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Now Is The Time: Pass the NAT GAS Act
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Dan Boren, Foreign Oil, Green Energy, Harry Reid, John Larson, John Sullivan, NAT GAS Act, Natural Gas, Orrin Hatch, Robert Menendez, T. Boone Pickens,
Green News
I've always said that the most important quality of a good leader is that you've got to be willing to make a decision. Too often, people fall victim to what I call the "ready-aim-aim-aim-aim" syndrome. Everything has got to be absolutely perfect. The truth is sometimes you've got to be willing to pull the trigger. Only afterward does it become apparent that the time was right.
Yesterday, I witnessed what leadership is all about firsthand. My good friends, Senators Harry Reid and Orrin Hatch, signed on as cosponsors of Senator Robert Menendez's new bill: the NAT GAS Act. This is one of the most important pieces of legislation to be introduced in the Senate over the last 40 years. It goes right to the heart of the question I've been asking since I launched the Pickens Plan a year ago on July 8:
When are we going to put in place the energy plan this country needs and deserves?
Now is the time.
The NAT GAS Act will extend and increase tax credits for natural gas vehicles and refueling. It will help encourage the development of natural gas vehicles, a much needed step for our beleaguered auto industry. NAT GAS will also save consumers thousands of dollars on fuel costs and protect our environment by utilizing cleaner burning natural gas.
This bill is the only way I know to quickly and effectively reduce our dependence on foreign oil. No other fuel can replace diesel and power a big semi or a garbage truck, including batteries. For too long, our dependence on foreign oil has been one of the leading factors influencing American foreign policy. If we can eliminate that issue by using our enormous domestic natural gas resources, I am confident that it will benefit our national security, our economy, and the environment.
As I have said many times before, natural gas is cleaner, cheaper, it's abundant, and it's American. That's why Senator Menendez's bill enjoys exceptional bipartisan support, starting at the top with Harry Reid and Orrin Hatch. The House version, which was introduced by Dan Boren, John Sullivan, and John Larson, now has a total of 71 cosponsors from both sides of the aisle. We're pulling together on this one. Not as Democrats. Not as Republicans. But as Americans.
For almost four decades, this country has been floundering without an energy plan. Is now the best time to put one in place? No. The best time to do that was back in the 1970s when we were importing a small fraction of our crude from overseas. But as these leaders are demonstrating, now is the right time.
Follow T. Boone Pickens on Twitter: www.twitter.com/boonepickens
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Fossil fuels are for old fossils. their day is almost done.
Fossil fuels day is not done for a very long time yet. America debates and quibbles endlessly before even thinking of acting for real change in energy policy. Pickens is a good guy and means well for our country. Fossil fuels will be the major source of energy for many years to come---but, whatever we can do to lessen their dominate use is very important. In the mean time, natural gas is much desired over oil.
We need to get rid of the SUVs and other gas guzzlers in this country, regardless of whether oil prices are "low" or "high". I tell you, some of those SUVs on the streets are almost the size of a bus. If I were driving one, I would feel the need to pick up passengers along the way! Terrible. Obscene, actually.
What happened to the wind mill push? Did some one beat you to the investment? Or, did you get a better deal on a natural gas company. Oh, that's your existing business.
If possible and economical am seriously considering converting my diesel truck to LPG or LNG. If there were some kind of conflagration I might not be able to purchase diesel, but propane or LNG might be available. Also it will store on our property better than diesel. I need my truck for my work. No fuel, no work, no income.
I am off the electric grid and I can say, for me, that solar is an expensive disappointment. It has turned out to be more economical to simply fire up the propane generator for a few hours every morning. If I lived in Arizona instead of Washington that might not be true. But I go long stretches in winter without enough sunlight. Takes a lot of batteries to store a lot of amp hours. Batteries that have to be replaced.
I say let everyone vote with their dollars.
Alcohol. Grow your own. See permacultu
Works in diesels too.
Good luck with that. Those of you old enough to remember know that Ford used to make tractors that would run on either alcohol or gasoline. That way farmers could grow their own fuel, and many did. The oil companies mounted a successful campaign to make private distilling illegal, never once mentioning fuel, but rather turning it into a social hot button issue - rampant drunkenness. To my mind, this "Pickens Plan" is the same song, different verse.
And keep an eye out for the Revenuers.
Mr. Pickens, could you please answer the following questions:
1. Do you not own an enormous stake in the natural gas industry?
2. Have you not used your pursuit of government land for wind power generation to accumulate the rights to a great deal of water rights across Texas and other states?
Thank you.
Yes, and yes. And he's got a plan and an answer that can help us transition to a greener future. Do you have a better plan?
How do you mean "greener" do you mean it as in making Mr. Pickens richer? Natural gas is not sustainable; it still leads us to the same place, ever-greater use of natural recourses. I will only take someone seriously if the discuss population growth and its dire impacts.
Problem I have is its easy to cut back on your driving...
An awful lot of folks are already running their thermostats at 60 or 62 degrees...
Try 50 since the Enron rape and pillage in California.
The approach has to be multipronged; there is no single silver bullet. We need to improve the grid so we don't waste power. At the same time we've got to build the wind and solar thermal farms; they will reduce our dependence on coal and let us shift the natural gas to vehicles. I haven't looked at the NAT plan; it sounds like a step in the right direction. I just don't if it's comprehensive enough.
This plan seems a good idea to me in general.
But only as a "Bridge" to a truely renewable engery system.
Our little company has just completed preliminary work on the first truly renewable energy system. We're able to store energy in the form of hydrogen and oxygen, retrieving it on demand using our proprietary technology. We hope to have our revolutionary co-generation system in operation before the first of the year. For more information, please feel free to contact us by email: att.netred@att.net.
Sounds like a variation on NASA's rockets. How do you ensure it won't blow up?
We need renewable resources. Anyone else remember the price of natural gas skyrocketing not so long ago? This may begin to address our dependence on foriegn oil but it's a drop in the bucket.
No one in politics is really interested in reducing our dependence on foreign oil or this ACES bill would not be so focussed on killing the coal industry. Coal is something we have here in the states.
Coal is the worst producer of CO2 and what it does to natural resources, water and peoples bodies aint good either.
Natural gas is not renewable, organic or particularly eco-friendly, especially in the "extraction" phase. But it would make Mr. Pickens much richer.
Any projections that don't take population increase in this country into account are false. We can expect a population of 430 million by 2050, and most of that from the direct and indirect effects of immigraion. It's fighting a rising tide to reduce our greenhouse gases.
Sorry, immigration.
I think Natural Gas might be part of the answer, especially for vehicles used in warehouses and the like, but I think the long term answer is to use hydrogen fuel cells to power our vehicles. Using a bunch of "Everready or Duracell" batteries to power cars is, I think, is a very short sighted approach being taken by American auto manufacturers.
Hydrogen and oxygen produce water as the only product of combustion. It is a visionary approach that at least one Japanese car maker is taking, and some folks in Southern California are already test driving their Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.
You might wanna read up on the production of those gems.
Electric vehicles are the answer. Check out Tesla Motors in California and Detroit Electric. We just need to go all out on them, and improve the batteries. But Tesla's Model S, available in 2011, can already get 300 miles on a charge. It's not far off. And it's a great car, does 0-60 in 5.6 seconds. A little expensive, but that's why we need massive development.
Where do they get their power?
One always has to consider the source. Just recently, Pickens surrendered the fight for wind turbines and solar energy intiatives. Sounds like money is at the root of any push Pickens backs. Why suspend alternative energy intiatives at such a crucial time in history? Pickens has made enough money off our backs. Nothing in Texas has changed - except the appearance. Don't be fooled!
You said it, bluemirror. I made the exact same comment last time Pickens posted here. What we need is a complete transformation of our energy policy focusing on wind and sun. While natural gas may be cleaner, it still produces CO2 when burned. T. Boone Pickens is an oil man. He made his billions from oil and now he wants to hide his avarice behind a thin veil of eco-consciousness. I don't buy it. Where was he forty years ago? Thirty years ago? Even twenty years ago? Producing oil. Pickens was also quoted saying that falling prices of natural gas, used in power plants, are making his wind project less economical. So he dropped it. Pickens is often characterized as a corporate raider and greenmailer. Listen, if he truly is cares about the environment and can make a positive step, I could care less if he makes money. But, given how quickly he dropped wind for gas from which he stands to make billions, makes me question his motives and his devotion to green.
You left out hydro power. Water powered many electrical plants in California before we were talked into deregulation and Enron. Most of hydro/pits operated by PG&E were closed, with the promise that private entrepeneurs would come up with something more efficient and cheaper. Haven't seen it yet.
But then I think the rich guys have the exploitation of our water in their sights for their next big bubble. And using it to generate electricty probably doesn't fit with their plan.
Hear, hear. There's much more $$$ to be made from NG.
Actually, he was never solar. His plan was wind, and he scaled it back just recently, but hasn't completely abandoned it See http://www
Let's call this entry what it really is. Mr. Pickens is heavily invested in natural gas technology, and he wants the government to help pick up the tab. While it may be environmentally sound technology, the legislation is simply rent seeking regulation of energy markets.
It is wrong direction Mr. Picken:
In huge power plants we are using only electricity. 80% of fuel energy we are loosing in vain.
If we will start new policy to build relatively small plant to use as electricity, as heat our need for energy will reduce at least 4 times. Wood in this case will provide more useful energy than oil products. All GHG from oven could be solved in water to watering forests surrounding these power plants. Together with ash it will be the best nutrition to grow forests.
If we will achieve not so difficult task to harvest 5 dry ton/acre/year of wood we need 300,000,000 acres of forest to feed all projected energy needs in 2010 year.
When one person with weight around 200 Lb. is moving to job and back on car weighting around 2000 Lb., real efficiency of movement of person will be less than 1% (calculate efficiency of engine, gasoline production, stops on the road, heating or cooling etc).
We can’t gather all GHG from millions of cars. Only electrical power without any batteries could provide as economically as environmentally friendly movement.
Small carts (20 Lb.) moving by road, absolutely automatically on road without intersection must to be direction of our transportation future.
Well this shows that not all my fellow Texans are stupid. Keep on them T!
Don't be too hasty.
A better alternative. Build cars that pay for themselves and can catalyze rapid change!
Breakthroughs include the MagGen. These magnetic generators will initially make it possible to cut the cord on a plug-in hybrid so it no longer needs to plug-in. Later, they can replace the batteries in an electric car. Then, the MagGen can run when the car is parked and sell power to the utility. Prototypes are under development.
Next is a Self Powered Internal Combustion Engine - SPICE, which can power a hybrid. It will need no fuel and is another path to ending the need to plug-in. The engine can run when parked.
Both systems can wirelessly transmit and sell power to the local utility.
The SPICE will be powered by hydrinos - which let a barrel of water equal hundreds of barrels of oil.
Scientists and engineers will doubt these technologies are possible until validation by Independent Laboratories, an important step on the agenda.
Until now, car ownership has been an expense. Payments to car owners driving a hybrid with a SPICE, or powered by MagGen, are likely to be substantial.
The cost of many vehicles might be paid for by utilities, as they purchase power. Parked cars each will become decentralized power plants - a rapid, cost-effective path to catalyze reduction of the need for fuel.
Consumers can generate substantial demand for such vehicles and accelerate the needed change regardless of government failings.
I do hope you're not holding your breath for all of this. A person could kill himself that way.
Interesting. Thanks for posting.
"Next is a Self Powered Internal Combustion Engine - SPICE, which can power a hybrid. It will need no fuel and is another path to ending the need to plug-in. The engine can run when parked. "
Are you implying in your advertisement that you need no consumable fuel to produce power? yet it is an internal comubstion engine?
"Scientists and engineers will doubt these technologies are possible until validation by Independent Laboratories, an important step on the agenda. "
Well I guess I am both a scientist and engineer and yes I do doubt what you state. Let me know how you rewrite the uncertainity principle to validate hydrinos. I warn though if you are successful the universe may go up in a puff of smoke when it realizes it miscalculated itself
What happened to the wind farm? I thought you were all about wind energy?
http://www
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