We Power Us

Alexander Hamilton said, and I have inserted emphasis for those words that are no longer a common part of our conversations,

“The prosperity of commerce is now perceived and acknowledged by all enlightened statesmen to be the most useful as well as the most productive source of national wealth, and has accordingly become a primary object of their political cares. By multipying the means of gratification, by promoting the introduction and circulation of the precious metals [money], those darling objects of human avarice [desire for wealth] and enterprise, it serves to vivify [revive] and invigorate the channels of industry, and to make them flow with greater activity and copiousness [abundance]. The assiduous [careful] merchant, the laborious husbandman, the active mechanic, and the industrious manufacturer,--all orders of men, look forward with eager expectation and growing alacrity [cheerful readiness] to this pleasing reward of their toils [work]” (Alexander Hamilton, Federalist Papers #12, Tuesday, November 27, 1787).

Solutions based in commerce would at once lift each person’s standard of living, most noticeably at the lower and middle income classes, and invigorate, in Alexander Hamilton’s words, the economy through freedom in the energy industry.  This would provide wealth and structural economic benefits to ourselves and to our posterity.  At the same time, these things are a big step to achieve a large measure of results for the environmental groups.  These things are;

1.      Problem: The EPA, BLM, DOE agencies are granted authority to regulate an area of business, and enforcement authority is given prior to identification of the problem, measures to insure success and a description of what the cure or solution is.  It is easy for a single person to make a mistake or mis-judgement. 

Solution
: It is wise to have multiple ideas leading a group with such vast authority.  Amend each entity to be driven by a board of 5 commissioners (similar to the FCC).  Each newly elected US President may replace two in any 4 year term, and appoint which one is the chairperson.  
4.      Problem:  Too many of our electric generating stations are old, thereby producing more pollution and less electricity from our fossil fuels.
Solution
:  Expedite permitting to replace 200 old power plants.  If a plant began operation prior to 1978, all permitting, including air permits, should be expedited for “clean generation” such that they are all completed within 12 months, for a new plant with similar or expanded capacity on the same site.  This “Clean Generation” initiative would be for plants operating at 93% less emissions than the 1978 era generation, or at less than 1.0 pounds per mwh of SOx and less than 1.0 pounds per Mwh of NOx.  Carbon is not a pollutant.

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