Customer Reviews

Winning Our Energy Independence: An Energy Insider Shows How

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"Winning our Energy Independence" is exactly what it purports to be: a series of well-considered opinions and recommendations from a 40-plus year veteran of the U.S. energy industry. As anyone who has dealt with the author in person can attest, Commissioner Freeman doesn't espouse ideas unless they are solidly backed with fact and hard-earned experience. The book logically lays out the problems resulting from our current energy base, including economics, health and environmental issues, and national security. He then leads the reader through a series of suggestions to improve the situation, discussing the pluses and minuses of each technology while avoiding the pitfalls posed by one-size-fits-all solutions.

The book does contain a couple of minor technical errors. For example, the brief description of electrolysis is not quite accurate. There are also a few typographical errors such as kW instead of kWh, but these are minor and most people should recognize them. The book avoids detailed science and statistics in favor of readability. However, for those wanting charts and graphs and other background data, the author has thoroughly referenced his facts chapter by chapter.

The book is written in an easily accessible style, similar to the plain-speak the author is well known for. It should be of interest to and easily understood by a wide range of readers, including policy makers, technologists, students and the general public.

"The United States has a lot to learn from the rest of the world."

Bold and true. No one convinced Freeman it is polite to lie in order for America appear good. No one convinced Freeman it is for Americans to drive SUVs everywhere just because they need to express freedom. One can express freedom by farting out loud in a cafeteria, but I wouldn't be proud if I did it. I would be embarrassed. No one convinced Freeman that by holding onto your arrogance and downright stupidity that one shows a measure of authority necessary to keep the world in line. No one convinced Freeman it is necessary for troops to die in Iraq so that their deaths would not be in futility, and that this simpleton logic deserves no further exploration. Freeman is not convinced that America is not above learning. Freeman thinks America will actually benefit from learning. If one is so smart to be beyond all help then don't bother reading this book.

In the last three years there have been many books on the subject of energy independence, and while there is some agreement there are also distinctions. Freeman's positions are pro-Hydrogen, pro-Lithium, and anti-nuclear. Freeman will admit that Hydrogen fuel cells need work, but believes that work here will be worth the effort. I'm not sure how hydrogen fuel cells will work in a place like Phoenix if there are 2 million cars on the road giving off water vapor when it is 120 degrees in the shade. Water vapor emissions will cause an increase in humidity and also increases temperature as it is a strong greenhouse gas until it precipitates. Hydrogen is not ready for the market. Hydrogen needs a good deal of work to make it inexpensive for manufacture and available to the public.

While I like Richardson's plan, I welcome discussion of Freeman as it has become well beyond time to get on with a new energy plan for America. Let's stop taking down the solar panels from the White House and do something right for a change.

This is a terrific book for anyone who is interested in understanding why a clean energy future is not only possible, it is inevitable. We don't need oil, coal, and nuclear. We can get all the energy we need from the sun, the wind, and other limitless renewable sources. Dave Freeman has been an energy executive for nearly six decades. You can take what he says in his book to the bank. A very worthwhile read.

No one is better at laying out the big picture more clearly than Freeman. In this case, the big picture is the future of energy. Read this book if you are confused or overwhelmed by all the information coming at you about wind, solar, coal and the the range of energy technologies that each purport to be the next answer to our problems. In a sobering yet hopeful way, Freeman cuts through the noise and reminds us that there are many very real options available today which, when combined, can move us forward toward a clean and sustainable energy future.

Freeman lays out the actions that America--make that the world--needs to take. That is, if we plan to get on the right side of climate change!!

His sense of wit and his common speak make the book readable for everyone, and at times, down right hilarious. If the book was required reading for all government and electric utility employees, not to mention citizens, the US might actually get off its dangerous diet of fossil and nuclear fuels.

As an aside, I read a negative review of the book on Amazon, but must inform the person who posted it that they are technically wrong. Power IS calculated to consumers on a Cents-Per-Kilowatt-Hour-Basis, and it is NOT uncommon for large amounts of power to be defined in millions of kilo-watt or mega-watt hours. The other remarks were not understandable or overly political. Like my mother used to say, "Don't trust an ideologue that has their facts mixed up."

This is an excellent and very readable description of how we can make the change to a renewable clean energy future by someone who has been in the forefront of the power generation process for many decades. It should be required reading for any educational settting where energy and national security issues are studied. There is an energy future for the planet that can prevent predicted catastophic climate change, and that future can be NOW if we follow the pathway described in this book. Read and discuss with your kids too!

Winning Our Energy Independence: An Energy Insider Shows How by S. David Freeman is an excellent book by an expert. It is an apolitical pragmatic argument for how and why the USA should change our energy use from fossil fuels to renewables. Freeman spent decades rescuing power companies and improving their efficiency. If the guy called in to save failing power companies says making them greener saves them, we should probably listen. Freeman certainly has more accurate and thorough knowledge than the people claiming we can't afford to move to renewable energy. He provides a good critique of the distorted system that has led to current inefficiencies.

"... efficiency and renewables are cheaper even on the misleading pricing system we use. If we consider--and we must--the health costs of air pollution, the proliferation and radiation risks of nuclear, and the health and global warming costs of coal, it is a no-brainer."

Now that sustainable energy is economical--but still little used--Freeman proposes using subsidies to jump-start their implementation. He proposes a workable solution that will make the world a better place as well as saving money over the long term. I agree with Freeman's assessment of the situation and the end results of his proposed solution. I don't like all the details of his proposed solution, but it is probably more likely to happen than my preferred answer of removing the existing subsides to dirty power. The existing subsidies probably won't be removed, so this is a more pragmatic, less idealistic solution.

In addition to the solution provided, I like that Freeman provides some numbers to go with statements I have heard from other sources. For example, an interisting statistic that I hadn't seen anyone put a number with is that compared to the average car, a plug-in hybrid emits 1/4 the CO2. And that is when powered by coal generated electricity. The number goes down with cleaner power plants. This is in addition to the gasoline saved, "If everyone drove an HEV 60, it would cut gasoline consumption by over 70 percent."

This is an excellent book that debunks all the arguments against moving to sustainable energy. I wonder if Freeman puts too much emphasis on hydrogen for storage, but over all his solution is reasonable. I spent far more time searching for original sources and checking his math than I did reading the book. If I hadn't, this would have been a quick read. I would have preferred better footnotes, but the format used is appropriate for the intended audience. <em>Winning Our Energy Independence</em> makes my short list of books that everyone should read. As Freeman says, "There can be no more urgent task for humanity than to find, as rapidly as possible, alternatives to burning the limited fossil fuels on Earth." I hope it is effective enough that I am able to move it from this list to a list of books that are interesting for their historic impact.

When a lifetime energy insider who has been a CEO of many public utilities writes a book that sings the virtues of wind, solar, conservation and electric cars it gives us hope that a sustainable future is more than a dream. Freeman shows us what we can start doing today and in the next few decades to start moving towards a safer, cleaner, reliable and cheaper sources of energy for our cars, homes and cities. He shows us we do not need to switch from oil to other fossil fuels, but can switch directly to renewables starting right now with wind and solar, and rechargeable hybrids in two or three years when they come out. If you are depressed hearing about peak oil and global warming read this book for a pick up.

Freeman's book was easy to read even though it presents a comprehensive plan to deal with today's most pressing issues: re-graining America's leadership role in the world, halting pollution and global warming, reducing the threat of terrorism, and kick-jumping the economy. It's exciting to read about these possibilities all in one book -- and it gives me hope for our future. I was so impressed by the book that I bought it for all my book-club friends and gave several out as Christmas gifts.

In all truth, I haven't read the book yet, which may seem a little strange. And in fact, even as an avid reader, this is the first review I've ever written on Amazon. I saw the one negative review and felt I needed to give my two cents about Dave Freeman and his work.

This work and this issue are too important to let this one go by. I've heard Dave Freeman speak before and happened to stumble onto a radio interview he gave recently. Talk about Hutzpah! Dave Freeman has more experience in the energy field than most people speaking on the topic. The man is a no-nonsense, say it like it is, fountain of wisdom. You know when you only get to hear some of an interview and you're so frustrated you didn't get to hear the rest. Listening to Dave Freeman is like this. The guy's a jewel.

I was so impacted, I decided to buy 10 copies of this book to share with my friends and family. I encourage you to go out and do the same. This book is not just for the choir.