Carter: Energy Problems Will Again Test America

The Courthouse News Service reports on former President Jimmy Carter's testimony concerning energy security before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee:

Carter said he prefers windmills, nuclear energy and clean coal as an alternative to oil-based energy.

When he visited Spain, he said, the windmills were both beautiful and had helped the country on its way towards obtaining half of its energy from renewable sources.

To promote nuclear energy, Carter described its almost infinite supply. The nuclear warship USS Jimmy Carter will never have to be refueled, he noted. The ship's power plant will outlast the hull. As for nuclear waste, he said, "We can continue burying nuclear waste material for a long time. It doesn't take much."

Carter argued that coal is unlikely to disappear as a source of energy for practical reasons. The United States already uses mostly coal for energy. He said we need to develop a way to use it cleanly.

Before leaving, Carter imparted a bit of political advice. Only the president can bring about a real change in our energy policy, he said, and that change must be accomplished through one comprehensive bill so that everybody gets a little of what they want.

Carter expressed support for President Obama, saying, "I'm not preaching to him because he knows what he's doing."

http://www.courthousenews.com/2009/05/13/Carter_Testifies_on_Oil_Role_in_Foreign_Policy.htm