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| The Price at the Pump |
May 15, 2001 |
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Dear Friends,
We`re back! Actually, we didn`t leave, but our computer software for the e-news took an unscheduled two-week vacation. Well rested and apologetic, it has now returned to work. (Arrgh!!)
I filled up at the Diamond Shamrock at 4th and Alameda on Saturday and those dials were spinning very fast. Electric bills and natural gas to heat our homes and cook our food are hurting everyone -- especially those on fixed incomes.
Californians are paying a terrible price for their failure to plan and make wise choices to meet the energy needs of their prosperous economy. And then, when things got tough, California politicians and utility companies wasted time assessing blame rather than taking common sense steps to solve the problem.
Things are going to get worse in California before they get better. There will be brownouts and blackouts there this summer. The problem may extend into the Pacific Northwest, but most folks don`t think they will directly affect New Mexico.
But it`s long past time to develop a balanced, long-term approach to make sure America has a safe and stable supply of energy. Band-Aids aren`t answers and many of the "quick fixes" do more harm than good.
The President`s energy report released last week was a good start, but there is much work to do and a lot of it will be done in the House Energy and Commerce Committee in which I serve.
We need to ease the immediate crunch where we can with low-income energy assistance and accelerated licensing of new generation plants and refineries.
We need to diversify our energy supply and reduce our dependence on foreign sources while protecting the environment we love.
We need to improve energy efficiency and reduce costs by investing in energy research and technology. We need to modernize our pipeline and transmission lines making them safer and more effective.
And we need to integrate federal energy, environmental and economic policy development so that we avert future shortages over the long haul.
I believe that we can meet America`s energy needs in a way that preserves the beauty of New Mexico. We`ve made tremendous progress in the last twenty years cleaning up the air, water and land and there`s no turning back. No one wants to. The good news is, from what I`ve seen in almost 5 months of hearings, briefings and tough questions on our energy prospects I don`t think we have to. We can have a safer, cleaner, healthier environment and meet the growing energy needs of our prosperous nation.
To do so we need to act now. If we don`t act we need look no further than California to see the future. Rolling blackouts. Skyrocketing prices. Two or even three dollars for a gallon of gas.
You can expect a lot of wild rhetoric and finger pointing over the summer. We`ve got a surplus of that in Washington. I`ll do what I can from my perch at Energy and Commerce to hammer out good legislation that will provide us with safe stable supplies of energy for the long haul.
Wish you were here,
Heather |
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