My transformation from oil importer to electron exporter is almost complete. In 2011, we replaced a 13mpg Sequoia with a 26mpg Lexus hybrid, and replaced a 16mpg Mercedes with a 50mpg Prius, that has further been replaced by an all electric Nissan Leaf in 2012. Now both the Ranger and Leaf suck amps rather than oil, and the two hybrids merely sip fuel. Our gasoline bill dropped from $5K in 2010 to $3K in 2011. We expect our gasoline bill to be just $1500 in 2012, since only the Lexus will be burning gas. Know anyone interested in a 2010 Prius V that has been babied since birth? 50mpg average!

We added solar panels in 2009 that dropped our electric bill substantially by reducing net electricity usage from Tier 5 to Tier 2. Adding timers, shifting usage to non-peak hours, and replacing the old pool pump with a variable speed pump, reduced our PG&E bill from $2500 in 2010 to $1600 in 2011 (36% further reduction).

After driving nearly 2,000 miles in the Leaf, I’ve been able to compare electricity and gasoline costs. My electric bill increased only $40. In comparison, the same 2,000 miles driven at today’s gas prices would cost $150 in the Prius, or $576 in the Sequoia. WOW!

How big is the BP Spill in the Gulf of Mexico? Until now, the worst oil spill in history was the Exxon Valdez disaster in Alaska that spilled at least 10.8 Million gallons of crude oil on March 24, 1989. In comparison, the BP Deepwater Horizon blowout is spewing 1.5-2.5 million gallons per DAY! That is the equivalent of one Exxon Valdez spill EVERY WEEK!.

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