The recently passed House energy bill included significant provisions to promote renewables and fuel efficiency, but many other less publicized measures move our country away from the energy independence we desperately need. As chairman of the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Caucus for seven years, I am among the most outspoken Members of Congress on alternative sources of energy, but I voted against this bill because its adverse impacts far outweigh its benefits.

The Democratic bill is not really an energy bill, but an environmental regulatory bill focused on global warming. It fails to deliver or provide incentives for new energy production in this country, which is a necessary ingredient with conservation, efficiency and renewable alternatives to bring a balanced and comprehensive solution to American consumers. The House bill will:

* Limit U.S. energy options for our nation’s massive power demands
* Fail to include any new sources of natural gas and nuclear energy
* Raise taxes that, in turn, create higher energy costs for Americans
* Lead to less domestic oil and gas productions
* Hinder the creation of new energy technologies

The most controversial part of the bill is a new standard requiring 15% of electricity to come from various renewable sources by 2020. But clean, emissions-free nuclear power, which comprises 30% of TVA’s energy, is completely left out of the mix. While the House legislation exempts TVA from these requirements, the Senate chairman made it very clear that he would not allow a final bill to pass that exempts any public utility, including TVA. Even most of TVA’s existing hydro-power would not count toward compliance of this requirement, so we must fight against this potentially large rate increase in the TVA region.

The Republican version of the bill, which I voted for, increases new resources in natural gas, petroleum, and nuclear energy, and provides incentives for new domestic sources. It also includes great titles on energy efficiency, conservation, and renewables. Unfortunately, this version failed by a vote of 169-244. We can’t pump our way out of this problem, but we can’t restrict available energy sources either. We must strike a balance in keeping fuel prices affordable while continuing to wean ourselves from dependency on foreign oil.