A Rebuttal To President Obamas State of the Union Address From The President of The National Green Energy Council

Jay OwenGreen Prosperity

 

GEC Natioanl Logo

January 29, 2014

 

 

Dear President Obama, Speaker Boehner and Members of Congress,

Please accept this message as the rebuttal of the green technology industry to yesterday’s State of The Union Address and the Republican rebuttal.

 

Mr. President,

 

Thank you for being a true leader and with eyes and ears of 307 million Americans and countless billions watching your State of The Union address last evening coming out on record as a true believer in Climate Change and our responsibility to leave America and the World in a better place than we first found it.

 

Your speech was remiss of the factual representation of the true job creation in the solar and wind industries now creating tens of thousands of new jobs all across our great Nation.

 

In fact, more people were employed in the US Wind Industry last year than in the US Steel Industry and more people were employed in Solar Energy than were employed in the natural gas and Coal industries combined here in America.

 

On December 6, 2013 you issued an executive order (bypassing the inefficiency of Congress) to mandate that the federal government (including the military) triple its use of renewable energy by 2020, at which point renewable power would provide 20 percent of the government’s energy. This one stroke of your Executive pen will be the catalyst I assure you to help make America great again.

 

Furthermore, requiring auto makers on the bail out to increase fuel efficiencies have not only made American car manufactures more competitive in the global market place but will put more money in Americans pockets to feed our economy.

 

Our organizations work these past years with your administration has led to the reinstallation of solar panels on the white house roof and a synthetic eco-friendly turf to be installed just outside your oval office. Our work on the 2005 Energy Policy and Security Act led to the outlawing of the sale of the incandescent light bulb here in America that took effect on January 1, 2014. This one step will reduce the carbon emissions of America incredibly over the next ten years.

 

We have seen the creation of the white house Council on Climate Change and our discussion presented for legislators to begin talking of a real carbon tax bill, a bill that will not be another impediment on American businesses but an import carbon tax on Chinese and other nations manufactured goods coming into our borders.

 

But Mr. President, as you said we must do better. I agree and I urge you and Congress to act upon these items over the next calendar year:

  • The ITC Tax Credit For Solar Energy must be extended in perpetuity to allow for the continued growth of the solar energy market and the jobs it is creating. This will allow for a constant stream of private investment into utility scale solar energy applications without the question of possible loss of their investment should these tax benefits expire.

 

  • The PTC Tax Credit For Wind Energy must be extended in perpetuity to allow for the continued growth of the wind energy market and the jobs it is creating. This will allow for a constant stream of private investment into utility scale onshore and off shore wind energy applications without the question of possible loss of their investment should these tax benefits expire.

 

 

  • Congress needs to pass a Federal Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard to give power to your Executive Order passed on December 6, 2013 to mandate that the Federal government (including the military) triple its use of renewable energy by 2020, at which point renewable power would provide 20 percent of the government’s energy. This will allow for billions of private investment to flow into American Renewable Energy projects that will create millions of new good paying green jobs over the next ten years.The funding of this new Federal RPS should come from the Import Carbon Tax.    The money should be dispensed to the states that have adopted and have successful Renewable Portfolio Standards that are in fact creating new 21rst Century Green Tech jobs. California and New Jersey ranked number one and two last year in solar energy applications and my home state of New Jersey ranked second in the World.

 

  • There should be an expedited EPA Green Tape Regulatory process for large scale renewable energy projects on US Military installations and Native American Tribal grounds.

 

 

  • There should be an Executive Order of the President based on the national security issue of the antiquated nature of our power grid to deregulate power grids on Military Bases, Native American Tribal Grounds and public schools all across America creating Co-Op energy companies mandating that local power companies must accept any and all net metered energy into the power grid to help pay back the systems needed to meet your 20-2020 goals for Federal agencies.

 

  • There should be a complete and total scholarship program funded by the Federal government and Philanthropic Organizations with monies from the Federal RPS to begin a massive education of Energy Engineers. At a time when we need them most, energy engineers are retiring at an alarming rate and we will not have the needed engineers to plan for a reliable and equitable power grid for the future of Americas national security and to fuel our economy to recapture our manufacturing prowess.

 

 

  • In 2008, our organization was the first organization to prepare and present a United States Energy Master Plan in over 40 years. The plan was provided to then President Bush and to your campaign as well as 535 Congressional leaders. The plan fell on deaf ears. It is time for you Mr. President and Congressional Leaders to finally take a look at this plan and its ideas.

 

 

  • One of the first suggestions of our 2008 US Energy Master Plan was the creation of a private sector entity mirroring the Rand Corporation. In 2009, the National Energy Security Agency (NESA )was founded, cultivating the brightest minds in the World to begin the discussion about the future of energy security and the future of a World of population that will grow from 7.2 billion people today to just over 12.5 billion people by the year 2100. No one is refuting the facts that oil and yes, even natural gas resources are finite, with only about 100-125 years of these fossil fuels still available, but the light from the sun, the winds in our nation both onshore and off, the waves in the ocean both on the surface and the currents beneath as well as energy from waste can and will be the future of the energy of mankind. We should make this the most paramount thing that we focus on because an America that is energy independent is a stronger, more robust and secure nation.

 

 

  • We must use monies from the new National Infrastructure Bank to fund new infrastructure. Not bridges and tunnels to nowhere, but creating natural gas infrastructure. From filling stations all across America so truckers can continue being the life blood of our nation by retrofitting their vehicles to run on Concentrated Natural Gas, to an advanced Smart Power Grid throughout our Nation. We must replace over 160,000 linear miles of overhead transmission lines that were installed at the end of the 19th Century where we are losing 40% of the power transferring through them per day.

 

 

  • We must expedite that the GI Bill can be used for a returning war veteran returning from war or a spouse still here at home can use the GI Bill to obtain a certification in Energy Auditing, Solar Energy Integration, Biodiesel Refining and over 100 other curricula offered by community colleges in America. This can get tens of thousands of GIs back to work and save their homes in a still questionable economy.

 

 

  • We must begin teaching our children in school from kindergarten to high school students about the importance of environmental stewardship and energy conservation. We must also show them that a future in the energy sector can provide them with good high paying Green jobs. VoTech programs should be concentrating on Energy Auditing, Weatherization and Renewable Energy applications. These jobs do not require a college education and could put millions of high school graduates directly into the work force with good paying highly skilled jobs. Mr. President, you should work with the Unions to make this a reality. The fact is that there are over 100 million buildings and about 125 million homes across America and all of them can be more energy efficient and all can be powered with a hybrid of renewable energy. This will get our Unions and their workers back to work.

In closing, I and the organization that I founded eight years ago will remain committed to assist you and the members of Congress to achieve these noble goals.

 

Mr. President, Speaker Boehner and Members of Congress, Thomas Jefferson said over 230 years ago that every generation needs a revolution; I welcome you all to the Great Green Revolution.

 

May God bless you all and may he continue to bless the greatest Nation on Earth, the United States of America.

 

Sincerely,

 

Ralph Avallone

President, National Green Energy Council

1701 Pennsylvania Ave. NW

Suite 300

Washington, D.C.

2006

202-349-7138

 

A copy of this letter was mailed today to President Obama, Speaker Boehner and all 535 Congressional Leaders.

To learn more about the efforts of the International Green Energy Council or to become a member go to:

www.greenenergycouncil.com