WriteRep Responses

November 3, 2006

Thank you for taking the time to contact me in support of
renewable energy.  I appreciated reading your comments and
would like to take a moment to share my thoughts.

I support an energy plan that focuses on the long term energy
needs of our country.  A balanced plan takes into account our
dependency on fossil fuels, while also recognizing our country's
limited supply of these fossil fuels.  We need to harness the
technologies of the future, make our current energy use far more
efficient, and develop new, cleaner sources of energy.

Our country consumes 25 percent of the world's oil even though
we only have 3 percent of the world's oil reserves.  It is clear we
will never become independent of foreign oil sources, and the only
way we can lessen the effect the international price of oil has on
our country is to reduce our consumption of oil by improved
efficiency and development of alternative energy sources.  
Reducing our consumption of oil will also benefit the environment
and public health.

However, I recognize that moving toward greater energy
independence cannot happen overnight. In light of this fact, we
need to invest in two major forms of technology.  First, we need to
invest in technology that allows for more efficient use of fossil
fuels, such as increasing fuel efficiency standards for vehicles and
converting single cycle gas turbines to combined heat and gas
turbines.  Second, we need to further develop alternative energy
technologies that will meet our long term energy needs, such as
wind, solar, biomass, geothermal, and fuel cells.

We have made great strides in the past 100 years in developing
numerous technologies, including the car and the computer.  Those
accomplishments show the potential we have to harness the
technologies of the future to further build the economy.  We should
work towards making the United States a net exporter of energy
rather than a net importer within our children's lifetime.  It is not
unrealistic that with new energy sources such as solar panels, fuel
cells, and geothermal under development, our country could one
day serve as the largest energy provider to the world.  We would
fulfill not only our own energy needs, but have other countries rely
on us to fulfill theirs, a complete reversal from the present situation
we find ourselves in.

In light of the tragic events of September 11, 2001, I believe it is
even more important to invest in alternative energy resources.  We
are far too dependent on foreign oil and we lack the oil resources
necessary to satisfy our energy needs.  This is why we should
make the commitment to developing more efficient vehicles and
buildings, and developing alternative energy sources.

Thank you again for taking the time to share your thoughts with
me.  As I continue to work on this process, please feel free to
contact me with your comments and concerns.

Sincerely,

Adam Smith
Member of Congress