Gore's new alternative energy plan

Al Gore releases new 5 step program. From CNET:

• Incentives for construction of concentrating solar-thermal power plants in the southwest, wind farms in the Midwest, and plants in geothermal "hot spots."
• A $400 billion investment over 10 years to build a "national smart grid" to distribute renewable energy, which he said would quickly offset the annual $120 billion loss from power grid failures. The power grid can be outfitted so that consumers have better tools and information for conserving energy.
• Aid to automakers to convert to the production of plug-in hybrids. Smart-grid technology that enables the cars to be charged during off-peak hours.
• A nationwide effort to retrofit buildings, which account for 40 percent of carbon dioxide emissions, to be more energy-efficient.
• Climate regulations to cap carbon dioxide emissions.

What do you think?

Let's say it costs a trillion dollars more than expected. Some of that investment will be immediately recouped through job creation. Gains in efficiency will eventually recover the rest of those costs, although it might take some time - even many decades. Yet, if a 30 year mortgage is one of the smartest decisions the average American can make, can't a 30 year mortgage to fix America's energy paradigm also be a good idea?

Still, none of that really matters. In the end, innovation will make this program worth the effort. Such a program will result in vast, marketable technological innovations. It's time to embrace technology, not just short term profits for huge corporations that result in trillion dollar wars.