This week in Congress, my colleagues and I addressed and voted on a
series of energy bills, with the goal of developing a sensible, comprehensive
energy policy that will benefit America's working families.
The first measure Congress passed was the Energy Policy Act, which offers
incentives that encourage American refineries to produce more gasoline
and oil by-products. This measure also requires that U.S. gasoline contain
specific volumes of the corn-based additive ethanol. Incorporating more
ethanol into gasoline requires us to use less oil, and is better for the
environment because it creates cleaner burning fuel.
Congress also passed legislation that will increase the United States'
ability to efficiently refine more of its oil by speeding up the construction
of new oil refineries and restarting idle oil refineries. And the Renewable
Energy Project Siting Improvement Act will simplify the burdensome and
complicated review process potential renewable energy sources undergo,
thus assisting in the overall production of renewable energy sources.
The bottom line is, we must reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and
develop a long-term energy policy that increases our energy independence.
Depending on foreign countries to supply the majority of our energy needs
jeopardizes our national security, and as we are experiencing with high
gas prices today, stifles our overall economy.
In the short-term we must encourage more domestic exploration. And it
is critical that Congress appropriate sufficient resources for the research
and development of measures that increase the use of renewable energy,
and invest in emerging technologies that will reduce overall energy consumption.
America needs a long-term energy policy that will ultimately reduce
the high-cost of gas prices and would sufficiently address America's long-term
energy needs. We need a real energy plan that works - America's future
depends on it. |