Let’s tap into our natural gas resources

David Adams, Las Vegas

Friday, Feb. 4, 2011 | 2:02 a.m.

Regarding the Las Vegas Sun’s Wednesday editorial, “Fueling the economy”:

I support efforts to develop less-polluting methods of generating electricity, such as solar, wind and geothermal, but I fail to see how these methods reduce our dependency on foreign oil for the foreseeable future. Can someone explain?

I know of no electrical power plants that run on oil. How can building a solar array or wind farm reduce the need for oil by even one gallon? Even if you can get automobiles to run on electricity, what will the trucks run on?

Food and commodities are delivered by truck across the United States. Eighteen-wheelers simply cannot run on electrical power. For the foreseeable future, they will be dependent upon oil (in the form of gasoline or diesel fuel) for power. If you completely replace all coal-fired generating plants with wind, solar, geothermal or nuclear, you will still have the problem of fueling trucks to deliver our food and other commodities.

So, when will there be a focus on a real solution to our dependence upon foreign oil? The United States has an abundant supply of natural gas (over 100 years’ worth) in proven reserves. Natural gas burns substantially cleaner than gasoline or diesel fuel. Natural gas can be (and is being) used to power motor vehicles in major cities across America (including buses in Las Vegas).

If the above facts were stressed enough, perhaps our political leaders would pass an energy policy that would encourage development and use of natural gas in the United States. Perhaps there would be a tax break for converting 18-wheelers to natural gas power. Perhaps a tax break for fueling stations or truck stops to provide natural gas as a fuel would be implemented.

For our national security, we need our leaders to provide a real solution to our energy “crisis” before world supplies become even tighter and fuel prices go out of sight.