't read one person who hasn't overlooked quite a bit of interaction in there various single-bullet theories. Best Plan. Do it all and follow the paths you need to the future. Yes that includes drilling for domestic oil now.
apexfork
Before you see one drop of oil you're going to need the following:
Detailed Geo Surveys of the Florida Coast
Test drill rig
Several offshore oil drilling platforms with crews
Undersea Pipeline
Storage facility off the Florida coast
Does any of that sound cheap, easy or fast to you?
No, it sounds expensive and risky. Like, exactly the sort of thing that the ExxonMobiles and RoyalDutchShells of the world specialize in. Let them take the risk and bear the expense. Of course, that's called earning a profit and we wouldn't want to allow that to happen, would we?
Where in my comment did I say it'd be fast, cheap, or easy? Maybe the best alternative energy would be burning all the strawmen I keep seeing on this issue.
"Alternative Energy Sources" aren't fast, cheap, or easy either, but I support those, too.
It doesn't matter how it sounds to me, or you for that matter. It matters to the people willing to risk their capital to see it produced. If you have a better way, by all means, put up your money and surely you'll come out ahead. Just don't stop others who happen to disagree with your conclusion.
These are the types of things that have been missing for 8 long years. Instead of the current administration’s wasting billions on a needless war and forking over other billions to their corporate cronies, it, indeed, is time for our political leadership to once against begin to work for the common good of this once great nation.
If Nevada wants to be a leader in alternative energy, the state itself should immediately fund a renewable demonstration energy initiative that supplies 100 percent of Las Vegas' electrical consumption. Wind, solar, geothermal, or any combination is OK. Forget about new Federal subsidies. If I'm not mistaken, Boulder Dam is already providing a huge Federal subsidy of a sort for Nevada electricity consumers.
The lack of details from Reid should make you question his solar plan. Just painting a picture of Nevada providing the WHOLE nation's energy ("The total solar thermal energy potential in the desert Southwest is seven times the nation's entire electricity demand" )is a psychological ploy and symptomatic of a complete bullsh*tter. Following these Pied Piper's is the last thing America needs.
The voting backlash from the economic crash average Americans will feel for this kind of limited way off in the future energy policy will make the Senate about 70-30 Republican. Then you will truly see wind/solar scrapped with an unrecoverable reputation.
"saving beautiful landscapes"
You are from Nevada . . .
Gasoline was $2.29 a gallon when Democratics took control of the Congress.
In 2000 we had a newly elected "compassionate conservative" President disavow any intention of getting into foreign entanglements; we have endured the entire period of his Presidency at war. What is your point?
It was 79 cents before Reagan took office.
When Reagan took office, gasoline was about $1.30. He quickly signed executive orders countermanding all of the Carter (and Nixon) price control/rationing nonsense and gasoline prices fell (in inflation adjusted dollars) for the rest of his presidency.
Graphically (PDF):
http://www
Oh please.... everyone knows when the Oil problem started... it was also 25 a barrel when Bush came into Office.
For starters iraq war has taken 2 million barrels off the market.
Bush 's huge deficits have devalued the dollar by more than 50% and thus doubling the cost of oil.
And then there is the speculation .. a result of repug deregulation. 5 times the DEMs have tried to pass bills that revert back to 2000 regs undone by repugs which have caused at least a $30 per barrel additional cost.
Regards
Thank you Harry!.
You must be logged in to comment. Log in or connect with
