Energy Reform Series: Part 1

The United States has a huge energy problem.  Gas price fluctuations throughout the year show us the fragility of our oil supply and our unhealthy dependence on petroleum for energy.  Coal mining accidents, very tragic occurrences, also force us to question our attachment to a resource that pollutes the environment so much.

The United States uses far too much resources like coal and oil and far to little of resources like solar and wind.  Yes, part of the reason is the price of the energy, but these polluting resources also have an unquantifiable environmental price.  Additionally, with government and private sector help, we can make these forms of energy cheap and efficient.

world oil production has increased in recent decades

Conservatives who wail that the government should not get involved should take a history lesson.  A lot of change has come out of government action, and for the better.  NASA, for a while, was the sole consumer of major computers, sustaining an infant industry that has now led to a huge tech sector in the United States.  A form of the Internet was started by the Department of Defense.  Government investment has lead to University funding and the Space Race.  Therefore, we can safely say that there is a place and time for government investment.

We need to make sure that we, as a country, jump ahead and capitalize on energy reform.  If America does not take the lead, some other country will do so, and we will have to buy it from them.  Coming up with and manufacturing the new clean energy technology does not require vast oil reserves or coal mines.  All it requires is an innovative spirit, ingenuity, a bit of private capital, and political will.  We have all of these, to varying extents, right here in America.  The only thing lacking in any regard would be political will.  We need leadership in Washington and around the country to kick-start a clean energy revolution.

By bringing in government investment and private capital, we can diversify our energy sources and make sure  it is affordable and the industry is sustainable.  The US can then become a leader on the world stage, exporting this technology to the rest of the globe.  By being a leader in clean energy, the US could mitigate the influence OPEC countries like Iran wield simply because they have oil.  By acting now, the US can secure its place in the energy hierarchy of the globe.