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Cost-Saving Environmental Improvements For Our Region
Sánchez Promoting Solar Power
The Williamsons in Cerritos put solar panels on their roof that cover their full home electricity usage
most months and generate a credit from So Cal Edison that pays their full electricity bill during the
coldest months when they do need to buy power. Thus, they pay nothing for their home power anymore! A
new federal law provides temporary tax credits to enable more homeowners to afford the up-front installation
costs to become all-solar, which is good for our environment and consumer pocketbooks. Congresswoman Sánchez
will work to extend this temporary law. See a fact sheet about the Williamsons' home, and learn more about other energy saving tips at www.consumerenergycenter.org
Sánchez Supporting Legislation to Make it Easier to Buy Fuel-Efficient Hybrid Cars and Hybrid SUV's
I want to do everything I can to help Americans beat the high cost of energy. For one thing, I'm supporting
efforts in Congress to make sure--through stronger regulatory oversight--that oil companies are not taking
advantage of recent hurricanes and other supply shortages to price-gouge consumers.
Secondly, I'm supporting efforts to make it more affordable for Americans to purchase hybrid gas-electric vehicles
and other clean-air vehicles. These new cars and SUV's, such as the Ford Escape SUV, get better gas mileage than
similar gasoline-only vehicles. Thus, they improve our air quality, reduce our national dependence on risky oil
supplies, and are better for our individual pocketbooks in the long-run. Many people don't know that hybrid vehicles
don't need to be plugged in. The electric batteries that partially power them are automatically recharged when
you brake. You fill up the vehicles with gasoline just like a regular vehicle-but the key is you fill up a lot less often!
Visit the website of the Air Quality Management District (AQMD) at www.aqmd.gov to learn more about the wide variety of
vehicles that are now available in hybrid form and other alternative fuels. There are several hybrid SUV models now too.
Many people find they can do just fine with the size of a hybrid car, but some people and families do need the extra storage
space of an SUV-and the new models are a positive movement towards clean-air and good-mileage.
"Diesel Emission Reduction Program" Gets More Funds from Sánchez Effort
More and more studies are showing that urban Southern Californians face health risks from diesel emissions from older trucks, buses, trains, and ships coming to our local ports. To help on this problem, I took the initiative in Congress over the past year to try to increase funding for a program that's been successful at getting older dirty diesel trucks off the road.
Most of these trucks are owned by small, independent truckers struggling financially as they haul cargo to and from our local ports. A local program called the "Diesel Emission Reduction Program" agrees to pay about half of the cost of a new, cleaner and safer truck if the owner retires and scraps his older pre-1993 truck. The program has won praise from environmental organizations and it recognizes the financial difficulty these working-class truckers face in upgrading their trucks without any help.
This August, I was proud to secure $2.4 million in federal funds to expand the program. It is the largest infusion of federal funding for the program.
As always, if you have any comments or questions, or if you need assistance with any federal government matter, please feel free to contact me at (562) 429-8499 or write, email, or fax me via the "contact" section of my webpage.
It's an honor to serve you.
Sincerely,
Linda T. Sánchez
Member of Congress
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