What is your energy policy?

[sweetheart]

Congratulations! You are now president of the United States.
A cosmic wormhole has changed time/space, and you are now the new
president elect in 2005. Because you are a totally intense hustler,
your energy policy board is sitting in a meeting 1 day later to
hear from you. There, you lay it on the line.

In the room in front of you is every major energy corporation
president, oil, nuclear, russian, american, saudi arabian, french
german and british. Every single one of them is there in a huge
theatre of videoconference-committee. Every major environmental
organization is there. The whole world's microphones are tuned in,
and you are about to explain the basis of your energy policy during
your presidency.

What are you going to say?

[styersc]

1. A National "NASA-like" program to develop alternative energies.

In the mean time conservation policies that encourage Americans to save energy, use fuel efficient technologies and public transportation as a matter of pattriotism.

[sweetheart]

2. Are you serious about "altrnative energes"?

your audience is rather offput by your refusal to accept in your
speech of the fact that *THEY* are supplying 100% of your energy
needs today and tomorrow. Why weren't they asked? What the heck
do *YOU* know that they don't know better?

What about SUV's? Are you going to impose a gasoline tax?

What about nuclear power plants? Are you going to build more?

What about the existing nuclear plants? What are you going to do?

How about the TVA? (tennessee)?

Are your going to do this throught tax breaks?

The energy policy is gonna make or break your administration... !

[brokensymmetry]

3. Interesting.

I think the first goal would be to institute a series of tax credits for using solar power - probably up to $20,000 per year, per person (so a couple could get up to $40,000 per year).

Corporations would get substantial tax credits for switching to solar. There would also be an additional $10 Billion per year in research grants for alternative energy.

I'd streamline the regulations for nuclear power plants. Yes, I realize that nuclear waste is a problem, but it would buy time. A switch to coal and other fossil fuels would be a disaster.

To pay for this, I'd increase the taxes on gasoline - by about $1.00 per gallon. A series of tax credits would be used to soften the blow on the poor.

I'd also use tax policy to encourage rail travel, since it's somewhat more energy efficient than air and truck transport.

Tax benefits for SUV buyers would end. Tax benefits for purchasers of smaller, more energy efficient vehicles would be instituted.

That ought to be enough to get me denounced by the pugs! :7

[DrWeird]

4. Cut boondoggle defense programs...

build massive wind farms. Put people to work building and maintaining said wind farms.