A panel presentation this morning sponsored by Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and the EESI discussed various tangible ways to reduce our dependence on foreign oil to negligible levels in the coming years.

Senator Merkley was the keynote speaker at the panel and began his presentation explaining that we are spending $1 billion dollars for foreign oil everyday and are projected to purchase 6 billion barrels of overseas oil a day by 2030; this is causing a reduced American economy and lost jobs. To solve this problem, Merkley has introduced a bill Oil Independence for a Stronger America Act (S. 3601), co-sponsored by Tom Carper (D-DE), Tom Udall (D-NM), and Michael Bennet (D-CO). This bill will create a National Energy Security Council, a cabinet level position in the White House. This new Council will implement a wide array of policies designed to reduce our consumption of oil to levels where by 2030 we will no longer be purchasing any oil overseas.

Merkley’s main policy initiative to be implemented by the Council is a bill he has co-sponsored, the Electric Vehicle Deployment Act of 2010 (S. 3495). This bill will implement deployment communities of plug-in electric vehicles to demonstrate their feasibility. Future phase of the deployment communities have the possibility of including other electric vehicles, including fuel cells.

Other policy initiatives to be enacted will include a transition to making more efficient heavy and medium-duty trucks, to create smarter infrastructure and more alternatives to personal transportation, a focus on alternative fuels, and creating more energy efficient homes and buildings.

Senator Merkley’s bill has not been posted online yet, but stay posted as we will update you as events develop.