MILWAUKEE (AP) - Saying the nation is on the verge of technological breakthroughs that would "startle" most Americans, President Bush on Monday outlined his energy proposals to help wean the country off foreign oil. Less than half the crude oil used by refineries is produced in the United States, while 60 percent comes from foreign nations, Bush said during the first stop on a two-day trip to talk about energy. Some of these foreign suppliers have "unstable" governments that have fundamental differences with America, he said. "It creates a national security issue and we're held hostage for energy by foreign nations that may not like us," Bush said. (AP) In a photo provided by Energy Conversion Devices Ovonics, technician Steve Sullivan inspects a roll... Full Image Bush is focusing on energy at a time when Americans are paying high power bills to heat their homes this winter and have only recently seen a decrease in gasoline prices. One of Bush's proposals would expand research into smaller, longer-lasting batteries for electric-gas hybrid cars, including plug-ins. He highlighted that initiative with a visit Monday to the battery center at Milwaukee-based auto-parts supplier Johnson Controls Inc. (JCI) During his trip, Bush is also focusing on a proposal to increase investment in development of clean electric power sources, and proposals to speed the development of biofuels such as "cellulosic" ethanol made from wood chips or sawgrass. Energy conservation groups and environmentalists say they're pleased that the president, a former oil man in Texas, is stressing alternative sources of energy, but they contend his proposals don't go far enough. They say the administration must consider greater fuel-efficiency standards for cars, and some economists believe it's best to increase the gas tax to force consumers to change their driving habits. During his visit to Johnson Controls' new hybrid battery laboratory, Bush checked out two Ford Escapes - one with a nickel-metal-hybrid battery, the kind that powers most hybrid-electric vehicles, and one with a lithium-ion battery, which Johnson Controls believes are the wave of the future. The lithium-ion battery was about half the size of the older-model battery. In 2004, Johnson Controls received a government contract to develop the lithium-ion batteries. While Bush is highlighting his budget proposals to help wean America from foreign oil, the lab he visited is meeting a $28 million shortfall by cutting its staff by 32 people, including eight researchers. "Our nation is on the threshold of new energy technology that I think will startle the American people," Bush said. "We're on the edge of some amazing breakthroughs - breakthroughs all aimed at enhancing our national security and our economic security and the quality of life of the folks who live here in the United States." Later Monday, Bush was visiting the United Solar Ovonics Plant, which makes solar panels, in Auburn Hills, Mich., outside Detroit. The company also works on hydrogen fuel cells to power autos. "Roof makers will one day be able to make a solar roof that protects you from the elements and at the same time, powers your house," Bush said. "The vision is this - that technology will become so efficient that you'll become a little power generator in your home, and if you don't use the energy you generate you'll be able to feed it back into the electricity grid." Rep. Ed Markey, D-Mass., questioned Bush's energy policies Monday, saying the administration also supports subsidies for luxury SUVs. "This single tax subsidy dwarfs anything being done for hybrid batteries," Markey said in a news release. On Tuesday, Bush plans to visit the Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colo., to talk about speeding the development of biofuels. As a complement to Bush's travels, six Cabinet officials are crisscrossing the nation this week, appearing at more than two dozen energy events in more than a dozen states.
To consider that he was even referring to the following technology is giving him massive benefit of the doubt: Photovoltaic powered Closed-loop hydrogen systems that go "from water back to water" that passively produce electricity while skipping the âbattery stepâ would startle only those who don't pay attention. This is this the goal of most of the fuel-cell companies. But these Closed-loop systems are still a ways off. Further, if the Bush and hiz boys were serious about this instead of just trying to mentally masturbate the rabble they would not give me a $8000 tax credit for buying a vehicle that weighs in at over 5000 lbs ..i.e. Hummer or a One Ton truck. Instead they would give a similar Tax credit for installing a passive heating/cooling systems in my home. Do they? Of course not. Oil men like Oil. All NeoCons must die.
California will lead the way most likely. They had an effort to be 20% green electricity powered by 2018 and Gov. Schwarzenegger moved it up to 2012. They are building a huge solar plant in the Mojave desert. If that works out then it will be easy, I am saying easy, to get to the 100% green power in the daylight hours. Advances have been made in Nickel Metal Hydride batteries that push their life to 350,000 miles. It is in the charging profile, they are charging them to 60% and discharging to 20%. The California car of the future should be a hybrid with recharge capabilities to take advantage of the cheap electricity during the daytime while the car is parked at work. No government incentive is necessary if the price of oil keeps rising but it might help. Schwarzenegger is talking about taxing gasoline more, that should do two things, 1)reduce his budget deficit 2)force the change to hybrids and other energy efficient cars. I guess the leaders in the US gave up on the belief that the ME is going to evolve into a modern culture anytime soon. Good time to start abandoning Oil as much as possible, the technology is all here now and getting better all the time.
Energy 'breakthrough' is hyperbole at best. No real counter to oil will ever be financed, shepherded or sanctioned by Government. This 'breakthrough' is likely nothing more than improving upon green energy alternatives - bio fuel, solar energy - and exploiting previously untapped low grade 'fossil fuels' - oil shale (Canadian tar sands), coal gassification etc. The result? The same petrochem paradigm with modest concessions to green energy.
Couldn't agree more, there have been dozens of energy 'breakthroughs' that have been suppressed that would make energy cost next to nothing. The government is well aware of them, most of them have patents. Here is one example of an over-unity efficiency system. This physicist from Howard University has measured efficiencies of 8000% in his system. Hows that for a breakthrough. http://jlnlabs.online.fr/cfr/mizuno/index.htm