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| Wilson Supports Balanced, Long-term Energy Plan |
April 10, 2003 |
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Offers ANWR Limitation
Washington, DC – Congresswoman Heather Wilson today offered an amendment to the House energy bill to limit oil exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). The bill passed the House by a vote of 226 to 202.
“We need a balanced, long term energy policy to reduce our dependence on foreign oil and preserve the beauty of the land we love,” said Wilson. “We’ve made tremendous progress in the last twenty years cleaning up the air, water and land and there’s no turning back. The good news is, we don’t have to.”
A comprehensive national energy policy is critical to our nation’s economy and our national security. Energy expenditures account for about 7% of our total economy and influence pricing in much of the rest of the economy. New Mexico is a leader in the nation’s energy economy. The U.S. ranks 7th in crude oil production, is 3rd in natural gas production, is installing the country’s 3rd largest wind farm, and conducts world class energy research at our national laboratories and universities. The production of traditional and renewable energy along with research in new technologies to more efficiently produce and use energy both result in jobs for New Mexicans and the rest of America.
Wilson’s amendment limits the land that could be impacted by drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to only 2000 acres of surface disturbance. This is an area about the size of an airport in an area the size of South Carolina.
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