March Newsletter

If you’re like me, you may find it difficult to pick up a newspaper or watch the TV news without coming across a story about America’s need for energy independence.  Advocates for this goal—including several of this year’s presidential hopefuls—believe the United States must be placed on a path to produce all of our energy here at home.  Though it sounds good in theory, the idea of energy independence is a fantasy obscuring the fact that we live in a world that is so interconnected as to make energy independence impossible.

The United States must become less dependent on imported energy through increased efficiency, environmentally-sensitive American energy exploration, and advances in technology.  But considering that the United States currently imports 30 percent of its total energy and 60 percent of its oil, we cannot realistically meet our needs with domestic energy alone.  So instead of pursuing energy independence, we should recognize interdependency as a component of our goal of energy security. 

We live in an age where global markets allocate key natural resources, and we must come to the realization that our energy challenges can only be overcome through international engagement and American leadership.  To ensure access to affordable, diverse, and clean supplies of energy, we cannot build an isolationist wall, nor should we desire to do so.  We should empower our innovators to develop breakthrough technologies, break down market barriers that delay the adoption of new technologies, and work to make clean energy affordable in developing countries.

In the months ahead, we look forward to sharing our thoughts with regard to ways in which we can adopt common-sense solutions to the energy challenges that confront us.  We have a long road ahead, but we are confident the American people will answer this challenge with the same creativity, spirit, and “can do” determination we have demonstrated in the past.

Best regards,

Jim Jones
 

What's Happening at the Energy Institute

• General Jones and several members of the EI staff toured Dominion Resources' North Anna Power Station, a nuclear power plant in Mineral, Virginia, on February 21.  This visit was part of a larger energy tour that General Jones has been conducting.
   
• On March 6, the Energy Institute co-hosted a reception with the Washington, D.C. chapter of Women in Nuclear, which featured Assistant Secretary of Energy Lisa Epifani as the keynote speaker.
   
• Energy Institute leaders are continuing to raise awareness of our energy challenges around the nation.  Vice President Fred Smith addressed the American Coal Council on March 11, General Jim Jones spoke to the Naperville, Illinois Chamber of Commerce on March 13, and Executive Vice President Karen Harbert participated in a congressional briefing hosted by the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations on March 19.
   

Fuel for Thought: Nuclear Power

1. One uranium fuel pellet provides as much energy as 149 gallons of oil, one ton of coal, or 17,000 cubic feet of natural gas.
2. In 2006, nuclear power provided 19.4 percent of all electricity used in the United States.  By contrast, it accounted for 78.1 percent in France, 48 percent in Sweden, and 38.6 percent in South Korea.
3. Nuclear power plants release no emissions, thus saving nearly 700 million metric tons of carbon dioxide annually.
4. Nuclear power is the cheapest source of electricity, costing only 1.7 cents per kilowatt hour, versus 2.37 for coal, 6.75 for gas, and 9.63 for oil.
5. An average nuclear plant generates 20 metric tons of high-level nuclear waste annually.