As high gasoline prices continue to rile Americans, Al Gore plans to unveil a multibillion-dollar national energy strategy this week to reduce American dependence on foreign oil and increase energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy. Under the plan, citizens and small businesses would get tax breaks for buying energy-efficient vehicles and appliances, and citizens would also get breaks for converting their homes to alternative heating sources. Gore also wants to boost federal spending for clean mass transit; offer incentives to help spur the development of eco-friendly technologies; and give grants and credits to companies that upgrade or replace polluting power plants and factories. When he outlines his strategy in Philadelphia tomorrow, Gore is expected to make jabs at “big oil” and stress that a thriving economy and cleaner environment go hand-in-hand.
