ASME, in collaboration with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE-USA), has issued a proclamation outlining critical national energy priorities and programs for the Obama Administration and the U.S. Congress to consider in the next several years. Twenty-one engineering societies, representing over one million engineers, have endorsed the “National Energy Policy Goals Proclamation” of ASME and IEEE-USA, which emphasizes research and development in new technologies as part of a comprehensive strategy to protect U.S. economic and national security.

This call to action supports a balanced national energy portfolio that combines traditional energy sources – including natural gas, coal and nuclear power – with renewable energy such as wind, geothermal, solar, and biomass to support reliable, abundant and economically viable energy for the nation’s current and future energy challenges. The proclamation also calls for policy objectives that encourage energy conservation, reward energy efficiency and foster energy breakthroughs, like electric vehicles, which can permanently impact the domestic energy landscape.

The proclamation, which has been sent to lawmakers on Capitol Hill, calls for maximizing the use of electric power and the modernization of the nation’s electric transmission grid. It also urges maximized use of electricity for the transportation sector, and the establishment of viable and sustainable national energy efficiency and conservation goals, among other objectives.

Announcing this effort, ASME President Thomas M. Barlow and IEEE-USA President Gordon Day issued a joint letter to lawmakers urging their consideration and adoption of the goals stated in the proclamation as they draft and consider energy legislation that could transform the nation’s energy programs. The two societies are also leading an energy policy alliance focused on providing information on energy legislation and serving as a resource to the engineering community.