The uprising in Egypt, Tunisia, Jordan, and throughout the Middle East have refreshed concerns over world oil supplies.  That should not even be worthy of the term, “News,” because there is nothing “New,” about the situation.

The U.S. and the rest of the world need to end our use of oil.  Not just our dependency on oil from Middle Eastern totalitarian, terrorist sponsoring nations.  Ending dependency is not enough because as long as hard currency flows to these unsettled parts of the world, the continued unrest will destabilize economies.

Drill here and drill now, but while doing that, let’s free alternative energy from government barriers and stop our government from providing financial support to oil with our tax dollars. National and international security – economic security and personal safety, all depend on our end the use of oil.

Red tape, bureaucracy, government regulations, create a tax on residential and commercial solar power. According to The New York Times that hidden tax adds 30% to the cost of solar and “that could rise to 50 percent in a few years.”

“This is in essence a hidden tax on solar,” said Ken Button, the president of Verengo Solar Plus, a residential solar panel installer in Orange, CA.  Cleaning up and simplifying the municipal regulations would result in the equivalent of a $1 billion stimulus for the industry.  I am sure that $1 billion stimulus would be an enormous benefit to the industry.

It’s interesting to note that even in liberal California where they have tried so many ways to promote green energy, “We have 50 different permitting authorities within 50 miles of our office,” Mr. Button said. “They all have different documentation requirements, different filing processes, different fee structures. It’s like doing business in 50 different countries — just in Southern California.”

We need to demand that our government get out of the way of alternative energy development.

Chinese auto and battery maker BYD, backed by billionaire investor Warren Buffett, plans to bring its all electric e6 to U.S. markets in the first quarter of 2012, according to CNET.   In addition, Ford announced the Ford Focus Electric, an all electric vehicle will be launched in late 2012, per WorldCarFans.com.

The Huffington Post reports that electric vehicles still face challenges due to the car’s cost and range.  Ford has not revealed the price for the Focus EV but Huff Post reports that, “they let slip a coy remark that it would be priced better than the Chevrolet Volt, and competitively with others.”  The Nissan Leaf is approximately $32,000, BYD’s e6 will be $42,000, and both will be eligible for federal subsidies.  Ford and BYD expect their EVs to have a range of 100 miles per charge, comparable to the Leaf’s.

One of the biggest barriers to our nation’s transition to electric vehicles (EVS) is the lack of charging stations.  Charging stations will enable people that do not park their cars in garages with access to electric for overnight, or people away from their garages to recharge their vehicles.  Lack of charging stations is currently a barrier to EV development.

My home state of Georgia can take a lead in the development of charging stations, and as a result, a lead the nation in EV development according to Bob Miller vice chairman of the Technology Association of Georgia’s Smart Grid Society and works for IBM.

Miller’s vision is powerful and he is correct that Georgia can lead the nation.  I will add that Georgia should lead the nation, for two very important reasons beyond the obvious economic benefits.  1) Georgia is beautiful country.  Even here in metro Atlanta we are a city of trees unlike most major cities.  Yet we also have significant air pollution problems that EVs will help to reduce.  2) Georgia is home to several military installations and many of our troops stationed elsewhere call Georgia home.  As we have learned from the WikiLeaks documents, the money we spend on oil funds the terrorists that want to kill us.  That needs to end.

Miller’s column is valuable read.  Georgia can power electric car grid.

Saudi Arabia wants the U.S. to destroy the Iranian nuclear weapons program.  Saudi Arabia will not publicly support the U.S. in this effort however, because…the Saudis who are the number one financial supporters of Sunni terrorists and the mosques that brainwash those terrorists, won’t want to be seen supporting America.

New York Times columnists Thomas Friedman goes through the national and international security issues in his Sunday column.  He makes a very convincing case for freeing ourselves from oil without ever talking about global warming.  “Think how different our conversations with Saudi Arabia would be if we were in the process of converting to electric cars powered by nuclear, wind, domestic natural gas and solar power?”

You don’t need to believe in global warming to understand that we can not simply drill here and drill now to end our financing of global terrorism.  We have to replace oil as our energy source in order to break that market.

But if that case for security does not convince you, then how about this; I just read a report from Reuters that crude oil is now above $90 per barrel. Does $90 a barrel convince you?  At what price do we begin?

If we don’t start taking alternative energy seriously terrorists are going to have the free world over some very expensive barrels of oil.

I was not surprised by the WikiLeaks finding, reported by the New York Times, that “terrorist funding emanating from Saudi Arabia remains a serious concern.”  From WikiLeaks we learn that “the real money is in the Gulf,” and Al Qaeda is “able to generate money almost at will from wealthy individuals.”

What we don’t see in these cables is the source of the money that goes to the Gulf.  We don’t need to see the source because we know that it is from us; western, oil using nations.  We pour all the money into that part of world.  So whether Al Qaeda robs a Middle Eastern bank or gets a donation from a sheik, it all starts with us.  Every time we start the car or turn on the lights.

Drill here drill now might ease the problem but alternative energy development is the only way to break the oil market.  That, folks, means that alternative energy is about national and international security.  And nothing less.

Offshore wind farms received a huge boost Tuesday from the federal government.  Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced plans to speed up the permitting process in order to cut times to less than 2 years, down from 7 years or more, according to the Huffington Post.

Salazar and other federal officials will work with Atlantic coast states to identify sites with high wind potential and few conflicts for competing uses.  The states include Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Massachusetts with additional sites to include New York, Maine, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia.

Leases could be issued as early as late next year or early 2012 according to the report.

Hertz, the rental car company that recently announced that it will have the Nissan Leaf available in the U.S. and Europe, has added the EV from Coda Automotive to its plans for California locations, according to FastCompany. Coda’s EVs will be available in early 2011.

Coda’s features include a more powerful battery that provides a 100 mile range and 134 horsepower.

Wheego’s LiFe will emphasize customer service with what it calls a full-speed model capable of handling downtown LA traffic, according to WardsAuto.com.  Wheego manufactures electric vehicles, EVs.

The new Wheego customer support plan includes maintaining close contact with customers using a model comparable to that of internet service providers.  “Right now, if you have a problem with your software or your internet service, you call techno support or customer service and they’ll stay on the line and help you,” said CEO Mike McQuary, who once headed up Internet service-provider Mindspring.

The LiFe is on sale now throughout the country.  For more on this EV go to WardsAuto.com.

EnerG2, developer of high-performance carbon materials for a system called an ‘ultracapacitor’ thinks that a 30% increase in the efficiency of hybrid trucks is possible when an ultracapacitor system is installed.

The ultracapacitor is an “energy storage systems with very high energy density,” made with a carbon electrode.  Scientists used charred coconut husks to obtain the material until Dr. Aaron Feavor developed man made materials that are, “perfect for energy storage.”

Feaver formed EnerG2 with Rick Luebbe and Chris Wheaton.  The company is now developing a factory to produce the carbon materials for ultracapacitors, thanks in part to a $21.3 million Recovery Act Advanced Battery Supplier grant through the U.S. Department of Energy.

Ultracapacitors made with EnerG2’s carbon materials will be a major step to reducing the storage issues that are obstacles to the wider energy storage needed to replace the internal combustion engine.

To learn more, visit: The Story of an Energy Storage Startup.