Bend Over And Fill ‘Er Up

Amazing, isn’t it? The oil companies just keep making money upon money upon money, and no matter what happens, we end up paying more for gas.

British Petroleum has to close an oil field in Alaska because of ruptured pipes? That will tighten supply, so raise the price. The Israel-Hezbollah war raging? That will tighten supply, so raise the price. The Iranian nuclear threat heightens tensions in the region? That will tighten supply, so raise the price.

And on and on and on…

If you’re as sick of this nonsense as I am, then maybe you’ll want to read this Guest Opinion that appeared last Friday in the Bucks County Courier Times from a man named Don Mihalek; he lives in Yardley, served in the U.S. Coast Guard Reserves from 1988-1998, and has worked in law enforcement from 1993 to the present.

Right now, I am typing on a computer that is more powerful than the one used to land a man on the moon. I-Pods hold more than 2,000 songs, books, and movies. With a Blackberry, I can call the other side of the world, search the Internet or send a letter to thousands of people. I can do all this, but I can’t seem to find an economically efficient way to power my home and car without using fossil fuels.

I have researched solar power, wind systems, and hybrid vehicles. All promising, but still seem inefficient, impractical and, most importantly, not economical for average Americans.

Being conservation-minded and environmentally concerned, I signed up with PECO Wind. We have all my electricity generated from wind power, for a small additional charge of $2.54 cents per kilowatt hour used, which translates to an additional $20 per month. Nice incentive for trying to use a renewable energy source. If you want to promote renewable energy use, why charge an extra cost?

Forget about buying a wind turbine. Most of the wind energy market is owned and operated by large energy companies or you need to be at a certain sea level, with specific wind RPMs to be considered for a turbine. That leaves the generation of this power source to wind turbine farms and some offshore areas, like near Atlantic City. That doesn’t help regular Americans achieve the goal of using more renewable energy.

Solar power is a great idea. For an initial $45,000 investment with a southern exposure, through the Solar PV grant program, I could have a solar system installed. It would eventually power my home and feed clean renewable energy to the power grid. With the grant, a cumbersome and lengthy process, plus the tax incentives, my end cost is $15,000 plus future maintenance costs. Over time (a long time), I will get this back, but where is the incentive? It’s easier and cheaper to pay PECO. Why spend $45,000 for an energy system that at best is 20 percent efficient?

Hybrid vehicles and alternative fuels are making progress. Car companies are developing and producing more hybrid vehicles. But, you can’t use a Honda Prius for a family of four. Conversely, the average American family probably finds the gas costs for a Cadillac Escalade staggering. We either need more four (4) cylinder engines or get completely away from gas. Hydrogen fuel cell, Biofuels and Ethanol vehicles are down the road, but still have a fossil fuel component with high manufacturing costs. It’s ironic that we can’t perfect a different fuel source, but we can build an International Space Station.

I know, oil was cheap so no one bothered or was motivated to change, and now we Americans are paying for it.

We are paying for our lack of imagination, motivation and leadership by depending on unstable governments. Those filled with radicals and dictatorial regimes, linked to our national security by the fuel they provide. There are arguments for more domestic drilling, but this seems a short term Band Aid fix that, I fear, will only lull Americans into a sense of confidence that we now have our own oil.

In 1974, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory began operating. This is a principal research laboratory for the Department of Energy. It has been in operation for over 30 years, since the last Mideast oil shortage. A shortage that was payback for 1970s American Middle East policy. It’s been 30-plus years since the NREL’s operation, yet I still have to use fossil fuels to power my car and home. Why?

My feeling is that American leadership in both government and private industry has abdicated responsibility. It’s not conspiratorial, just a failure of leadership and imagination. The same energy and urgency used to place a man on the moon needs to go into American renewable energy. From higher tax incentives, rebates and more research; the government needs to create the environment in which the American people can help and private companies will respond.

As a private citizen, why spend $45K for a solar system when a new furnace is $2-5K? Why build a hybrid car when they cost me more than a standard car? Why build energy self sufficient buildings when it’s not strongly encouraged? Consumers should have access to buying and installing alternative energy systems that are cost neutral with traditional systems. If the incentives were there for consumers, I believe the market would drive their implementation. Who wouldn’t want to stop paying utility/oil bills?

Until this leadership role is assumed, I will continue to dim the lights, leave the A/C at 78 and pay for PECO wind power, but this seems like “crossing the street” when I think we, as Americans, should be “shooting for the moon.”

And one more thing: I’ll be waiting to hear if Mikey’s energy conference last week ends up amounting to anything whatsoever that saves us any money (and I won’t be holding my breath).