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Draft Resolutions, adapted from Governor Schwarzenegger other Executive Orders on energy and the environment

5X CAFE, Five Times Current Transport Efficiency

Gas prices, Peak Oil and Global Warming require an increase of 5X CAFE, five times current transportation efficiency.  For nearly a hundred years our planned economy in major infrastructures locked in place the innovations for Ford, Edison and Bell.  We have improved "Know How" (improvements to cars) but have blocked "Know What" (alternatives that can provide 5X CAFE). 

In 1984 communications infrastructure was de-monopolized.  The analog network of Bell was exposed to competition and communications infrastructure has re-tooled twice since then.  The Internet and cell phone networks, Google and MySpace exist and are affordable because government planners did not restrain entrepreneurs.   Private ingenuity was unleashed to build networks supported by FCC regulation noting that communications networks are in the “general welfare and common defense,” a constitutional foundation for crossing right of ways.

Similarly there is a need to modernize and re-tool transportation and power generation infrastructure.  Ford and Edison gave us a good start.  Unimagined innovations will immerge if entrepreneurs are unrestrained by government planners.

Following is a draft resolution.  Please take it to your city council, county board and state government and ask that they modify it as needed and pass binding resolutions that allow free markets to harvest inefficiencies as profit.  Preempting current waste will solve our gas price, Peak Oil and Global Warming problems.

Resolution

WHEREAS, a free market allows competition to change the lifeblood of our economy from oil to ingenuity; and

WHEREAS, the planned economy in power generation infrastructure protects inefficiencies of 69% from competition; and

WHEREAS, the planned economy in transportation infrastructure protects inefficiencies of 80% from competition; and

WHEREAS, the 1984 de-monopolization of the planned economy for communications infrastructure resulted in competition, job creation and re-tooling of that infrastructure from analog to digital to fiber/wireless; and

WHEREAS, transportation is the circulatory system for our economic community, essential to the exchange of goods and value; and

WHEREAS, energy is required to power the transportation network; and

WHEREAS, oil is a finite source of energy with Peak Discovery in 1964;

WHEREAS, Economic Growth equals Energy Growth times Efficiency Growth; and

WHEREAS, world Peak Oil of May 2005 marks the end of Energy Growth based on oil; and

WHEREAS, rapidly escalating home foreclosures since 2005 indicates declining Economic Growth; and

WHEREAS, 2008 CAFE Standards of about 20 miles per gallon measure energy efficiency applied to transportation, and;

WHEREAS, US oil production has been steadily declining since domestic Peak Oil in 1972;

WHEREAS, declining US production and expanding demand resulted in dependence on foreign oil increasing from 30% in 1972 to 60% in 2006; and

WHEREAS California is almost entirely dependent on one energy source for its transportation economy, relying on petroleum-based fuels to meet 96 percent of its transportation needs; and

WHEREAS California's dependence on a single type of transportation fuel whose price is highly volatile imperils our economic security, endangers our jobs, and jeopardizes our industries; and

WHEREAS, supply of oil is at risk of disruption, the 1973 Oil Embargo created inflation, economic stagnation, and high unemployment that lasted for many more years than the embargo; and

WHEREAS, expanding world demand for oil is creating price competition for oil; and

WHEREAS California’s transportation sector is the leading source of Green House Gas (GHG’s) emissions in the state, contributing over 40 percent of the state’s annual GHG emissions; and

WHEREAS, it will take considerable time and resources to re-tool transportation to be independent of oil; and

WHEREAS, sunshine is the most abundant and locally available source of power in California; and

WHEREAS, there is no world price competition for California’s sunshine; and

WHEREAS, solar power does not create the GHG emissions identified as a threat by California Executive Order S-3-05; and

WHEREAS, the large solar arrays deployed in cities that will result from solar powered transportation support California Executive Order S-12-04 regarding the need for a robust electricity infrastructure, essential to California’s prosperity; and

WHEREAS, a California Executive Order S-20-04 places conservation and energy efficiency first in the loading order of energy resources because they are the least expensive and most environmentally protective resources and solar power transportation can achieve energy efficiencies 5 times current CAFE standards while displacing fossil fuels; and

WHEREAS, solar power is local, achieving California Executive Order W-83-94 reduction of dependence on foreign energy sources; and

WHEREAS, solar energy is non-carbon, as is hydrogen, solar powered transportation can achieve California Executive Order S-7-04 stated need for non-carbon energy carrier; and

WHEREAS, solar energy is local, as is biomass, solar powered transportation can achieve California Executive Order S-06-06 stated need for local sources of transportation fuel; and

WHEREAS, California has a long history of administrative and legislative support of rail transportation for passengers and cargo; and

WHEREAS, solar powered transportation networks operate on ultra-light rail structures with a relatively small right of way foot print; and

WHEREAS, solar powered transportation networks are integrated communications/transportation networks which use communications to move physical packets much as the Internet uses communications to move data packets; and

WHEREAS, solar powered transportation networks operate on a plane that does not compete with existing traffic congestion; and

WHEREAS, solar distributed power generation is not subject to sabotage or terrorist as is traditional power generation, enhancing both the general welfare and common defense; and

WHEREAS, an aggressive solar power generation policy has proven to create new jobs in the sustainable infrastructure industry (100,000 new jobs in Germany’s solar industry); and

WHEREAS, small businesses account for substantial growth of jobs and new innovations, yet the energy and transportation sectors of California’s economy have few small businesses and relatively few patent application; and

WHEREAS, free markets can implement solar powered transportation networks, profiting by preempting costs associated with oil, pollution, GHG’s and congestion;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, NAME, Governor of the State of California, by virtue of the power invested in me by the Constitution and the statutes of the State of California, do hereby order effective immediately:

  • Competition from transportation networks that exceed 2008 CAFE Standards by five (5) times is in the general welfare and common defense; and
  • Transportation networks that operate within a solar budget and zero emissions will be granted expedited access to rights of way; and
  • California’s practice of supporting private efforts of passenger and cargo rail will be applied to ultra-light-rail and any other transportation systems that can achieve 5 times 2008 CAFE Standards; and
  • The following targets to increase the use of solar powered transportation networks are established for California:
    • The state displaces highly repetitive oil based travel by 30% by 2015. 60% by 2020, 70% by 2030.
    • The state’s regulatory ability will be used to assure that 30% of electrical production is by solar by 2030; and
  • The Secretary Of Business, Transportation And Housing Agency will look at deregulating and regulatory processes for the energy and transportation sectors for ways to encourage small business participation; and
  • The Secretary for the California Resources Agency and the Chair of the Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission (“Energy Commission”) shall coordinate oversight of efforts made by state agencies to promote the use of solar power resources; and
  • The Air Resources Board, Energy Commission, California Environmental Protection Agency, California Public Utilities Commission, Department of General Services, and the State Water Resources Control Board shall continue to participate on the Solar Interagency Working Group chaired by the Energy Commission; and
  • The Energy Commission shall coordinate with other responsible state agencies to identify and secure federal and state funding for research, development and demonstration projects to advance the use of solar resources for electricity generation and solar for transportation; and
  • The Energy Commission shall report to the Governor and the State Legislature through its Integrated Energy Policy Report, and biannually thereafter, on progress made in achieving sustainable solar development in California; and
  • The California Public Utilities Commission is requested to initiate a new proceeding or build upon an existing proceeding to encourage sustainable use of solar power and other renewable resources by the state’s investor-owned utilities; and
  • The Caltrans, Energy Commission and Communications Commission, led by the Communications Commission will establish a specific group tasked recommending policy similar to communications policy for obtaining rights of way and fees for deployment of solar powered transportation networks; and
  • State Water Resources Control Board study green space recovery, storm sewer removal and natural water table restoration provided by solar powered transportation networks; and
  • Department of Forestry and Fire Protection will review ways to integrate solar powered transportation networks as a way to decrease fire risks and environmental load of traditional roads in forests and parks; and
  • Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, part of Caltrans, will encourage integration of solar powered transportation networks with bike, hiking and other alternative uses of rights of way; and
  • As soon as hereafter possible, this Order shall be filed with the Office of the Secretary of State and that widespread publicity and notice be given to this Order.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF I have here unto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of California to be affixed this the twenty-fifth day of May 2008.

/s/

Governor, Legislature, County Board, City Council of _______________________

Note: It is modified from Governor Schwarzenegger’s Executive Orders in California.  As far as I know, the Governor has never seen or heard of this resolution.  It is requested that governments modify and issue such resolutions and executive orders.