I came up with this idea when Barack Obama started closing clean coal power plants — with NO replacement power! FOSSIL fuel is 85% of our power and 45% of that comes from COAL. It was incredibly irresponsible of Obama to close those coal plants and dangerous to America!
If EVERY State in the Union is required to build a new power plant, of their choice, with interest-bearing stimulus loans from Uncle Sam, how could we lose? Congressional Legislation or Executive Order could require all 50 States to participate in the Power to Prosperity (PTP) project. PTP would require each state to build one new power plant utilizing “Made in America” materials and US citizens ONLY, with a “Congressional Energy Board” giving FINAL approval of the power plant. No steel from Japan, nor drywall from China! When Republic Steel says ‘”We don’t have the capacity”, they will be provided interest-bearing loans to build/expand steel plants. Steel plants, as well as, concrete and drywall plants MUST use “Made in America” materials and US citizens ONLY, and pay back the loans.
As part of PTP, the EPA should be closed, and all environmental issues handled by the states with mandatory deadlines. Most states do that now, anyways. If a state misses a deadline, the Government can take over the project and fine the state. States will determine what resource will power their plant — nuclear, natural gas, clean coal, oil, hydro, and, when feasible, wind or solar. We will use the greatest resources God gave us and build clean plants!
The PTP will rebuild, update, and bury the National Power Grid to make it “bullet proof” with the same stipulations — US citizens and “Made in America” materials. As power plants are completed, the States must sell the facility to private power companies and repay the loans. The new owners must hire US citizens.
WIN, WIN, WIN! How can we lose? There would be no reason to tariff imports — this plan will solve that problem by itself. I believe this plan will snowball and employ 500,000 Americans the first year construction gets under way — and that is just the beginning!
Cost…you ask. The most expensive, and cleanest, most efficient plants are nuclear, and they cost (at the high end) $8 billion each. If all 50 states selected nuclear, the cost would be $450 billion. That is FAR below the trillion dollar stimulus bill Obama executed, and how did his plan work out? President Trump aspires to stimulus projects that produce jobs, cash flow, and power. It will make America great again and employ every American who wants a good paying job!
The next phase would be to work on the roads and bridges. We cannot live without electric power, but we can survive the potholes and alternate routes because of a condemned bridge.
My story and I’m sticking to it!