Some of What the U.S. Department of Energy Needs to Address
Now that the mid-term elections are finally over, one of our top priorities is to fix some of the major issues at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).
Very few of the needed changes in the DOE have been made over the last 2± years (especially as compared to what’s happened at the EPA) — and we are running out of time! I’ve listed some issues that need to be addressed below.
I’m writing this for two reasons:
1) If you have any additions or deletions to my list, please let me know by leaving a comment,
2) If you have any DOE connections that can help get some of these implemented, please advise, ASAP.
The mission of DOE should be carefully reviewed and updated.
- Change the national energy slogan to: “All of the Sensible”.
- Require that all energy policies be genuinely Science-based.
- Reduce the reliance on computer models.
- Terminate special renewable energy subsidies (e.g. PTC and ITC).
- End grid rules that give wind and solar preferential treatment.
- Cancel the “Clean Power Plan”.
- Fundamentally change (or eliminate) NREL and Berkeley Lab.
- EIA do a much better job providing the cost of intermittent sources.
- Constrain FERC’s unscientific bias towards renewables.
- Substantially revise BOEM’s (DOI) Renewable Energy mandate.
- See that military has better protections from turbines (in the NDAA).
- Officially oppose all ethanol subsidies and favoritism.
- Approve the Keystone XL pipeline (with appropriate protections).
- Go on record to oppose any Social Cost of Carbon implementation.
These are specifically about nuclear:
- Work towards US nuclear plants being able to use reprocessed fuel.
- Approve Yucca Mountain as an acceptable repository for used nuclear fuel.
- Fast-track Thorium (LFTR) and Small Modular reactors as energy sources
(Note: most of these are consistent with EO13777)
Thank you for your interest in this matter. Please pass it on to other interested parties.
Man makes nuclear waste, he should be able to take it apart and use the materials for other uses, but he won’t do it because there is no money in it, same goes for wind and solar and dams, which are the way to go.