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| House Passes Energy Exploration Bill with Wilson 2000-Acre Provision |
May 25, 2006 |
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Reduces Dependence on Foreign Sources; Wilson Provision Preserves Alaskan Landscape
Washington, DC – Congresswoman Heather Wilson, a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, today supported the American-Made Energy and Good Jobs Act (H.R. 5429), which passed the House 225-201 with the Wilson provision on energy exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
Wilson sponsored a compromise in 2001 and again in 2003 to limit the land that could be impacted by exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to just 2,000 acres of surface disturbance, an area about the size of an airport within an area the size of South Carolina. The Wilson provision is part of this legislation.
“Nearly five years ago, when I first offered this important compromise in the House, oil was selling for around 20 dollars a barrel. Over the past year, the price of oil has ranged from 60 to 70 dollars a barrel,” Wilson said. “We need a balanced, long term energy policy to reduce our dependence on foreign oil and preserve the beauty of the land we love.”
Wilson advocates a comprehensive energy strategy that includes energy exploration, conservation and development of alternative energy sources as we work toward an energy independent future. She has supported establishing an “H-Prize” incentive for the development of practical technology for hydrogen fuel, and more infrastructure to increase usage of E85, an ethanol-gasoline blend.
“A comprehensive national energy policy is critical to our nation’s economy and our national security. Energy expenditures account for about 7 percent of our total economy and influence prices in the much of the rest of the economy,” Wilson said.
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