Rising energy imports, climate change, and reliance on polluting fossil fuel and nuclear technologies all threaten the nation's economy, national security, public health, and the environment. None of these problems will go away. None will be solved by the new energy bill. In fact, all may well be made worse by it.

Therefore, now that President Bush has signed the Energy Policy Act of 2005, it is time for Congress to pass legislation that actually addresses the nation's energy needs, which include:

a.) reducing greenhouse gas emissions to a level consistent with a world-wide goal of global climate stabilization (e.g., curbing U.S. CO2 emissions by 60-80% from current levels by mid-century);

b.) eliminating U.S. imports of oil and natural gas (now 58% and 15% respectively) as well as uranium;

c.) phasing out the current generation of nuclear power; and

d.) decreasing energy waste and making a transition to sustainable, environmentally safer renewable energy sources.

More specifically, it is economically and technically feasible to actually reduce total domestic energy use by 20% over the next two decades while meeting a fifth of the nation's energy needs with renewables. By 2050, total energy use could actually be cut by 40% or more from today's levels with at least half of U.S. energy supply coming from renewable sources. Such a scenario would also allow for greenhouse gas emissions to be cut by over 60%.

Such an energy future would simultaneously create new domestic jobs and businesses, improve national security and the economy, and enhance the environment and public health.

However, it would require legislative enactment of a politically ambitious agenda that would probably include most of the following components, many of which Congress left on the cutting room floor as it finalized the energy bill:

By 2025, fuel economy standards for cars and trucks should be at least double what they are today, beginning with a 50% increase in fuel economy for new vehicles by the year 2015.

By 2025, total annual person-miles traveled by automobile and truck should be at levels no higher than today through expansion of mass transit, better land use planning, and telecommuting.

By 2025, no less than 25 percent of the nation's liquid transportation fuels should be provided, or displaced, by renewable sources, including renewably-generated hydrogen.

By 2025, no less than 25 percent of the nation's electricity should be generated by renewable energy sources and with a federal mandate to increase that amount by at least one percent/year thereafter.

By 2025, state and/or federal standards should mandate that the energy efficiency of appliances, motors, and lighting should be improved by no less than 20 percent as measured on a total fuel cycle basis.

By 2025, state and/or federal standards should mandate that 20 percent of all new buildings must be zero energy buildings (moving twoards a goal of all new buildings being zero energy by 2050), using a combination of efficient design and clean on-site energy production;

By 2025, energy use in the electricity sector should be reduced by at least 10 percent through the use of clean distributed generation such as combined heat & power, district energy, fuel cells, and improved energy storage and transmission technologies.

In addition, energy efficiency resource standards for electric and gas utilities should be established with a target savings of at least one percent of annual sales each year, on an incremental basis, such that savings build on previous years' impacts.

Expansion of renewable energy, energy efficiency and clean distributed generation technologies should be promoted through national interconnection standards (i.e., net metering and transmission access reforms), production and investment tax incentives, government procurement, updated resource assessment, and state and local planning programs.

Annual federal funding for the research, development, and deployment of energy efficient and renewable energy technologies should be at least doubled over the next five years and expanded to no less than five times current levels by 2025.

Funding to support sustainable energy budget outlays and tax incentives, as well as to alleviate low-income consumer impacts, should be drawn from a mix of gradually increased dedicated taxes on carbon-based fuels, energy imports, and fossil fuel leases on federal lands.

Any new coal-based powerplants should be required to achieve energy efficiency and environmental performance equal to, or better than, the best-available Integrated Combined Cycle Coal Gasification technology, and must include full and permanent carbon capture and sequestration.

Finally, licenses for existing nuclear power plants should not be renewed or extended and federal nuclear funds should be directed towards plant decommissioning and waste clean-up, storage & disposal

Such a legislative agenda would require a level of political leadership and vision rarely displayed by Congress. However, playing ostrich and trying to duck the tough energy problems facing the United States will not make them go away. Now that President Bush has signed Energy Policy Act of 2005 it is time for Congress to return to the drawing board and get serious about producing legislation that actually addresses the nation's energy needs.