PE Journal

Proclamation on Energy

NSPE is one of 21 engineering societies that have joined together to issue a proclamation to the Obama administration and the U.S. Congress, outlining critical national energy goals that need to be met. Included in the proclamation are calls for:

• A balanced national energy portfolio that combines traditional energy sources with renewable energy sources such as wind, geothermal, solar and biomass to support reliable, abundant, and economically viable energy for the future of the nation;
• Policy objectives that encourage energy conservation, reward energy efficiency, and foster energy breakthroughs, like electric vehicles; and
• A robust and modernized electric transmission system.

The Obama administration has recently issued its own solutions to address our current and future energy needs, but will they work and will their stated goals be met? President Obama has highlighted the need for a better energy plan for our future and now is the time for us to act.

This proclamation is a good start in articulating a logical and obtainable set of goals for our energy future, but we can’t stop there. All engineers must stand up and be heard if we are to lead the way and truly achieve energy independence to secure our energy future while safeguarding our precious natural resources.

National Energy Policy: Our Next Big Goal

I had the opportunity recently to attend several symposiums on energy policy and our energy future. Discussions ranged from carbon sequestration for coal-fired power plants to renewable energy viability, the rebirth of nuclear power, energy conservation, and our dependence on cheap foreign sources of oil. As you can imagine, the views crossed the entire spectrum of thinking on how we will meet our energy needs 20 years from now and what do we do to meet the demand while addressing the obvious environmental concerns.

Two things became quite clear to me. One, we need to move toward energy independence within the next 20–30 years. This can and must be achieved through a combination of energy conservation, alternative (renewable energy sources), an increased reliance on nuclear power, and carbon sequestration so we can justify burning our abundant supply of coal for power. We also must develop a “smart electric grid” to make this all work and leverage efficiencies wherever we can find them. The important message here is that it will take all of these energy sources to achieve this goal. We cannot meet our current and future energy needs through conservation measures and renewable energy sources alone, as some have advocated; however, energy conservation should be one of our priorities as we set the goals for our energy future. We also can’t continue to rely on foreign oil. We need to tap our own sources and wean ourselves of gas guzzling, low-mileage automobiles.

Second, whether or not you believe in global warming, we all must acknowledge that we can do much better for our environment than our current practices. We can and must be more environmentally responsible with our energy consumption and what we emit to the atmosphere.

Why does it matter to you and me? We cannot achieve this goal without professional engineers. We will lead many of these initiatives to develop new and innovative ways to produce and deliver energy. Right now, we must also step outside our comfort zone and engage in the public discussion about our energy future. Our message needs to be clear and concise. “We need to achieve energy independence, it will take a commitment to advance all energy alternatives and as engineers we can deliver on this goal.”