Energy

Energy has become one of the most public factors of our ailing economy.  Everyday, people are forced to see the ever-increasing gas prices as they drive to work, to soccer practice, to visit family and friends, even to the grocery store.  Higher energy prices mean higher costs for goods and services across the 1st District, and the United States. Now is the time to do something about it.

While incentives for conservation and efficiency are essential elements to any comprehensive energy plan, we must also remember to address the reason oil prices are so high: supply.

Currently, the United States imports more than half of its oil, much of it from OPEC nations including Saudi Arabia and Venezuela.  A major reason for the large amount of imports, more than 14 million barrels daily – is the lack of oil production in the United States today. 

America holds more than 20 billion barrels of oil in proven reserves not drilled because of federal regulations preventing such action.  These reserves can meet U.S. oil demands for more than 20 years, eliminating the need for OPEC oil. This does not include oil reserves located in ANWR.
A barren refuge in Northern Alaska, ANWR is known to hold a substantial amount of oil, estimated to as high as 16 billion barrels.  Most of that is located on federal lands, which makes up the size similar to South Carolina.  However, the amount of land needed to drill and pump oil from amounts to the size of the Charleston International Airport, less than 2,100 acres out of the 19.6 million acres of federal land.

Using just the conservative estimates of oil in ANWR, there is enough oil to supply the United States for more than 25 years.  This provides ample time to develop alternative fuels and prevent another oil crisis witnessed in 2008 when most Americans were paying $4 a gallon at the pump.

To aid in lowering gas prices now, as exploration and drilling takes time, it is better to impose a series of short-term solutions.  These include creating a gas tax holiday for the federal government, suspending the sales tax on gasoline in the state, and eliminating the multitude of boutique and reformulated gasoline mixtures in the nation.  
The boutique fuels can also lower hefty gas prices.  These unique blends are so specialized that many producers are hesitant to distribute more than the most popular blends, lowering the competitive edge non-regulated fuel blends enjoys and driving up the costs for many commuters.  It is estimated that eliminating the blends would lower the cost at the pump by as much as 41 cents, creating immediate relief to the many families who suffer through high gas prices.  
 
Alternative energy sources

While increasing the supply of oil will help this nation in the short- and mid-term, a long-term solution of alternative energy is also needed.  This includes finding and developing alternative means to fueling our cars and using other energy sources to power our cities and homes. 

Nuclear power is an already-developed energy source that has proven to be both efficient and safe.  It accounts for just under 20 percent of the power supply in the United States, but 71 percent of America’s clean-air energy sources.  It is also the only source of zero-emission energy that is produced on a large-scale basis.

Nuclear power reduces emissions of pollutants controlled through the Clean Air Act by 4.1 million short tons, the equivalent of taking over 51 million cars off the road.  Carbon dioxide, which is not controlled by the Act, was reduced by 681 million metric tons in 2006, almost the same amount of CO2 produced by all American cars annually.

Producing nuclear energy burns nothing, making it a low-emissions power source.  With the small emissions and large energy production, a 1,000 megawatt plan could provide sufficient power for a city as large as Boston or Seattle. To cool the reactors, plants use cooled water. The discharged water after the cooling process produces no harmful pollutants and meets the Clean Water Act regulations.

Nuclear waste itself is also minimal, as the used fuel comes in the form of small pellets.  All the nuclear waste produced by the United States in the past 50 years would cover the expanse of a football field with a depth of less than 10 yards. It has been determined that on-site storage can remain safe for 100 years, but must be transported to another location for more permanent storage.  The government mandated that the waste should be transported to Yucca Mountain in Nevada. 

While nuclear waste is small, there are nations who have been able to build newer plants that recycle the spent uranium. France, a leading nation in nuclear energy, is able to virtually eliminate nuclear waste by recycling their spent uranium. This has led France to power nearly three-fourths of their nation through nuclear power and sell more than €3 billion ($4.7 billion) worth of nuclear power to neighboring nations. 

After 9/11, there have been concerns of Nuclear Power Plants being targets for terrorist attacks.  The Nuclear Energy Institute sanctioned a study, confirmed through the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, to determine that a fully-fueled Boeing 767 can crash into the plant and still not penetrate the nuclear reactor or release any deadly radiation.