Published: December 05, 2008 09:04 am      

Planning for the energy revolution

Several weeks ago, President-elect Barack Obama said in an interview on “60 Minutes” that allowing the U.S. automakers to collapse would be a disaster; but that the various stakeholders need to come up with a plan for a “sustainable auto industry.”

Appearing before an already-skeptical Democratic-led Congress, the top executives of GM, Ford and Chrysler were given a cool reception on Nov. 17 when they asked for a $25 billion federal bailout for rebuilding and modernizing their industry.

A few days later, at a press conference, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi echoed the sentiment of many of her colleagues in warning that, “Until they show us the plan, we cannot show them the money.”

One has to wonder what these corporate executives were thinking when they came to Congress “hat in hand” without a plan, expecting to be whisked off to the Treasury Department.

There would be no toasting with the bubbly onboard their corporate jets as they made their way back to Detroit, and even much less exuberance the next day in the halls of corporate headquarters as top management scrambled to devise a plan to retool and restructure their corporations.

If there is a lesson to be learned in all of this, it is that we must plan for the future before the future sneaks up on us in the present. The alternative is to accept the status quo, in thinking that everything has a way of working out for the better, so why worry.

A healthy dose of procrastination works wonders and our problems will all go away – or will they?

Recently, Obama unveiled his new economic plan that would create 2.5 million jobs by rebuilding roads and bridges and modernizing schools, while developing alternative energy sources and more-efficient cars.

“We’ll put people back to work rebuilding our crumbling roads and bridges, modernizing schools that are failing our children, and building wind farms and solar panels,” he said.

He also made a commitment to fuel-efficient cars and alternative energy technologies “that can free us from our dependence on foreign oil and keep our economy competitive in the years ahead.”

According to Tom Freidman, author of the best-seller “Hot, Flat and Crowded,” the world needs a green revolution because of the convergence of global forces such as worldwide energy demand, population growth and global warming.

“Whoever comes up with the answer to those problems will be in front,” he wrote.

Is our region ready to meet this challenge? Could it play an even larger role in this new green revolution? Will our leaders begin now to shape an economic stimulus plan that focuses on the development of alternative fuels and new means of generating energy and energy efficiency?

Hopefully, we will be in a position to take advantage of the federal economic stimulus dollars that will be made available to those who possess the power of ingenuity and imagination.

Our region has already “planted its flag” in this new green revolution by its commitment to advanced alternative energy sources such as wind power, natural gas, geothermal and hydroelectric.

May that flag wave proudly in our “green valleys” today, rather than tomorrow.

We must respond now to the challenges that will shape the energy revolution, rather than hold out an empty hat when asked whether we have a new energy strategy and plan in which individuals, organizations, businesses and agencies are working together to promote a sustainable energy future.

Let us be the first to introduce the kind of green tech-nological advances that will place this region ahead of the pack.

There is no doubt that with the existing technological infrastructure that has been built in the past 25 years throughout our region, we have positioned ourselves to lead the way.

What are we waiting for?



David A. Knepper of Adams Township has held several professional positions: Cambria County community and economic development specialist, school superintendent, principal and college teacher. He holds a doctorate in educational administration from Penn State. Presently, he is executive director of the Forest Hills Regional Alliance. His column appears the first Sunday of each month.