Energy tsunami coming, ex-policymakers warn

A bipartisan group of 27 elder statesmen is sending an open letter to both presidential candidates and every member of Congress saying the country faces “a long-term energy crisis” that threatens the security and prosperity of future generations if swift action isn’t taken.

The group includes Henry Kissinger, Colin Powell and six other former secretaries of state or defense, former senators of both parties and a half-dozen former senior White House advisers and other Cabinet officers for both Republican and Democratic presidents.

The letter includes 13 broad recommendations. They include aggressively promoting energy efficiency and reducing power consumption, increased commitments to both nuclear energy and renewable energy sources, making coal more environmentally acceptable and moving transportation away from oil as a fuel.