Energy Independence
One of my top priorities in Congress has been crafting a balanced national energy plan, based in equal amounts on production, conservation, and innovation. As a country, we heavily rely on foreign oil to fuel our daily lives, sending nearly $800 million per day to oil producing countries in the Middle East and elsewhere. Reducing our dependence on foreign oil is critical to strengthening our national security and bolstering our domestic alternative energy industry.
Finding alternative fuels is especially important given the recent hardships energy prices are placing on families' pocketbooks. Last summer, we saw gas prices near $4.00 a gallon and oil prices over $140 per barrel. There are many factors that contributed to the sharp rise in price, including: increased demand both at home and abroad, decreased supply, instability in the Middle East, and strict regulations in California that require our fuel to be blended with more expensive additives in order to reduce pollution. Since the causes stem from a number of different sources there is unfortunately no easy, short-term solution to this problem.
It is now time to take the leap toward energy self-sufficiency. In this current session of Congress, we will likely consider legislation that creates efficiency incentives while restructuring our supply grip and developing new sources of power. These new initiatives will build on prior efforts aimed at lowering gas prices, cutting off windfall tax breaks for big oil, and encouraging the use of clean alternative energy technologies.
That is why I installed solar panels on my home in Atwater, CA in order to do my part to conserve energy. Even during the hot Valley summers, my family is often producing more energy than we are using and removing hundreds of pounds of greenhouse gasses from the atmosphere. I encourage more Californians, with our abundant sunshine, to look into the promise of solar energy for their families.
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• I strongly supported H.R. 6049, the Renewable Energy and Jobs Creation Act, in the 110th Congress. This measure extended and expanded tax incentives for renewable energy which will, in turn, retain and create hundreds of thousands of green jobs in the United States.
See H.R. 6049 as passed by the House
• In June 2008, I introduced H.R. 2848, the Solar Opportunities and Local Access Rights (SOLAR) Act to mandate the ability for solar customers to sell back unused electricity to the grid, reduce barriers to solar implementation, and to create a Center for Advanced Solar Research to help bring solar technologies to more Americans. I will be introducing this measure again this Congress.
See press release on H.R. 2848
See H.R. 2848 as introduced
• I was an ardent supporter of H.R. 5351, the Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act of 2008, which passed the House of Representatives on February 27, 2008, but did not pass the Senate. Among other things, this important legislation would have ended unnecessary subsidies to big oil companies, at a time when they are reporting record profits, and invested the revenue in clean, renewable energy and energy efficiency.
See H.R. 5351 as passed by the House |
