ASME Outlines Energy Priorities for U.S. Future
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), in collaboration with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE-USA), has issued a proclamation outlining critical national energy priorities and programs for the Obama Administration and the U.S. Congress to consider in the next several years.
Twenty-one engineering societies, representing over 1 million engineers, have endorsed the National Energy Policy Goals Proclamation of ASME and IEEE-USA, which emphasizes research and development in new technologies as part of a comprehensive strategy to protect U.S. economic and national security.
This call to action supports a balanced national energy portfolio that combines traditional energy sources -- including natural gas, coal, and nuclear power -- with renewable energy such as wind, geothermal, solar, and biomass to support reliable, abundant, and economically viable energy for the nation's current and future energy challenges. The proclamation also calls for policy objectives that encourage energy conservation, reward energy efficiency, and foster energy breakthroughs that can permanently impact the domestic energy landscape.
The proclamation calls for maximizing the use of electric power and the modernization of the nation's electric transmission grid. It also urges maximized use of electricity for the transportation sector, and the establishment of viable and sustainable national energy efficiency and conservation goals, among other objectives.