Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 2
A
DVANCED
E
NERGY
T
ECHNOLOGIES
:
K
EY
C
HALLENGES TO
T
HEIR
D
EVELOPMENT
AND
D
EPLOYMENT
*
Jim Wells
Director Natural Resources and Environment
Mr. Chairman and Members of the Subcommittee:
I am pleased to be here today to discuss the challenges that our nation faces in
meeting its future energy needs. The United States has primarily relied on market
forces to determine its energy portfolio. These market forces have generally
succeeded in providing us with plentiful, reliable, and generally inexpensive
gasoline to power our vehicles and electricity to run our homes and businesses.
However, most of this energy comes from conventional fossil fuels—oil, natural
gas, and coal—the dependence on which has brought increased economic and
national security risks and adverse environmental impacts. In 1973, 1979, 1991,
and 2005, the nation's crude oil supplies were constricted contributing to major
energy price shocks. Despite these price shocks and related energy crises, the
United States is even more dependent on imported crude oil and natural gas today
than it was 30 years ago. And, without dramatic change, the nation will become
ever more reliant on imported oil and natural gas with corresponding threats to the
U.S. economy and national security. Perhaps equally important, the growing
recognition that global warming is linked to carbon dioxide emissions from
