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For Immediate Release Contact: Betsy Hart
August 06, 2008 (202) 226-8555

HERSETH SANDLIN, BIPARTISAN GROUP INTRODUCE COMPREHENSIVE ENERGY LEGISLATION IN HOUSE

Bill Represents Bipartisan Breakthrough - Includes Compromise Agreements on Controversial Sticking Points Including Increased Domestic Production and Production Tax Credit for Wind

August 6, 2008, Washington, DC- In an effort to get beyond the partisan stalemate and move forward with bipartisan solutions to the nation’s energy crisis, the House Energy Working Group recently introduced a comprehensive energy bill with support from a range of Democrats and Republicans, including Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin. The bill seeks to break through and move beyond the familiar political arguments that have prevented progress on meaningful energy legislation. Importantly, the bill includes compromise agreements on longstanding, controversial sticking points such as increased domestic production in the Outer Continental Shelf and key tax incentives for renewable energy.

H.R. 6709, “The National Conservation, Environment and Energy Independence Act,” features a range of short- and long-term provisions to enhance America’s energy security, including measures to increase domestic supply through more exploration, extend production tax credits over multiple years, and make greater investments in renewable sources of energy like biofuels and wind. The bill’s bipartisan lead sponsors are Rep. Neil Abercrombie (D-HI) and John Peterson (R-PA), and it has 119 bipartisan cosponsors.

“When it comes to bringing down prices at the pump and enhancing our energy security, Americans deserve more from their leaders than partisan fighting and political stunts,” Rep. Herseth Sandlin said. “We need to break away from these same old battles fought along the same old party lines, and look for common ground. This comprehensive energy package has support and input from members on both sides of the aisle, and represents a true compromise. I’m optimistic that when my colleagues return after spending time talking to constituents in their district about the need for less talk and more action from Washington, they will be eager to move this package forward.”

Notably, the bill includes language to count woody biomass derived from federal lands towards the Renewable Fuels Standard. This language is similar to that in Rep. Herseth Sandlin’s bill, the Renewable Biomass Facilitation Act (H.R. 5236). Herseth Sandlin said, “Virtually prohibiting the inclusion of woody biomass from federal lands as part of the Renewable Fuels Standard was a serious mistake, and I’ve been working to change it ever since.”

In addition, the National Conservation, Environment and Energy Independence Act includes the following provisions:

• Mandates the release of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, which can reduce the current price of oil.
• Extends tax incentives for renewable energy production from wind, solar and geothermal and other sources – including a five-year extension of Production Tax Credit for wind - and creates a new incentive for plug-in hybrid automobiles.
• Takes a major step toward U.S. energy independence by opening the Outer Continental Shelf 25 miles or more from the coastline to “Over the Horizon” oil and natural gas production for domestic use only. The issue of increased domestic drilling has been extremely controversial in the Congress, and the inclusion of this provision represents an important breakthrough.
• Provides the first stable, designated funding source for the development of alternative fuels, renewable energy and environmental restoration by allocating the estimated $2.6 trillion in oil royalties from oil and gas production in the Outer Continental Shelf as follows:
  • 30% to the U.S. Treasury;
  • 30% to the adjacent State;
  • 8% to the Conservation Reserve created by this Act;
  • 10% to the Environment Restoration Reserve Fund created by this Act;
  • 15 % to the Renewable Energy Reserve Fund created by this Act;
  • 5% to the Carbon Capture/Sequestration and Nuclear Waste Reserve Fund created by this Act;
  • 2% to the Lower Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).

###

Congresswoman Stephanie Herseth Sandlin serves South Dakota in the U.S. House of Representatives. She is a member of the Blue Dog Coalition, a group of moderate Democrats committed to fiscal discipline and strong national security, and is co-chair of the Rural Working Group, which is dedicated to raising the profile of issues important to rural America. She also serves on three committees vital to South Dakota’s interests: Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs and Natural Resources. In the 110th Congress, Rep. Herseth Sandlin was one of only 15 members appointed to serve on the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming.