Sullivan Advances Energy Plan
Joseph Bell, who was Communications Director for Rep. Rob Simmons from 2001-07, has temporarily replaced Andrew Powaleny as Sean Sullivan’s Communications Director (Powaleny is going to DC for an internship–in the middle of a campaign–and intends to return August 5th. I take him at his word). The difference in tone is immediately apparent:
Today Sean Sullivan, Republican congressional candidate for Connecticut’s Second District, said America needs a comprehensive energy policy that would focus on three components: Making responsible use of domestic energy sources, conservation and more expedient development of alternative sources of energy.
Sullivan said, “Yesterday the media reported that for the past six months federal regulators have been investigating the oil markets, focusing on possible abuses in the way crude oil is bought, shipped and traded. If evidence of wrongdoing is uncovered those responsible must pay the penalty. However, we still need a serious national energy policy. That must include the responsible development of domestic oil resources as well as a rededication to America’s refining capacity. We can improve our energy situation. We need the will to move forward.”
The U.S. Department of Energy reports that America’s 2 trillion barrel oil shale resource is waiting to be tapped and put to use. Shale has the same production potential as Canada’s tar sand production, which began in the 1960s. DOE reports that Canada’s tar sand production has risen to more than 1 million barrels a day “and is moving towards a near-term goal of 2.5 million barrels per day by 2017. This amount of oil is equivalent to the volume of oil currently imported by the United States from Middle East countries.”
Sullivan said, “Investing in shale development could ease our energy situation. In addition, there are things we can do individually to conserve energy. From replacing incandescent light bulbs with fluorescent bulbs to adjusting our home thermostat, we can move from being energy users to energy savers.”
Sullivan is also a proponent of increasing the use of clean energy sources, like nuclear power, which has already proven to be effective in the United States and abroad. It is critical for the federal government to work closely with facilities like the Connecticut Global Fuel Cell Center, at the University of Connecticut, to advance the research and development of fuel cells, Sullivan said.
The idea of exploiting the large shale oil reserves in the United States has some economic problems, given that it’s expensive to extract and requires specialist equipment. It’s workable, but only as long as oil prices remain relatively high–otherwise, prices wouldn’t cover the high cost of production. However, it’s an intriguing idea–and given that oil prices look likely to remain relatively high for the foreseeable future, one worth exploring. You should check out this fascinating article from this week’s Economist to get a clearer view of oil prices and the oil market. It is, in a word, complicated.
I agree with Sullivan that we need to explore nuclear power, although whether it’s a “clean” technology is up for debate. Fuel cells are worth researching as well. Also, the point that we can do individual things to conserve energy is a good one (although it sounds a little like Rell’s “One Thing” plan), and brings to mind something I’ve been hearing a lot of lately–the best way to save money on energy is to use less of it.
I’d like to see Sullivan flesh out this plan a little. There is nothing here, for instance, about renewable energy sources like solar and wind, and I’d like Sullivan to address how a nuclear-shy state like Connecticut might actually go about getting plants built before 2030. There is also little here about helping consumers with the current round of high fuel costs, or getting cars off the road by building a usable and efficient public transportation network.
Still, the change in tone from attacking Joe Courtney with dubious charges to presenting policy goals is refreshing. I’m looking forward to seeing Sullivan’s further ideas on energy in the future.