In their agenda, the administration lays out their plan in detail about what role they believe alternative energy sources should play in addressing major issues facing the American people as well as the rest of the world.  They believe that investing $150 billion dollars over the next ten years in alternative energy will help to strengthen our national security by reducing our dependance on foreign oil from hostile countries, help the environment by cutting down on greenhouse gases and carbon emissions while stimulating the economy through the creation of green jobs.  This makes research and understanding of alternative energy a crucial element in steering America back towards prosperity.  We must understand the argument from all sides in order to see whether it can truly deliver with regards to these issues.

The alternative energy debate first came to the forefront in the 1970s which was the first time that there was a supposed oil shortage causing gas prices to rise dramatically.  Since then, the government has put it on the back burner until gas prices rose again to over $4.00 a gallon in the summer of 2008.  Although this has hurt many consumers and businesses who rely on oil to fuel their transportation needs, it was a much needed wake-up call for the average American to show that something needs to be done to combat this problem.  This new-found awareness gave the Obama administration a platform to push their agenda to build towards a more energy efficient future.  Still the question remains, is government investment the right way to promote the use of alternative energy or should we let the free market decide which energy source is the most economically viable?  Also, if government investment is the answer, this money must be spent wisely.   In this time of bank collapses, bailouts and bancruptcy we must find the most cost effective solution to our constantly-growing energy needs. 

First I must define what I mean by alternative energy, when I say this I am refering to any form of energy other than oil and gasoline so this includes natural gas and nuclear energy as well as renewable energy sources.  In doing research about the topic of alternative energy, my main focus was from the economic perspective because, while the environment and national security are important issues, they become less important if helping these causes weakens an already fragile economic infrastructure.  In the end, the green that people care most about is the green in their wallets.

My research on the topic of alternative energy lead me to see that this is not a cut and dry issue.  There are many obstacles that must be addressed in order for alternative energy to thrive such as the high initial costs that come from parts and installation of alternative energy technologies and the storage and intigration of these forms of energy into the existing power grid.  Alternative energy also comes in many different forms from renewable sources such as solar, wind and geo-thermal to coal, natural gas and nuclear.  Of these sources I will focus on the three that I feel are the most efficient and abundant options to promote job growth as well as keep up with the world’s energy needs.  I will make an argument for the promotion of solar, wind and natural gas as well as address the obstacles that are currently keeping them from being able to compete directly with oil and gasoline in an open-market. 

One of the priorities outlined in the Obama administration’s energy agenda is the creation of the Alaska natural gas pipeline.  While natural gas is a finite resource, it is a much more clean and efficiet form of energy according to academic studies and government officials.  This makes it a viable option for short-term use in order to cut back on oil imports while waiting for sources such as solar and wind to become more stable and cost effective.  The Alaska pipeline could also be a very effective tool for economic growth.  According to the Alaska Department of Revenue, the pipeline could provide between $400 million and $1 billion in revenue per year for the next 60 years while oiljobs411.com estimates it will create approximately 50,000 long-term jobs.  The estimated cost is $20 billion dollars, but major oil companies such as ConocoPhillips and Exxon Mobile are footing most of the bill.  This project would increase natural gas production by almost 1,000 times which may drive the price down and make it economically competitive with electric energy generated by oil as a way to supply homes and businesses with all their energy needs .  However, there are some who question the demand for the natural gas that will be provided by the pipeline.  An article from The Anchorage Daily News quotes an investigation done by Fairbanks residents that concludes that the lower 48 states already have an abundant supply of  “unconventional” gas sources.  Even with this in mind, some utility companies are investing in credits that allow people to convert their homes to natural gas which would increase demand.  Another benefit is that the gas resevior is on American soil so it is ours.  We can take advantage of it in the short term in order to keep money in America that would have otherwise been spent on foreign oil.     

The pipeline is only the first step in saving the economy and moving towards energy independance.  We have to keep in mind that it is a finite resource and not allow ourselves to become too dependant upon it.  We must only use it in the short term as a way to keep oil  prices down as we wean ourselves off of foreign oil and move towards innovations in solar and wind technologies.  These technologies are the future, but we must be realistic about them.  There are still some issues that need to be addressed.  Wind farms take up a lot of space, they are noisy and people don’t want them in their backyards.  There is an infinite supply, but there are only certain areas that have enough wind to be effective.  We must create new technologies to store and transmit the energy created by these farms because they are most effective when built in rural locations, yet they are most needed in urban areas.  This is where the government must invest in order to promote wind power, but I would argue that government incentives and tax credits for wind power should be mostly catered to the urban midwest and rural farming in the rest of the country.  Utility companies could also promote individual farmers to convert to wind power by buying the excess electricity generated by these urban farmers and selling it to their customers.  This has already been proven to be effective in Germany, one of the leaders in wind power.

What I believe to be the most cost effective and efficient power source for future energy needs is solar power.  The promotion and production of solar energy technologies should be made a priority.  Through my research I have found that there are huge leaps being made in solar technology.  These innovations have been made with very little government funding.  Also, I have found that many large corporations are investing in solar energy technologies including many utility companies and even many oil companies.  This shows that these companies see that there is a future profit to be made from solar technologies.  Bright Source Energy is just one example of an innovative company that is moving solar technology forward.  Among its investor are Google, Chevron and BP.  These are all companies that have an eye toward the future and  have a history of making smart business decisions.  The investment in companies such as these could create a whole new manufacturing industry in America.  A senior research associate from the largest solar energy research lab in America told me about a law that he helped get passed in Oregon that requires all buildings that are built in Oregon to put 1.5% of their overall building budget toward solar technology.  This has created a solar manufacturing market in Oregon that is growing.  It also has forced contractors to explore the benefits of solar technology.  Laws such as this could be used throughout the country as a first step toward making solar technology competitive with fossil fuels in homes and businesses.  However, the technology is not yet where it needs to be.  Further investment is needed in order to store and transmit solar energy more efficiently so that it does not have to rely on conventional electricity to back it up at night and on cloudy and overcast days.  If this problem is solved, solar power could make huge gains in demand creating a market for solar manufacturing goods and installers. With government incentives to keep these factories in America, we could have an energy source with an infinite supply that will meet domestic energy needs as well as give us a much needed export that has a constantly increasing demand.

Investing in companies that are creating solar and wind technologies now could make us a world leader in energy production.  Instead of getting most of our energy from overseas we can keep that money in America and avoid doing business with hostile countries while helping the environment and strengthening our economic infrastructure.  However, there are still some issues that will need to be addressed as we move into the future.  One of these issues is, the possibility that oil prices may skyrocket when faced with decreased demand.  This will anger consumers, but it is a neccessary step in order to move toward a renewable energy future.  Another issue is the transmission of energy over state lines that may arise from solar and wind farms.  The federal government will need to address this problem soon or it may hinder growth and make investment decline.

Some critics argue that the government should not get involved in the promotion of alternative energy.  They believe that government involvement could increase energy prices over what they would have otherwise been in a free market.  This is a legitimate argument, but oil is a finite resource which could lead to huge problems in the future if it ran out and there was no alternatives available.  In almost all cases, in economic terms, competition is good for the consumer.  It keeps prices down and allows the consumer to have a choice.  In the current market there is not much choice giving organizations like OPEC the ability to dicitate their own price. 

In conclusion, the answer to the above question is yes, now is the time to invest in alternative energy, but we must do it wisely.  We must invest in technologies that allow us to harness and transmit the power created from our most abundant resources; the sun and wind.  Investing big now could be a huge tool for future growth.  If we become a leader in these types of technologies, other countries will come to us to help satisfy their energy needs boosting our economy and making us a leader in innovation once again which is the foundation of a healthy economy.   

 Sources:

• Source 30: Interview with a renewable energy specialist
• Source 29: Green jobs in Michigan
• Source 28: Solar Radiation Monitoring Lab (interview)
• Source 27: Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline ad
• Source 26: Obama’s real challenge with alternative energy
• Source 25: New solar technology
• Source 24: T. Boone Pickens’ plan
• Source 23: alternative energy for low-income housing grants (interview)
• Source 22: graph of US oil imports
• Source 21: Possible routes for Alaska natural gas pipeline
• Source 20: Image of Masdar City
• Source 19: Image of solar power
• Source 18: Image of wind power
• Source 17: Masdar City: The world’s first renewable energy city
• Source 16: Energy Issues and Energy Priorities
• Source 15: Does it make sense to call on wind power?
• Source 14: Drilling rigs to renewables
• Source 13: comparing conventional energy output with alternative energy
• Source 12: Questioning the demand for the Alaska natural gas pipeline
• Source 11: Alaska natural gas pipeline jobs
• Source 10: West Butte wind project
• Source 9: Renewable energy financial forecast
• Source 8: Will Green Energy Wilt from Lack of Funds?
• Source 7: Should the government foot the bill?
• Source 6: Renewable energy and job creation act
• Source 5: An oil company perspective
• Source 4: Alaska natural gas pipeline
• Sources Notes 3: Exploring solar energy
• Source Notes 2: Exploration of wind power
• Source Notes 1: The Agenda

Summary:

This is an interview conducted by me with a renewable energy specialist from the Oregon Department of Agriculture who promotes business investment in renewable energy tax credits.

Topic:

Should the Obama administration allocate large amounts of money ($150 billion) in this time of economic crisis to alternative energy sources?

Category:

Citizen- expert

What is it?

It is a phone interview conducted by me with an employee of the ODA who works in Portland, OR.

Author:

Joey Jackson and Stephanie Page

Support:

Oregon Department of Energy

Oregon Department of Agriculture

business energy tax credit

study done by Eco Northwest

Stephanie Page

Stephanie Page uses statistics and other information from studies and government documents provided by the first two sources.  The business energy tax credit is a piece of legislation that is referenced to show the percentages that the companies can save on taxes.  The study done by Eco Northwest shows the impact of the tax incentives on Oregon businesses.

Audience and Agenda:

Stephanie Page is a Renewable Energy Specialist who works for the Oregon Department of Agriculture which is a part of the Oregon Department of Energy.  She has worked for the Oregon Department of Agriculture for nine years.  The goal of her work is to fund renewable energy and to promote energy efficiency outreach to agriculture producers.  She also promotes investment by businesses in tax credits given to renewable energy companies.  The ODA and ODE are funded by state and federal tax dollars.

Usefulness:

This interview provides insight into the types of incentives that are available to companies that are willing to invest in alternative energy sources.  The information provided by Stephanie Page shows the benefits to local businesses who invest in alternative energy such as the money saved on energy costs by making their companies more energy efficient.  Iit can also be used as a marketing tool to show that the company is environmentally conscious.  Companies can get a 50% tax credit for renewable energy projects, 35% for energy efficiency and a 30% federal tax credit for solar electric invesment.  These credits show that there are significant incentives provided by the government for alternative energy investment.  These incentives could lead to the promotion of new manufacturing markets in Oregon for alternative energy products by combating some of the high initial costs that come with parts and installation of these products making them a cost effective tool for companies to become more energy efficient and energy independant.  This could also encourage these companies to invest in future alternative energy technologies as the market continues to grow.  This applies to my question in that it shows the positive effects that government investment in alternative energy can have on local businesses which could lead to economic growth in the future.

Works Cited:

About ODA:

http://www.oregon.gov/ODA/about_us.shtml

About Oregon Department of Energy:

http://www.oregon.gov/ENERGY/about_us.shtml

About incentives provided by Oregon Department of Energy:

http://www.oregon.gov/ENERGY/CONS/BUS/BETC.shtml

http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/wip/block_grants.cfm

About Federal stimulus bill from Oregon Department of Energy:

http://www.energy.gov/recovery/index.htm

Summary:

This video news story gives an example of how a solar company is helping the economy by bringing new jobs to Michigan.

Topic:

Should the Obama administration allocate large amounts of money ($150 billion) in this time of economic crisis to alternative energy sources?

Category:

Journalistic- mainstream

What is it?

It is a video news story found on youtube.com of a report done for NBC Nightly News.

Author:

Anne Thompson

Accessed:

3/5/09

Support:

Mark Morelli, United Solar Ovonic CEO

Jennifer Granholm, Michigan governor

Anne Thompson, reporter

These sources represent the CEO of United Solar Ovonic who talks about what his company manufactures and what the benefits of their products are, the governor of Michigan who explains how bringing green businesses into Michigan is helping the state rebuild after the economic issues of the auto industry, and the reporter who brings the story together and gives it an angle.

Audience and Agenda:

NBC Nightly News is a nightly television news program.  It is the number one national nightly news program.  It averages around 9.5 million viewers per broadcast.  The NBC network is owned by NBC Universal which is a unit of General Electric.  GE is a publically traded company.  The station makes its money from television advertising and public investment.  NBC.com gets about 12.8 million hits per month.  It is a national news company so it caters to a broad audience from all walks of life.  This video has 547 hits on youtube.com.

Usefulness:

This video gives an example of how green jobs can be used to stimulate the economy.  While other companies are cutting back their workforce, the company in this story is expanding.  This shows that these companies can be an ecnomically viable option in the future.  This story tells how these workers are being trained and how working for this company benefits them.  It also speaks about how this company is keeping jobs in the US and manufacturing a product that is being exported to foreign markets.  80% of the products produced at the plant are exported.  The rest of the world’s demand for these products could give the US a product made domestically that has a huge margin for growth.  Investing in companies such as these could bring states like Michigan a much needed boost to their economic infrastructure.  However, this story does not say how many other companies there are like the one in this story.  This could be an unique case, but it does stand as an example of a company that could be a model for other green companies in the future.

About NBC:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NBC

http://www.quantcast.com/nbc.com

About NBC Nightly News:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/02/18/nbc-nightly-news-with-bri_n_168000.html

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032619/

About United Solar Ovonic:

http://www.uni-solar.com/interior.asp?id=113

Summary:

This is an interview conducted by me with an expert in the field of solar technology about the advances being made in the field and the possible impacts that they may have on the future of solar energy as it seeks to become a more prominent solution in the search to solve our growing energy and economic issues. 

Topic:

Should the Obama administration allocate large amounts of money ($150 billion) in this time of economic crisis to alternative energy sources?

Category:

Citizen- expert

What is it?

This was an interview conducted by me with Frank Vignola, a solar technology expert at the University of Oregon.

Author:

Joey Jackson

Support:

Solar Radiation Monitoring Lab database

Frank Vignola

Support Network for Research and Innovationin Solar Energy (SuNRISE)

recent academic studies

Student thesis paper on direct solar radiation increase

Frank Vignola is the senior research associate for the Solar Radiation Monitoring Lab.  He is also part of SuNRISE.  He used statistics from his and his colleagues research that can be found in the Solar Radiation Monitoring Lab’s database.  He also used information gained from his membership in  SuNRISE.  He quoted a former student’s thesis paper that used data from the lab’s database about a 5% yearly increase in direct solar radiation.

Audience and Agenda:

The Solar Radiation Monitoring Lab was established in 1975.  It is the largest solar information database in America.  It is funded by investments from local utility companies such as EWEB, EPUD, and BPA.  They have also just recently applied for government grants.  The database is meant to educate people and provide statistical analysis to companies in order to promote the use of solar energy technologies.  It also creates tools to facilitate the use of solar radiation data.  The database is accessed more than 780 times a day from 146 countries.  SuNRISE is a shared instrumentation facility open to industrial and academic clients on a fee-for-use basis.  It is a network of experts in the solar field who share their research with each other in order to more effectively advance the innovation of solar energy technologies.  Professor Vignola is a member of both of these groups and he is also a physics professor at the University of Oregon.  He has been working with the lab since 1977 and is its senior research associate.

Usefulness:

The information gained from this interview is a compilation of the most expansive database of knowledge about solar radiation research and technologies available in the US.  Professor Vignola’s knowledge of solar energy has helped to promote legislation that requires every building built in Oregon to dedicate 1.5% of its overall budget to solar energy products.  This legislation is a huge step for the promotion of solar energy in that it will require builders to investigate solar energy technologies. This creates a local market in Oregon for solar companies to thrive.  The reserearch being done at SuNRISE and the Solar Radiation Monitoring Lab could lead the way in solving some of the issues that are facing solar energy as it seeks to become a viable economic alternative to fossil fuels.  The lab could be instrumental in solving the some of the problems that have hindered solar energy such as its integration into existing energy grids and  storage to combat fluctuations in the supply.  This could lead to a growth in the use of solar power for large scale energy use in the future which would create jobs and strengthen a weakened economic infastructure.  The government could encourage these companies to manufacture their products in America through tax incentives and investment which would give America a viable export for the rest of the world’s growing energy needs.  Professor Vignola addressed solar energy from all angles and backed it with sufficient data that came directly from cutting edge research.  This interview is a great indicator of all facets of the solar energy puzzle and it provides an insight into what role solar energy may play in the world’s future energy needs.  It comes from the perspective of someone who has been doing research in the field since very early on and shows, with the right type of investment, solar energy could have a bright future.

Works Cited:

About Solar Radiation Monitoring Lab and Frank Vignola:

http://solardat.uoregon.edu/FV.html

More about Vignola:

http://pmr.uoregon.edu/science-and-innovation/technology-transfer-innovation/technology-transfer-archives/tech-transfer-innovation-2007/vignola-honored-for-his-push-to-put-solar-energy-into-public-buildings

http://www.uoregon.edu/~uocomm/newsreleases/latest/aug97/T080597.html

Summary:

This is an advertisement created by ConocoPhillips to promote their proposal for the Alaska natural gas pipeline project.

Topic:

Should the Obama administration allocate large amounts of money ($150 billion) in this time of economic crisis to alternative energy sources?

Category:

Institution- business

What is it?

It is an advertisement made by the energy company ConocoPhillips that was found on youtube.com

Author:

ConocoPhillips

Accessed:

3/4/09

Support:

ConocoPhillips pipeline plan

This is an advertisement made by ConocoPhillips.  The information in the video is used to support the natural gas pipeline plan proposed by the company.  No further sources are stated.

Audience and Agenda:

ConocoPhillips is an internationally integrated energy company.  It is the fifth largest energy corporation.  It has an annual revenue or $188.52 billion.  It makes the majority of its revenue from oil and natural gas holdings.  It employs approximately 32,000 people worldwide.  This ad has 776 hits on Youtube.com.

Usefulness:

This advertisement makes the case for the gas line proposal made by ConocoPhillips for the natural gas reserves in Alaska.  It makes the claim that the proposal will create jobs and benefit the economy.   This is a good resource to see the argument that is being made in favor of the ConocoPhillips proposal.  However, it leaves out any information about competing proposals and the benefits and drawbacks of such proposals.  Advertisements are always good indicators of the angle that is being taken to persuade an audience in a certain direction.  They are usually one sided, but at least it is usually easy to tell what side they are on.

Works Cited:

About ConocoPhillips:

http://www.conocophillips.com/about/index.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ConocoPhillips

ConocoPhillips proposal:

http://www.angda.state.ak.us/DOCS/ConocoPhillips%20Presentation.pdf

http://www.denalipipeline.com/

Summary:

This is a video news story that addresses some complicated issues that must be addressed in order for the Obama Administration to move forward with its alternative energy agenda.

Topic:

Should the Obama administration allocate large amounts of money ($150 billion) in this time of economic crisis to alternative energy sources?

Category:

Journalistic- mainstream

What is it?

This is a video news story produced by MarketWatch.com that was found on a blog from a website that brings together renewable energy blogs.

Author:

The author of blog is Ray the Money Man.

Support:

Severin Borenstein, Director, University of California Energy Institute

Stacy Delo, reporter

Severin Borenstein represents an energy researcher who expresses the issues that may hinder the Obama administration’s agenda on alternative energy.  He also gives his opinion on how to address some of these issues.  Stacy Delo is the reporter who put the story together.

Audience and Agenda:

Renewable Energy TV is a website that brings together videos from various locations that touch on the subject of alternative energy.  It is a part of blogcatalog.com.  Blogcatalog.com is a website that allows anyone to start a blog.  The website gets approximately 9 million hits a month from all around the world.  It is funded by advertising revenue.  The video is produced by MarketWatch.com which is a website that gives investment advise.  This website gets 1.8 million hits per month.  It is published by Dow Jones & Co. and is funded by advertising and other private investors.  It was once a publically traded company. 

Usefulness:

This video makes the argument that falling energy costs make it harder get public support for the implementation of policies to promote alternative energy.  It also raises other issues such as the difficulty in identifying jurisdiction for the tranmission of energy over state lines.  The story raises these questions and provides possible solutions.  This source is helpful for identifying these problems which is the first step to addressing them.  The argument that lower oil prices are a bad thing for the promotion of alternative energy is an issue that the average person may overlook.  This shows that in order for the Obama administration’s energy plan to be fully effective it is required that there be a minimum gas price implemented which may upset a lot of people.  This story makes the argument that now may not be the time for this, but it may be the only way to create sufficient demand for alternative energy sources.

Works Cited:

About blogcatelog.com

http://www.quantcast.com/blogcatalog.com#business

http://www.blogcatalog.com/

About MarketWatch.com

http://www.quantcast.com/marketwatch.com

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MarketWatch

http://www.marketwatch.com/companyinfo/

Summary:

This is a video that gives a detailed description of a new technology created by a company called Bright Source Energy that can harness solar energy in what the company believes is a more cost effective way than conventional solar devices. 

Topic:

Should the Obama administration allocate large amounts of money ($150 billion) in this time of economic crisis to alternative energy sources?

Category:

Institution- business

What is it?

This is a multimedia video that advertises a new solar technology.

Author:

Bright Source Energy

Accessed:

3/2/09

Support:

Bright Source Energy

The video displays how a new technology developed by Bright Source Energy works.  It also has graphs with statistical data that shows the energy that is expected to be generated by upcoming projects using this technology, however; it does not state a source for them.

Audience and Agenda:

This video was found on alternative-energy-news.info which is a website that brings together stories from all sorts of other sources about new alternative energy technologies.  The website is accessed by approximately 48,000 people per month.  Bright Source Energy is a company that builds large scale solar plants.  It is a privately owned company with many large investors including Google, BP and Chevron.  The video has 4,049 hits on youtube.com.  Bright Source is located in Oakland, California.

Usefulness:

This video is an example of a new technology that could possibly make solar power an economically viable alternative to fossil fuels.  It shows that these new technologies are constantly evolving and, with the right amount of investment, will continue to grow.  It gives statistical data about the amount of power that some of the projects on the horizon for the company will generate using this new technology.  The fact that so many big named companies are investing in this project tells us that there must have been some research done.  This source is very detailed about the process of how the energy is created and the visual element helps to make it that much more accessible.  It is easy to see that this technology is a whole new way of looking at capturing the true potential of solar energy.  One problem that it does not addressed  is how to incorperate these solar power plants into the existing energy grid.  This will need to be addressed in the future if the company expects to follow through on its plan to power 25% of California.  It also does not address the problem of how it will store the energy for nightime use and cloudy or overcast days.

Works Cited:

About alternative-energy-news.info:

http://www.quantcast.com/alternative-energy-news.info

About Bright Source Energy:

http://www.brightsourceenergy.com/about.htm

The video on youtube.com

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0phPIzY7DPA&eurl=http://www.alternative-energy-news.info/

Summary:

This is a multimedia video in which former oil man T. Boone Pickens explains his energy plan to get America off of its foreign oil addiction.

Topic:

Should the Obama administration allocate large amounts of money ($150 billion) in this time of economic crisis to alternative energy sources?

Category:

citizen- expert

What is it?

This is a multimedia video from pickensplan.com.

Author:

T. Boone Pickens

Accessed:

3/2/09

Support:

T. Boone Pickens

3Tier

US Department of Energy

T. Boone Pickens is the author of the plan.  He uses a map by 3tier to illustrate the abundance of wind power in the midwestern part of the US and gets most of his statistics from the Department of Energy.  There are some statistics that he does not state a source for.  Pickens takes the numbers from whatever source it may be and manipulates them to make his case.

Audience and Agenda:

T. Boone Pickens is a former oil man.  He owns BP capital management, an energy investment firm, and Mesa Petroleum, an oil and natural gas company.  He is promoting his plan to get the United States out of its addiction to foreign oil.  The video has 79,079 views on Youtube.com.  Pickensplan.com gets 138,000 hits globally each month.  It is funded by money from Pickens’ business ventures.

Usefulness:

This video lays out a concrete plan to reduce America’s dependance on foreign oil through alternative energy sources.  The video gives concrete numbers on how much money could be saved by reducing oil imports.  It also shows that our dependance is growing.  The US now imports almost 70% of its oil.  It outlines the resources that are available to the US that could allow it to combat these problems.  The plan focuses mostly on wind and natural gas.  There are many charts and graphs used to make this a very simple concept to understand.  This is an extemely good example of a concrete plan that is laid out and backed by solid numbers by someone who is knowledgable on the subject of making money through energy investment.  However, it leaves out the amount that will need to be invested in the plan in order for it to work.  If this plan is able to be implemented and works the way it is intended, it could save a lot of money for investment in America’s economic infastructure.

Works Cited:

About Pickensplan.com:

http://www.quantcast.com/pickensplan.com#summary

http://www.pickensplan.com/about/

About Pickens’ companies:

https://www.bpcap.net/default.asp

http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/MM/dom4.html

Summary: 

This was an interview conducted by me with an employee of the Housing Authority of Jackson County who gives loans to low-income households to repair their homes and make them more energy efficient.

Topic:

Should the Obama administration allocate large amounts of money ($150 billion) in this time of economic crisis to alternative energy sources?

Category:

Citizen- stakeholder

What is it?

It is a fromal interview conducted by me (Joey Jackson) with an Oregon government employee.

Author:

Joey Jackson

Support:

Jeff Jackson, housing rehabilitation specialist

US Department of Housing and Urban Developement (HUD)

OHCS conference on alternative energy options for low-income households

Legislative concept for Low-income funding for energy efficiency (L.I.F.E.)

Jeff Jackson is the source being interviewed about the effectiveness of alternative energy policies with regards to his work providing government grants for low-income households.  He uses documentation from the other sources to provide statistical and other factual evidence for the claims that he makes.

Audience and Agenda:

Mr. Jackson works for the Housing Authority of Jackson County which gets its funding through grants from the state of Oregon and the city of Medford.  This year he applied for $400,000 from the state and $200,000 from the city for the program.  The program also gets money from the sale of homes that have been improved by the program, but this is not a steady source of revenue.  The loans that are given are zero-interest loans.  The purpose of the program is to provide energy efficiency upgrades to people’s homes who could not otherwise afford it.  They have recently been looking more and more into the use of alternative energy sources as a way to get the most out of their investments.

Usefulness:

The program that Mr. Jackson is invovled in is a good indicator of the future of government investment in the use of alternative energy sources.  This program is using the most cost effective technologies to help people make their homes as energy efficient as possible.  This is proof that the government is truly investing in alternative energy technologies.  By starting with the people who are the most in need of cost saving strategies for their home energy uses, this program shows that the alternative energy technologies used are indeed a solid investment for future energy needs.  One of the main alternative energy technologies being used by the program is solar water heaters which are being used in multiple housing units and have been shown to incure no cost to the homeowner over the course of the year.  However, they are a more expensive initial investment for parts and installation than conventional water heaters.  To combat this, the government is giving $2,000- $3,000 tax incentives for homeowners to install these water heaters in their homes.  They also give incentives to convert from electricity to natural gas because it has been found that natural gas is a much more efficient heating source.  Overall, the goal of this program is to start the journey towards a more energy efficient future and by  looking at what technologies programs such as these are looking into, we can begin to see where the road to our future energy needs is leading us.  This source also provides information about what local governments are doing with regards to alternative energy investment.

About HUD:

http://www.hud.gov/

About housing authority of Jackson County:

http://www.hajc.net/about.asp

Summary:

This is a graph of the top 10 countries that the US imports its oil from and the percentages that each country makes up with regards to the overall oil imports for the US.

Topic:

Should the Obama administration allocate large amounts of money ($150 billion) in this time of economic crisis to alternative energy sources?

Category:

Institution- government chart

What is it?

This is a chart that shows the amount of oil imported by the US from the top 10 countries that it gets its oil from.  The chart was found on dollardaze.org, but the chart is from the Energy Information Administration.

Author:

EnergyInformation Administration

accessed:

2/26/09

Support:

This is a graph compiled by the Energy Information Administration.  In it we can see the top 10 countries that the US imports its oil from.  From the chart we can see that Canada is the number one country with Mexico and Saudi Arabia in second and third.  It also shows the percentage that each country makes up of the US’s overall oil imports.

Audience and Agenda:

The EIA is a US government organization that provides statistics that were compiled by the United States government about all issues pertaining to energy.  EIA.doe.gov gets approximately 409, 000 hits per month.  The administration is a government institution so it is funded by tax payers through the Department of Energy. 

Usefulness:

This chart shows the percentages that each of the countries make up of the overall imports of foreign oil to the US.  It can be used to show that most of the main countries that the US imports oil from are not hostile countries.  From this chart we can see that of the top five countries that the US gets its oil from only two are hostile countries making up only about 20% of overall imports.  This could make the argument that it could be quite realistic to cut these countries out as trading partners by increasing the use of alternative energy sources or increasing production of domestic oil.  It also makes the case that the US is not supporting its enemies as much as the general public might think through the import of oil from hostile countries.  This makes the national security argument in favor of alternative energy sources a very revelvant one in that the goal to stop importing oil from hostile countries could be reached quicker than perhaps otherwise thought with increased government investment in alternative energy sources.  The money that alternative energy could save from being exported overseas to hostile countries could be used to pay for the initial investment that the government made in alternative energy.  In essence it could pay for itself.  This would also keep the money free to be invested in the US economy through the promotion of manufacturing alternative energy products.

Works Cited:

EIA.doe.gov demographics:

http://www.quantcast.com/eia.doe.gov#

Official website of EIA:

http://www.eia.doe.gov/