Candidate Vilsack Talks Tough on Energy - Has a Real Plan

Washington DC February 15, 2007; The AIADA newsletter reported that yesterday in California, 2008 Democratic presidential candidate Tom Vilsack called energy security "the single most important issue facing America today".

The two-term Iowa Governor said that freeing the nation from foreign-oil dependence and the threat of global warming can be achieved with his 50-year, seven-point energy security plan.

Highlights of the plan include:
-adopting standards requiring all fuel providers by 2010 to reduce the amount of carbon their fuel produces by 1 percent a year for 10 years
-offering new tax incentives including a 25-cent-per-gallon credit for production of ethanol not from corn but other cellular fibers
-enacting new renewable fuel standards ensuring vehicles are 50 percent more efficient by 2030
-encouraging technological innovation and offer incentives to make America's transportation system almost petroleum-free by 2040.

According to the Oakland Tribune, Vilsack said his campaign will monitor its monthly travel and electricity use, calculate how much carbon is emitted as a result, and send money to help build clean and renewable energy projects to offset or neutralize that pollution.