It's Past Time for an Energy Program

It's time for Obama to do with the Energy Program what Kennedy with the Space Program. Give it a goal and a life, make it an agenda item for everybody in the U.S. and for every business.

Maybe with capital injection from the market Energy Technology can follow the same path as Internet Technology did. If it does, we'll benefit in wonderful ways, in ways we can't even imagine today. A formal program is the only way we'll move beyond petroleum.

It's important for national security, for our health, and for the planet that we quit relying on oil. And it's important to cut our reliance on oil when other energy sources could get the job done. Save oil for things oil does best, or things only oil can do. As I stop to think of the numbers of things I use today that are a result of the Space Program, it gives me hope that the Energy Program will spawn at least as many useful things for our daily lives.

The way I see it is we need to have an "all-in" bet on energy, we have to focus on getting our energy efforts moving toward self-sustaining levels. And we need to do it now. Obama and his team can work out the details, but my thoughts for what the Program should entail include:

• setting a floor for oil and gas prices
• create and enforce an carbon tax
• incentivize alternative energy
• set renewable energy mandates on utilities to generate a certain amount of energy from solar, wind and geothermal

It's going to take strong direction to turn the U.S.'s reliance on oil to other, cleaner alternatives. I believe Obama can do it, but will he? Fluctuating oil prices keep many interested businesses from seriously investing in alternative energy research and development, the R&D that is necessary to make us an independent world leader again. It's up to Obama to stabilize oil prices, and at a high enough rate to get people's attention, and encourage the development of alternatives as well as conservation in our lifestyles.

An Energy Program is a complex and far reaching program. We can talk about many of the issues and arenas it will impact, but not as many points as you might get from Hot, Flat and Crowded, by Thomas L Friedman. We can't let the complexity keep us from tackling the Program either.

Another aspect of having an Energy Program is to get encourage individual action by people and businesses. Using the national power distribution system is important, but so is having independent power generation capability. Solar panels and wind turbines popping up on rooftops and in yards will aid the proliferation and viability of alternative energy. Utility companies won't need as much generation capability if there is an abundance of small generation around the country to take up the slack.

How does this apply to the hotel industry? Hotel owners and operators can be part of the solution by finding ways to incorporate energy savings and alternative energy usage in your operations. Excite your employment team about the benefits of conserving energy. Involve your staff in finding solutions to where and how alternative energy can be employed at your property. And don't forget to excite and involve your guests in doing their part to conserve.

How does this apply to the hotel industry? Hotel owners and operators can be part of the solution by finding ways to incorporate energy savings and alternative energy usage in your operations. Excite your employment team about the benefits of conserving energy. Involve your staff in finding solutions to where and how alternative energy can be employed at your property. And don't forget to excite and involve your guests in doing their part to conserve.

President Obama, cut our ties to oil and take the steps that are necessary for the U.S. to be self-reliant in regards to energy, for the U.S. to reduce it's carbon footprint, for the U.S. to improve its world leadership. I'll be with you in your Energy Program.