> If/when viable alternatives to petroleum fuels are available, the transition will happen. "Are available"? You seem to misunderstand how things become avail

> If/when viable alternatives to petroleum fuels are available, the transition will happen. "Are available"? You seem to misunderstand how things become available. Usually people spend time and effort to make them available. Financial incentives makes research departments and universities spend time on it. > Companies like Tesla and every major automobile manufacturer have R&D going on in this area right now. Surely that has not been enough. > Grabbing $2 billion via a new tax on oil production will do nothing to further that, however. "nothing"? You are horribly mistaken here as well. Progress is the direct result of people doing research. $2e9 pours many more researchers on the problem. I am curious to know how much R&D money has been spent on improving batteries in Sony, Apple, Tesla and other manufacturers altogether. > Look at results of similar "stimulus" spending a few years ago. Usually "quickly grab this money and do research" is less efficient than organic research. So, it all comes down to how the stimulus plan is executed. Nothing is wrong with the whole idea, though.