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U.S.
Senator Member of the Agriculture, Energy and Veterans Affairs
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For Immediate
Release June 16, 2005 |
CONTACT: Cody Wertz – Press Secretary 202-228-3630 Jen Clanahan – Deputy Press Secretary 303-455-7600 |
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| SEN. SALAZAR CONTINUES PUSH FOR AMERICA’S ENERGY INDEPENDENCE WASHINGTON, D.C. – United States Senator Ken Salazar continued to fight to make America energy independent by co-sponsoring one amendment to the Senate energy bill and voting for two more. “Ensuring America’s energy independence is not only a matter of economic security for our consumers and producers, it’s a matter of national security as well. The United States should not be reliant on an unstable region of the world to meet its energy demands,” said Senator Salazar. Senator Salazar was an original cosponsor of an ethanol and biodiesel amendment passed yesterday by the Senate with a bipartisan majority by a vote of 70 to 26. Senator Salazar voted for the amendment, sponsored by Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Pete Domenici (R-NM), which increases ethanol use in America to 8 billion gallons per year through 2012. It mirrors a previous proposal supported by Sen. Salazar during markup of the energy bill in the Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Two biodiesel plants exist in the San Luis Valley already with a third under construction in Monte Vista. Ethanol plants are planned for Evans and Windsor and an ethanol facility in Sterling that is expected to be up and running by October of this year employing 32 people. “The ethanol and biodiesel amendment passed by the Senate yesterday sends a very clear signal to the market that America is committed to this cheap, clean and reliable energy source. It is good for Colorado, good for America, and good for the environment,” Senator Salazar said. Senator Salazar spoke in support of and voted for a renewable portfolio standard (RPS) introduced by Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), ranking member on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Sen. Bingaman’s renewable fuels amendment required that 10 percent of America’s energy produced by 2020 come from renewable sources. The Senate passed the Bingaman RPS amendment, 52-48. The proposal was similar to Amendment 37, the clean energy/ renewable portfolio standard approved by Colorado voters in 2004. “In 2004, the people of Colorado helped lead the way for clean energy use in America. Now the Senate of the United States has followed on the path they have blazed to ensure that our nation’s diverse energy resources are put to use and our dependence on foreign oil is reduced,” said Senator Salazar. Senator Salazar was an original cosponsor of the Cantwell-Salazar amendment to reduce America’s importation of foreign oil. The Cantwell-Salazar amendment established the goal of reducing by 40 percent the amount of oil the United States imports by 2025. In meeting the goal, the U.S. would successfully reduce foreign oil imports by 1.5 million barrels per day compared to 2005 import volume, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, part of the Department of Energy. The Senate rejected the Cantwell-Salazar amendment, 47-53 despite Sen. Salazar’s support. “I am disappointed in the Senate’s action on this proposal. However, I will not stop my efforts to shift America’s energy dependence from foreign oil to domestic sources,” said Senator Salazar. The Senate will continue efforts on the Energy bill today and tomorrow with a goal of concluding action on the bill by the end of next week. # # # |
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