As the next President takes office on January 20, 2009, the nation looks to him to come up with a plan that will put an end to the crippling high energy costs. The plan must be thoroughly thought out and based in reality. Yet it must be executed quickly, forcefully, and successfully.

We are repeatedly told that we have lots of oil and gas for the next 60 years. T. Boone Pickens tells us there is a crisis, and we all need to drive compressed natural gas vehicles. The President is shown holding a filling nozzle at a hydrogen filling station, and tells us that the hydrogen economy is our future.

So what is the real situation with oil, and what are our real options for energy? Since neither the media nor our government are offering consistent information that makes sense, I was decided to do some research and find out for myself. What I found was so interesting that I felt compelled to share it.

Here's what I found: We import 70% of our oil. Worldwide, we are consuming oil at twice the rate that new oil is being discovered. Not only are reserves dwindling, but at the same time demand is increasing. In the next 15 years, China will overtake the U.S. as the largest consumer of oil. The competition for this dwindling resource is already becoming fierce.

Here's what I also found: We have the technologies to get ourselves off of oil. We really do. With a serious commitment, adequate funding, and good information, we can get ourselves totally off oil in 15 years.

Yes, we want to get ourselves off of all fossil fuels and on to clean limitless sources of energy. But oil is an immediate crisis. Natural gas, coal, and uranium have an abundant domestic supply for at least another 20 years. We must make oil the first priority.

Oil is a good first place to start. There are many reasons for getting off oil, and they bring together people who are generally on different ends of the political spectrum. Environmentalists want to get us off oil to eliminate the huge volume of greenhouse gases that its use creates. Hardcore security hawks want to end dependence on foreign oil so that we won't be so vulnerable to the whims of the nutcase petro-dictators of the world. Economists want put an end to the trade imbalance of hundreds of billions of dollars leaving the country to buy oil. And the average citizen is still reeling from the memory of $4 a gallon gasoline. Here is a unique opportunity for all of us to come together to get something done.

My book, The Manhattan Project of 2009: Energy Independence NOW, examines our oil situation. It then looks at every use of oil and determines the viable alternatives we have for each use. Next it develops a comprehensive plan to get us off oil. Lastly, it frames the plan as a legislative agenda for our President Obama. This book is not a big long textbook for scientists. Instead it is written in plain simple language for real people, and every section gets right to the point. It is an easy read that will leave you will a good overall perspective on America's energy situation.

Every once in a while in our country's history it is necessary to step up to the plate, make a commitment, and accomplish something huge. It is time once again. This is The Manhattan Project of 2009.

Jeff Wilson has degrees in Physics, Math and Electrical Engineering. Over the past few decades, Jeff has worked as an engineer, entrepreneur, and technical writer. The research that resulted in two books came from Jeff's determination to find out for himself the real truth about America's energy situation.