Camden Central High School
Camden, Tennessee
Teacher: Wanda Allen
What We Should Be Using For Fuel
By Tyson Weller
12th grade
The Energy Policy Act of 2005 was passed by the United States Congress on July 29, 2005 and was then signed into law on August 8, 2005 at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It was put into place to attempt to deal with our growing energy problems. It provided tax incentives and loan guarantees for energy production of many types. They made the act to be used as a long term energy policy. Hopefully it will allow us to use our sources we have at hand now as well as newer, more efficient energy technologies, and conservation.
Ethanol will help to reduce imports on crude oil by approximately two billion barrels, [allowing us to] keep the money…in this country, not in the middle east. Ethanol will create new jobs, and increase the household income for most Americans. It, along with other fuels mixed with gasoline, will triple the amount of fuels for use by 2012. [It would also help if] federal vehicles had to use these fuels.
Another thing that [would] help is…efficiency standards on appliances. Conservation and efficiency will create between ten to forty percent of energy savings by 2015. There [could] be tax breaks for homes, offices, and other buildings. Along with tax breaks for buildings there [might] also be tax deductions equaling the cost of the equipment if the energy saving equipment reduces power and energy consumption by fifty percent.
The purchase of alternative-fuel and hybrid cars will allow for some tax credits, ranging from two thousand dollars for small vehicles to forty thousand for larger vehicles. [People could then] receive up to thirty percent tax credit at gas stations [for] using alternative fuels. There will be more restrictions on federal vehicles to make sure they use alternative fuels. New flex fuel vehicles will be made more available [in order] to cut our dependence on oil. This act [would] also make railroad and planes more efficient…and less damaging to the environment. Big truck idling time will be shortened to save fuel and [reduce] pollution.
Renewable energy will provide $2.7 billion in production tax credits to boost the production of renewable energies for wind, closed-loop biomass, open-loop biomass, geothermal, small irrigation power, landfill gas, and trash combustion. It requires the Department of Energy to study and report on existing natural energy resources including wind, solar, waves and tides.
One of the renewable energy sources is water used to make hydropower. There will be improvements on regulations for hydroelectric dams to allow more hydroelectric power to be generated, and still protect the environment. Hydroelectric dams are the nation’s largest renewable energy source. [They] make up seven percent of our electric supply. Ocean energy sources, including wave power and tidal power, [are] for the first time, separately identified as renewable technologies. Also…drilling for gas or oil underneath the Great Lakes will be [prohibited].
Electricity will still be reliable due to provisions to encourage the expansion and modernization of the electricity grid as well as new mandatory reliability rules that prevent future blackouts. …
There will be $3.7 billion over 5 years for hydrogen and fuel-cell research…. The bill will create hydrogen research programs in federal labs and universities. [It will also encourage] automobile manufacturers to create hydrogen cars. Hydrogen powered cars will reduce our need for foreign oil and protect our environment. Also while gasoline prices climb, hydrogen fuel is becoming more affordable. The Idaho National Laboratory will be constructing nuclear reactors. They will produce electricity and hydrogen which could be used as fuel in the hydrogen vehicles. This project will create long[term], high paying, and high tech jobs. The United States has also gained support from other countries….The United States produces about nine megatons of hydrogen per year. Most of it comes from reforming natural gas. It has been estimated that by 2040 cars and light trucks will be powered by hydrogen. To do this we will need about 150 mega tons each year. Hydrogen is also great for energy because it can be stored and used later unlike electricity.
Nuclear power is the world's largest source of emission-free energy. These plants produce no controlled air pollutants, like sulfur and particulates, or greenhouse gases. There are also loan guarantees for technologies that avoid greenhouse gases so these plants could receive money and it will help to keep them running. The use of nuclear energy in place of other energy sources helps to keep the air clean, preserve the Earth's climate, avoid ground-level ozone formation and prevent acid rain. Nuclear power currently provides twenty percent of America’s electricity. It is the second cheapest form of electricity. It is one of the safest and it is one of the most reliable and cleanest energy sources. The bill also creates a stand-by support program to make sure that we do not have to pay higher electricity bills because of unforeseen delays in the construction of new nuclear power plants due to government delays. Security of nuclear facilities will be strengthened and employees and certain contractors will be allowed to carry firearms. The bill also prohibits the sale, export or transfer of nuclear materials and sensitive nuclear technology to any state that sponsors terrorist activities.
Coal makes up half of our electricity. The Bill will protect the jobs in coal producing states. The Bill states that we will tap our oil reserve and will add over one million barrels to it. Yes, I think the Bill is a good idea. It will save us money, reduce our dependence on other countries, and protect our environment.
Answers To Questions
Q1- Gassahol is a byproduct exclusively from Gasoline and Ethanol whereas cellulosic ethanol can be produced from agricultural waste such as Corn Stalks, Grasses and Tree Bark.
Q2- Why did auto makers produce cars that could operate using ethanol as
well as gasoline before there was an adequate number of service stations
that could provide ethanol? To get a break from
fuel-economy standards.
Q3- When were the first cars produced that were capable of using ethanol?
When Henry Ford created the Model T in 1909
Q4- In a paragraph, describe Brazil’s experience with ethanol. What did the Fortune article claim was Brazil’s key to success?
Brazil has one of the best climates to grow sugar cane. This is the best known substance to make ethanol. A shortage of gas caused one of the biggest scares Brazil has ever seen. Since then they have been making ethanol, and now they can rely on themselves for fuel needs. It keeps the money in Brazil instead of other countries like Iraq. Now they are making money and do not have to rely on anyone else.
Q5- What is the significance of a yellow gas cap? It means that these
vehicles are E-85 ready.
Q6- Describe bio-diesel. It is a biodegradable
nontoxic fuel that gives off little emission when burned.
Q7- Explain the term “flex-fuel engine”. What American auto manufacturer
introduced the first prototype of a flex-fuel engine? It means that the
engines can be switched from gasoline to biofuels.
Ford first created these vehicles in 2002.
Q8- Trace the progress of H.R. 6 for viewers to our web site. (dates
introduced, amended, pass or rejected) The energy bill ensures electric
system liability. It extended the service date for renewable energy to
December 31, 2007. It funds $5.1 billion for low income energy until 2007.
Q9- What is the purpose of the fuel hybrid vehicle commercialization
initiative? To improve technology for commercialization
in order to reduce petroleum consumption.
Q10- What is the nation's largest renewable energy resource? Water for hydropower.
Q11- What is the purpose of the Hydrogen Fuel Initiative? To produce, store, and distribute hydrogen for our use.
Q12- List seven items mentioned in the 2005 energy tax bill that taxpayers can claim as credits against their tax bills.1) Tax credits will be given for energy efficient offices and homes. 2) A tax deduction equaling the cost of the energy saving equipment if it cuts the consumption by half. 3) There will be tax credits for the purchase of equipment that achieve certain energy levels. 4) There will also be one for manufacturers who produce highly efficient dishwashers, clothes washers, and refrigerators. 5) You can receive a thirty percent tax credit for purchasing solar, photovoltaic, and fuel cell properties in residences. 6) Gives tax credits for the purchase of alternative-fuel and hybrid vehicles. 7) Provides $2.7 billion in production tax credits to encourage the production of clean renewable energies.