June 2, 2006

REID ASSAILS HIGH NEVADA GAS PRICES

Clean EDGE Act a Comprehensive Energy Plan for Nevadans

LAS VEGAS, NV — U.S. Senator Harry Reid met with local commuters and business owners at a gas station today to address the sky-rocketing price of gas in Nevada.

“America’s dependence on foreign oil is one of the greatest economic and national security challenges we face right now,” said Reid. “The cost of our dependence on foreign oil is hurting our families, businesses, ranchers and tourism across Nevada and the country.”

At the event Sen. Reid called for the enactment of the Clean EDGE Act, a new energy plan recently unveiled on Capitol Hill. Clean EDGE is a comprehensive five-point plan designed to make America energy independent by the year 2020. The legislation includes provisions that would provide some relief for Nevadans struggling with high gas prices, including consumer protections against price-gouging and market manipulation.

“Gas in Nevada has increased 80 cents in the last year and continues to rise,” said Reid. “In fact it has reached a new all-time high almost every day last month. If we want different results, we need a new direction. The Clean EDGE Act is the new direction Nevada needs.”

The Clean EDGE Act calls for a major investment in the research, development, and production of the alternative energy vehicles, fuels, and technologies that will break our nation’s addiction to foreign oil. The bill will launch an aggressive effort to increase the number of alternative fuel vehicles sold; protect consumers from gas price gouging and market manipulation; reduce our dependence on fossil fuels; put the federal government in the lead in reducing our dependence on foreign oil; and level the playing field for new renewable and energy efficient technologies.

Reid was joined at today’s event by Diane Southworth, a commuter from Pahrump, Rose McKinney-James, a member of the Nevada Renewable Energy Taskforce, and Glen Hardy, a rancher and owner of Hardy and Sons from Moapa Valley.

“My coworkers have expressed the fact that gas prices are putting a damper on things and affecting their families,” said Southworth. “It would be nice to see oil companies’ base their prices on what they pay for the product as opposed to what the future price will be.”

“The real challenge that we face in terms of energy independence is the lack of a coordinated plan but that’s just what this legislation provides us – a coordinated plan,” said McKinney-James.

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