Al Gore wrote an op-ed piece in today’s New York Times that outlines his 10-year plan to reduce America’s dependence on foreign oil and move toward clean energy technology. A large component of this plan is the idea of a national energy grid.
“We should begin the planning and construction of a unified national smart grid for the transport of renewable electricity from the rural places where it is mostly generated to the cities where it is mostly used. New high-voltage, low-loss underground lines can be designed with “smart” features that provide consumers with sophisticated information and easy-to-use tools for conserving electricity, eliminating inefficiency and reducing their energy bills. The cost of this modern grid — $400 billion over 10 years — pales in comparison with the annual loss to American business of $120 billion due to the cascading failures that are endemic to our current balkanized and antiquated electricity lines.”
These details clarify and expand upon Gore’s previous call for a national grid, and make it his number two priority behind congressional incentives for renewable energy plants. The bailout of the financial sector makes this kind of large-scale government investment in infrastructure a possibility rather than just a dream.
You can also view the Q&A with Al Gore at Web 2.0 this past week that covers this topic.
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