A path to oil independence.

• Author: Brown, Lester R.
• Position: Eye On Ecology

WITH THE PRICE OF OIL soaring to record levels, political instability in the Middle East on the rise, and little slack in the world oil economy, we need a new energy strategy. Two emerging technologies--gas-electric hybrid engines and advanced-design wind turbines--offer a way to wean the U.S. off of imported oil. If, over the next decade, we convert the U.S. automobile fleet to hybrids with the efficiency of today's Toyota Prius, we could cut our gasoline use in half--no reduction in the number of vehicles or miles driven; just doing it more efficiently.

At present, three gas-electric models are on the market: the Toyota Prius, Honda Insight, and a hybrid version of the Honda Civic. The midsize Prius--a car on the cutting-edge of automotive technology-gets an astounding 55 mpg in combined city/highway driving. No wonder there are lists of eager buyers willing to wait six months for delivery.

Ford recently released a hybrid model of its Escape SUV. Honda is about to do the same with its popular Accord sedan. General Motors will offer hybrid versions of several of its cars beginning with the Saturn VUE in 2006, followed by the Chevy Tahoe and Malibu. Beyond this, GM has delivered 235 hybrid buses to Seattle, Wash., with the potential to reduce gasoline use there by up to 60%. Other cities slated to go this route are Philadelphia, Pa.; Houston, Tex.; and Portland, Ore.

With hybrid cars now on the market, the stage is set for the second step to reduce oil dependence, the use of wind-generated electricity to power automobiles. If we add to the gas-electric auto a plug-in option and a second battery to increase electricity storage capacity, motorists could do their commuting, shopping, and other short-distance travel largely with electricity, saving gasoline for the occasional long trip. This could lop another 20% off gasoline use in addition to the initial 50% cut from shifting to hybrids, for a total reduction in gasoline use of 70%.

This plug-in ability would give drivers access to the country's vast--and largely untapped--wind resources. In 1991, the Department of Energy published a "National Wind Resource Inventory" in which it pointed out that three states--Kansas, North Dakota, and Texas--have enough harnessable wind energy to satisfy national electricity needs. Many were astonished, since wind power had been considered a marginal energy source. They would be even more amazed today, since the DOE's projections were a gross...