Silicon Valley Leaders Call For Reduced Dependence on Foreign Oil
by an analogZONE special correspondent

More than 30 CEOs of Silicon Valley companies joined with local politicians to pledge their support for public policies that reduce dependence on oil, commit to reducing energy consumption in their own organizations, and promote innovation to develop alternative fuel solutions. They also agreed to reconvene in one year to report actions and measure results.

The CEO Summit on Alternative Energy was hosted by Novellus, in partnership with the Silicon Valley Leadership Group. "In the 1970s America was faced with a less threatening oil situation than what we are now experiencing," said Novellus president Sass Somekh. "As one of the most powerful regions in the world, both economically and technologically, Silicon Valley must participate and help find solutions to a problem that carries economic ramifications as well as national security issues."

Calling our nation's dependence on foreign oil a threat to our economy and our national security, the CEOs urged Congress to:

• Declare reducing dependency on foreign oil a national priority
• Set a 10 year goal of reducing oil imports by at least 2.5 million barrels per day
• Create incentives for the private sector to develop alternative-energy technologies
• Protect alternative-energy businesses from oil-price fluctuations
• Ensure that most cars sold in the U.S. will be flex-fuel vehicles
• Use electricity for transportation to reduce our dependence on imported oil
• Encourage the development of "flex-fuel plug-in hybrid" and practical all-electric autos

In addition, they pledged to:

• Support public policies that reduce dependence on oil
• Support market-based incentives to develop alternative, sustainable energy technologies until they achieve critical massTake action to decrease corporate energy consumption, including supporting alternative commuting and telecommuting programs for employees, shifting company fleets to alternatively-fueled and efficient vehicles, reducing consumption of fossil fuels, and using quantifiable and time-based objectives to measure progress on these programs
• Spur innovation to develop alternative fuel solutions, such as sponsoring alternative fuel, renewable energy, and energy efficiency research through universities and other organizations and developing linkages with the venture capital community to stimulate investment

"As individuals, corporations, and as a community -- in addition to what we can accomplish through public policy -- Silicon Valley can offer innovative ways to enhance alternative energy," said SVLG CEO Carl Guardino. "In Silicon Valley, we know that green is gold, and through clean-and green-tech, we can lead our nation and world on the road to energy independence."

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