NEPI Vision

 “For over three decades American political leadership has espoused the goal of ‘energy independence.’  Yet today we continue the downward spiral of ever increasing dependence upon foreign oil.  The consequences are clear.  The oil producing countries have hijacked America’s foreign policy, our economy and our environment.  We have passively collaborated.  What are we – finally – going to do about it?  Somehow we must change from a de facto energy policy that is, in the words of some observers, the ‘sum of all lobbies’ towards a positive and aggressive energy policy that is the ‘sum of our best wisdom.’  The result will be clean energy security and the underpinnings of a dynamic expanding economy.

“Making that transition begins with accepting the fact there is no silver bullet.  We must relinquish the worn out delusion of good public policy based on anecdotal, self serving, and single interest manipulation.  Real progress towards a solution will require accepting a broad portfolio of strategies, selected on the basis of a rigorous comparison of effectiveness and cost of accomplishing universal goals. There are two clear and simple universal goals – reduce the amount of imported oil and reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions.

“Each strategy must be measured and ranked on the cost per barrel of reducing imported oil and cost per ton of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.  Other social and environmental costs, in addition to the scale of individual strategy results, must be considered to establish effectiveness and feasibility of each strategy.  The results will become the basis for decision makers to advance a comprehensive rational national energy policy.  From this policy we can generate through technology transfer, basic and applied research and targeted public action and incentives an era of new job creation and new business development.
 
“Our institute is committed to conducting independent, expert analysis for clean energy security in conjunction with job and business incubation and thus will help answer the urgent call to a safer and better 21st century.”

George Kaiser         2009