Energy Planning in the Usa, 1976
| Author | Ian Fells |
| Published date | 01 October 1976 |
| Date | 01 October 1976 |
| DOI | 10.1177/004711787600500401 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
1061
ENERGY
PLANNING
IN
THE
USA,
1976
by
IAN
FELLS
This
brief
account
is
the
result
of
ten
days
spent
in
the
USA
during
the
late
spring,
and
covers
talks
with
a
wide
spectrum
of
people,
concerned
at
the
highest
level
with
energy
planning
and
the
implementation
of
those
plans.
Any
sense
of
&dquo;crisis&dquo;
as
far
as
energy
supplies
are
con-
cerned
is
almost
completely
absent
during
election
year.
Gaso-
line
is
about
56
cents
a
gallon
and
held
down
like
all
oil
and
gas
prices
but
this
is
seen
as
permissible
as
both
public
and
congress
believe
that
the
major
oil
companies
have
been
pro-
fiteering
and
are
possibly
even
in
league
with
the
Arabs
in
raising
the
oil
price.
As
a
result
gasoline
consumption
has
increased
overall
by
5
per
cent
this
year
with
increases
as
high
as
10
per
cent
in
Massachusetts.
Sales
of
large
cars
are
boom-
ing
with
40
per
cent
increase
in
sales.
Only
in
the
various
energy
agencies
and
in
the
minds
of
a
few
congressmen
is
there
any
appreciation
of
the
problem.
The
environmentalists
(called
by
one
congressman
the
anti-energy
people)
are
determined
to
protect
the
environment
at
all
costs
even
to
the
extent
of
stop-
ping
not
only
nuclear
plant
being
constructed
but
coal
mines,
off
shore
oil
and
even
the
latest
$1,000,000 -
100
kW
windmill
at
Sanduski
Point
because
it
is
&dquo;a
risk
to
birds&dquo;
(sic).
Energy
(oil)
imports
rose
to
40
per
cent
of
demand
last
year
while
indigenous
production
declined
so
that
the
Rockefeller
Energy
Independence
initiative
seems
to
recede
further
and
further
from
realisation.
What
is
going
on
in
government
energy
circles?
The
organisation
of
the
various
energy
agencies
and
administration
is
fairly
recent
and
arose
out
of
Rogers
Morton’s
initiative
when
Secretary
of
the
Interior
and
later
Secretary
for
Commerce.
He
initiated
the
setting
up
of
an
Energy
Resources
Council
now
chaired
by
Eliot
Richardson
but
he
inherited
it
from
Morton
when
he took
over
as
Secretary
of
Commerce.
The
chief
executive
is
Dr.
Frank
Zarb
who
is
Head
of
the
FEA
(Federal
Energy
Agency).
The
Council
consists
of
the
Secretary
of
State,
the
Secretary
of
the
Treasury,
the
Secretary
of
Defence,
the
Attorney
General,
the
Secretary
of
the
Interior,
the
Secretary
of
Agriculture,
the
Secretary
of
Commerce,
the
Secretary
of
Health,
Education
and
Welfare,
the
Secretary
of
Housing
and
Urban
Development,
the
Secretary
of
Transportation,
the
Director
of
the
Once
of
Management
and
Budget,
the
Chairman
of
the
Council
of
Economic
Advisers,
the
Administrator
of
the
Federal
Energy
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