Former Virginia politician Allen offers insight on energy crisis
By: Leah Scull, Proof Editor
Issue date: 10/2/08 Section: News
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From 1994-1998, George Allen served as Virginia's 67th Governor, and from 2001-2007 as a United States Senator. In 2006, Allen ran for reelection in the Senate, but lost by a narrow margin to Democratic candidate Jim Webb.
Allen's talk, "Held Hostage by Foreign Oil," focused on America's current energy crisis and its relation to the upcoming presidential election.
Why and when did you decide to come to Lake Forest? Is being back on the North Shore nostalgic for you?
Well, yeah, it kind of is. I first met Pat [Casten] at Young America's Conference in Washington, D.C. this summer. We talked about our love for football, and when his request [for my talk] came in I immediately remembered liking Patrick. I grew up in Deerfield, IL, you call it North Shore, but it's the same county, Lake County. And I said, "Well that will be interesting, I'd like to do it." And I very much like talking to college students in that I was in college at the University of Virginia when I first got involved in politics for Ronald Reagan back in 1976. So, I look at the future of our country through future leaders; and students such as those at Lake Forest College are the future leaders. Oh, and one other thing I should have said, Lloyd Ogilvie went here. I had it written down and I got carried away. He was a Senate Chaplin, and went here.
Al Gore's We Can Solve It campaign advocates for a complete overhaul of the current American system of energy production, calling for 100% clean energy within the next 10 years. Do you see this as a realistic goal? What role do you see renewable energy sources playing in ending our dependence on foreign oil?
To think that we will be completely free of it in ten years is blissfully absurd. I mean what would he be using for electricity generation, these are just basic questions. If we're not going to be using clean coal, and we're not going to be using nuclear, I don't know what he thinks about natural gas. To think that we are going to get all our energy from solar and wind is just oblivious of reality and to do what he's suggesting, would mean that our electricity rates would be skyrocketing in this country, which would put a lot of people out of work and our country would be less competitive for investment in jobs. The key base load for electricity clearly needs to be clean coal technology and advanced nuclear which is safer and more efficient than the way we're doing it presently. Renewables as far as solar I think have a lot of potential particularly in individual buildings and maybe some houses but especially for buildings that will be around for a long time. I think every governmental buildings should be using these innovative, you can call them renewable, but creative technologies whether it's thicker glass, thicker building material so you don't have to use as much energy to cool or heat, better solar panels with the advancements in nanotechnology is really going to be helpful. Nanotechnology as far as materials will be lighter and stronger, leaving less propulsion for vehicles or aircraft and so forth. But I think every state, local, and Federal government buildings ought to be using these energy saving new technologies where it's solar, thicker walls, water comes off the roof and watering the landscaping, don't have landscaping that takes a lot of water…We need to be much less wasteful with practical conservation. I don't know if you would consider batteries renewable because you still need electricity, but I think that's showing a lot of potential. You see the auto manufacturers coming around for the hybrid and battery operated vehicles. GM is coming out with the Volt and Toyota is actually further ahead than US manufactures but I think there is tremendous potential for it and is an essential component in our energy dependence. By the way, Al Gore would also impose all these taxes on American energy, whether it's coal, whether it's oil or natural gas, and it's just oblivious of reality. We're in competition with the rest of the world, China isn't doing this to themselves, neither is India. And we need to make sure we have affordable, reliable American energy.
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