The National Energy Strategy

It is no secret that the United States' dependence on oil -- mostly foreign -- puts the country in a precarious position. The United States needs innovative ways not only to power millions of automobiles on its highways but also to secure sustainable sources of fuel for the future. This book presents the latest facts and figures about alternative energy to any physicist, engineer, policymaker, or concerned citizen who needs a reliable source of information on the nation's looming energy crisis. Philip G. Gallman focuses especially on green vehicles and the interrelationship between their design and various energy sources. He explains simply and clearly the complex energy and automotive engineering issues involved in developing green vehicles, measures their likely effect on energy resource demand, and considers what they might mean for national energy strategy. Addressing problems associated with renewable resources often overlooked or ignored in the popular press, Gallman explains what replacing oil with alternative sources of energy realistically entails. Can the nation satisfy its energy demands with wind turbines, solar power, hydroelectric power, or geothermal power? Is biodiesel or electricity the answer to our gas-guzzling ways? Organized logically and with an accessible narrative, Green Alternatives and National Energy Strategy guides readers through the essential questions and hurdles the United States must answer and overcome to transition from a petroleum-dependent nation to one that runs on sustainable, renewable energy.

"Vito Stagliano's book represents the history and comprehensive analysis of 65 years of energy policy-making with an insider's view of the four years invested by the White house and Congress to the making of the Energy Policy Act of 1992 - the last comprehensive energy legislation enacted by Congress. Placed in the context of U.S. energy policy-making since the New Deal, Stagliano presents a case study against which can be assessed the newly released energy policy of the Bush Administration."--Jacket.

This Report presents a compilation of what the American people themselves had to say about problems, prospects, and preferences in energy. The Report draws on the National Energy Strategy public hearing record and accompanying documents. In all, 379 witnesses appeared at the hearings to exchange views with the Secretary, Deputy Secretary, and Deputy Under Secretary of Energy, and Cabinet officers of other Federal agencies. Written submissions came from more than 1,000 individuals and organizations. Transcripts of the oral testimony and question-and-answer (Q-and-A) sessions, as well as prepared statements submitted for the record and all other written submissions, form the basis for this compilation. Citations of these sources in this document use a system of identifying symbols explained below and in the accompanying box. The Report is organized into four general subject areas concerning: (1) efficiency in energy use, (2) the various forms of energy supply, (3) energy and the environment, and (4) the underlying foundations of science, education, and technology transfer. Each of these, in turn, is subdivided into sections addressing specific topics -- such as (in the case of energy efficiency) energy use in the transportation, residential, commercial, and industrial sectors, respectively. 416 refs., 44 figs., 5 tabs.