Al Gore issues electricity challenge
Just as John F. Kennedy set his sights on the moon, Al Gore is challenging the nation to produce every kilowatt of electricity through wind, sun and other Earth-friendly energy sources within the next 10 years, a goal he hopes the next president will embrace. Gore stated that rising fuel costs, climate change and the national security threats posed by U.S. dependence on foreign oil are conspiring to create “a new political environment” that will sustain bold and expensive steps to wean the nation off fossil fuels. Gore said the single most important policy change would be placing a carbon tax on burning oil and coal.
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• Gore sets energy goal for next president to heed
• Politics A-Z: Al Gore (Tim Sloan AFP/Getty Images)
Gore said that, under his 10-year plan, U.S. nuclear energy output would continue at current levels (19.4% in 2007) . “Of course the greatest obstacle to meeting the challenge of 100 percent renewable electricity in 10 years may be the deep dysfunction of our politics and our self-governing system as it exists today,” he added.
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• Gore sets energy goal for next president to heed
• Politics A-Z: Al Gore (Thomas Starke / Getty Images)
Under Gore’s plan the U.S. use of solar power would greatly increase. He posits that “as the demand for renewable energy grows, the costs will continue to fall.” (Barbara Sax AFP/Getty Images)
The construction of wind farms, a familar site to drivers on the 10 freeway, would also expand under Gore’s plan. “To those who argue that we do not yet have the technology to accomplish these results with renewable energy, I ask them to come with me to meet the entrepreneurs who will drive this revolution. I’ve seen what they are doing and I have no doubt that we can meet this challenge,” Gore said.
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• Gore sets energy goal for next president to heed
• Politics A-Z: Al Gore (David McNew / Getty Images)
Plants generating power from geothermal sources would also be emphasized by Gore’s plan. “The way to bring gas prices down is to end our dependence on oil and use the renewable sources that can give us the equivalent of $1 per gallon gasoline,” according to Gore.
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• Gore sets energy goal for next president to heed
• Politics A-Z: Al Gore (Frederick Florin AFP/Getty Images)
Gore warned that the U.S. electric grid needs to be modernized and expanded. “We do not have a unified national grid that is sufficiently advanced to link the areas where the sun shines and the wind blows to the cities in the East and the West that need the electricity.” “Our grids are antiquated, fragile, and vulnerable to cascading failure,” he said. “Power outages and defects in the current grid system cost US businesses more than $120 billion dollars a year.”
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• Gore sets energy goal for next president to heed
• Politics A-Z: Al Gore (Thanassis Stavrakis / Associated Press)
