With energy a primary focus in Washington, a bipartisan group of 20 senators, including Susan Collins, have come together to offer a comprehensive new energy plan. Their policy, a mix of more energy production, conservation and a lot of government funding, offers a good starting point for an overdue plan to reduce the country's dependence on fossil fuel.
A central theme of the legislation, likely to be introduced next week, is the need to transition the United States away from oil, gas and coal to alternative energy sources. The Energy Reform Act of 2008 includes $20 billion for a project with the scope of the Apollo program, aimed at moving 85 percent of new motor vehicles away from petroleum-based fuels within 20 years. To do this, the legislation would provide $7.5 billion for research and development to remove technical barriers, such as developing better batteries for electric vehicles. Another $7.5 billion would go to U.S. auto makers and parts makers to help them prepare to make alternative fuel vehicles. Without guarantees of highly efficient vehicles for everyday car buyers and the preservation of jobs, this could become another costly bailout of an industry that was late in realizing the need to change.
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