Letter: Energy independence requires leadership

Sunday, Jan. 28, 2007 | 7:31 a.m.

After listening to President Bush's energy proposals in his State of the Union message, Gov. Jim Gibbons' energy proposals and the proverbial meaningless diatribes and chest beating from both sides of Congress, why doesn't Gibbons take a stand and do something concrete ... anything ... about energy independence?

Look outside. We in Nevada have more sunshine than we can stand. If the governor would propose legislation making it mandatory that, say, in three years all new housing built in Nevada must have passive solar energy systems for generating electricity, heating water, and using "solar tubes" for supplemental lighting, we could put Nevada on the map and actually do something about energy consumption. Excessive cost? Lack of technology? Bull!

There's one thing Americans can do and that is innovate. If there is a buck to be made, then we innovate immediately . If mandatory regulations are looming around the corner, the technology will come out of every little garage and small business around. People will be busting the doors down to develop the best systems to get the leading edge on a mandatory program. And competition not only leads to innovation and quality but also to lower unit costs for the consumer.

California's governor seems to be able to push "radical" ideas through his Legislature. How about it, Gov. Gibbons? Take the lead. Make your mark. Show the rest of the country that Nevada is about something other than gambling and a nuclear waste site controversy.

If Nevada and some of the other states in the Southwest adopt such plans, we might actually do something about our energy dependence to foreign oil.

J.J. Schrader, Henderson