There are few issues as far-reaching as energy. Every day, American families and businesses need reliable and affordable energy to power our homes, cars, schools, stores, factories and offices. Energy is important to our economy, our prosperity and our way of life.
Unfortunately, energy production and consumption can degrade our air, land and water and deplete finite resources. And every day, American service men and women put their lives on the line overseas to ensure that oil can flow from the Middle East, Africa and elsewhere to the corner filling stations here in America. For these reasons, decisions we make today will greatly touch our economy, environment and security for generations.
This is why I feel so strongly that America must promote a balanced energy policy that transitions the nation from our heavy dependence on polluting, and sometimes insecure, fossil fuels to more efficient, clean and reliable energy. The key to this transition is technology. With leadership from the federal government, America can significantly increase the use of renewable energy, such as wind, solar, geothermal and biomass to generate electricity. We can build more efficient cars, saving more than 2 million barrels of oil each day in the coming decades. We can develop alternatives to oil to power transportation from increased use of natural gas to bio-fuels. We can construct a modern transportation infrastructure to reduce oil consumption, especially our passenger rail service for urban and suburban commuters.
I believe that such a national strategy would strengthen America.
It would reduce the pollution connected with asthma, lung cancer
and heart disease. It would reduce the pollution associated with
global warming. It would strengthen our national security by lessening
our dependence on oil and our vulnerability to imported oil. Instead
of sending American dollars overseas, we’d be investing in American
farmers producing bio-diesel, American workers building more efficient
cars. There are hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of jobs
to be created in the design, manufacture, refining and distribution
of domestic, renewable energy.
It is time for America to become proactive and innovative in finding
solutions to our energy concerns. I am committed to this effort,
and I hope that you will join me in supporting a balanced energy
policy toward energy security.
There are few issues as far-reaching as energy. Every day, American
families and businesses need reliable and affordable energy to power
our homes, cars, schools, stores, factories and offices. Energy
is important to our economy, our prosperity and our way of life.
Unfortunately, energy production and consumption can degrade our
air, land and water and deplete finite resources. Every day, American
service men and women put their lives on the line overseas to ensure
that oil can flow from the Middle East, Africa and elsewhere to
the corner filling stations here in America. For these reasons,
decisions we make today will greatly touch our economy, environment
and security for generations. Throughout his career, Senator Kerry
has fought for a balanced national energy policy that enhances our
use of fossil fuel energy, promotes domestic renewable energy like
solar, wind, geothermal and biomass and promotes clean energy technologies
such as efficiency and fuel cells. Senator Kerry has always fought
for Massachusetts families and consumers facing high energy costs
today. Some of his work for Massachusetts and the nation is outlined
below.
Senator Kerry has led the fight to protect Americas natural
treasures including the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge from oil
and gas drilling. President Bush has pledged to lease the Refuges
coastal plain, its biological heart, to oil and gas companies. The
resulting development would industrialize the Refuge and forever
degrade its pristine ecosystem. Senator Kerry believes the benefits
of drilling are simply too small and that the Refuge should be protected
for future generations.
When the Bush Administration signaled that it may overturn a longstanding policy prohibiting oil and gas drilling off the coast of New England, and especially in the fishing ground of Georges Bank, Senator Kerry moved to strengthen that prohibition. The Senator amended the law preventing drilling to ensure New England’s coast had the same protections as other federal waters. The provision became law in 2001.
Senator Kerry and Senator John McCain put forth a bipartisan proposal to increase the fuel economy of cars and trucks sold in America to between 32 and 36 mpg by 2015. By 2020, the proposal would save 2 million barrels of oil per day, reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 127 million metric tons annually, reduce smog and ozone forming pollution by 201 million kilograms annually, reduce toxic emissions by 93 million kilograms annually, and save consumers $28 billion.
Senator Kerry is a lead cosponsor of the CLEAR Act to provide tax credits to consumers who purchase advanced technology vehicles. Using hybrid, electric, fuel cell and alternative fuel technologies, these cars, trucks and buses reduce our dependence on oil, cut pollution and save consumers money. Toyota, Honda and Ford will all have hybrids in the market starting in 2003, including S.U.V.s that will achieve 40 mpg on the highway.
Senator Kerry has called for the creation of a national renewable
portfolio standard of 20 percent by 2020. Under this proposal, 20
percent of all electricity produced in the United States would come
from renewable sources like wind, solar, geothermal and biomass.
Senator Kerry authored an amendment to the FY2002 Budget Resolution
that increased budget authority for renewable energy, energy efficiency,
research and other programs to reduce air pollution and mitigate
global warming. The amendment passed the Senate.
Senator Kerry has called for a balanced energy policy including significant oil and gas production. He supports the exploration and development of vast tracks of state and federal land throughout the U.S., including in Alaska, in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico and elsewhere. For example, Alaska recently completed a lease sale of 950,000 acres on its North Slope and has plans to lease another 7 million acres. The Department of the Interior has plans to lease 3 million acres of federal land in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska. Some 32 million acres in the Gulf of Mexico, which British Petroleum (BP) has called one of the most promising reserves in the world, have been leased but are not, yet, in production. Senator Kerry also supports federal assistance in the creation of a pipeline carrying natural gas from the oil fields of Alaska’s North Slope to the lower 48 states.
Senator Kerry authored provisions in the Pipeline Safety Improvement Act to strengthen pipeline
safety, inspection and enforcement. There have been approximately 5,700 natural gas and oil
pipeline accidents nationwide, with 54 of them occurring in Massachusetts, since 1984. The
legislation has passed the Senate and awaits House consideration.
In the winter of
2000, New England was hit by skyrocketing heating oil prices. Senator
Kerry called on Energy Secretary Richardson to organize a meeting
to investigate the cause and solutions. The Summit took place in
Boston, where Senator Kerry, industry leaders and officials from
around New England joined Secretary Richardson to gather information
and press for solutions.
Senator Kerry authored the Home Heating
Readiness Act, a bill to require the Secretary of Energy to report
to Congress on the readiness of the heating oil and propane industries
to prevent and prepare for shortages. The Senator also cosponsored
the Summer Fill Act, which encouraged consumers to fill tanks when
fuel is relatively less expensive in the summer months. Both bills
were signed into law by President Clinton.
Senator Kerry joined
other New England Senators to secure funding to assist low income
families facing high energy costs. Commonly referred to as LIHEAP,
the program, whose funding exceeds $1.5 billion, is used to help
families make regular payments in the case of emergencies and to
improve home efficiency and lower heating and cooling costs. Senator
Kerry supported the creation of a Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve
to respond to localized price shocks and a "swap" from the Strategic
Petroleum Reserve of 30 million barrels to respond to short market
difficulties. A reserve was created and a swap took place in 2000.
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