From the Associated Press (via Victorville Daily Press; hat tip: WSJ Energy Roundup):
Democratic presidential candidate Bill Richardson on Thursday laid out his plan for a dramatic shift in the way the U.S. uses energy, proposing to all but end the country's reliance on oil and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by 2040.
See below for the rest of the story and some cromulent remarks.
Invoking President Kennedy's call for the Apollo space program, he said the nation needs a "man-on-the-moon" effort to develop technologies that will cut energy costs and halt global warming.
Cut energy costs AND halt global warming? Isn't that a free lunch?
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Richardson's plan encourages people to drive electric and plug-in cars, promotes public transportation and calls for increasing fuel economy standards to 50 miles a gallon by 2020 from about 25 miles per gallon now.
I'm guessing a gas tax isn't part of the "encouragement" revolution?
He also wants to fund programs to develop wind, solar and biomass energy, and create a market-based system requiring utilities to emit less pollution.
Cap-and-trade?
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The Democratic front-runner, New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, also has called for an "Apollo program" on energy. Illinois Sen. Barack Obama recently lectured automakers for investing in bigger, faster cars while dependency on oil is jeopardizing U.S. security and the global environment. And Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd wants to double the average fuel economy for each automaker to 50 mpg by 2017.
When I'm evaluating whether to vote for Dodd or Richardson in the primary (if they are still around by the time North Carolina has a primary), I'll be sure to consider that Richardson will give automakers an extra 3 years to double fuel economy. Jeez.
