WASHINGTON, DC – Today U.S. Rep. Bill Delahunt called for a national agenda to promote energy independence at a forum hosted by the South Shore Chamber of Commerce in Rockland, MA.

“The war in Iraq has underscored the urgency of moving our nation toward energy independence.  Instead of spending $10 billion a month defending foreign oil in the Middle East, we need to invest in new domestic sources of energy in places like the Mid-West.”  Delahunt said today.

Delahunt’s remarks focused on his efforts in the Congress and in the Tenth District to promote energy independence through the expanded use of renewable fuels and alternative energy.  Delahunt was joined at the forum by Kathleen Carrigan, the Senior Vice President of ISO New England and Steve Gatto, Chairman and CEO of Bioenergy International LLC, a leader in the renewable fuels industry. 

“We can confront the crises of global warming and reduce our dependence on foreign oil in ways that boost our local economy.  Brazil ended its addiction to foreign oil in five years and created a new market for “flex-fuel” cars.  Germany created 60,000 jobs in the renewable energy industry and expects to double that number in the next few years by promoting new technologies like deep water offshore wind energy. Other countries are becoming energy independent while at the same time cornering global renewable energy markets and creating thousands of new jobs.” Delahunt said today.

During his remarks, Delahunt discussed the Biofuels Security Act of 2007, an innovative legislative proposal he introduced in the House that is aimed at decreasing U.S. dependence on foreign oil. It would increase the production, distribution and consumption of renewable fuels, including ethanol and bio-diesel.  The legislative proposal includes a package of tax incentives and funding to boost the use of renewable fuels by the year 2020.   The legislation is similar to a proposal introduced in the Senate by Senators Lugar, Harkin and Obama.

Delahunt said at the forum that “Massachusetts has the skilled labor, research institutions, capital and political leadership to compete and win in this new global economy.  But we will need to match the efforts of states such as Arizona, California, Ohio, Iowa and Pennsylvania that have already adopted policies to mandate the use of renewable fuels, while promoting use of solar, wind and other renewable energy technology. ” 

As part of his economic development agenda, Delahunt has proposed establishing an Energy Independence Corridor from Quincy to Provincetown, with ethanol and other renewable fuel facilities for motorists.   This year he will seek funds to help launch the first phase of this effort.

Last year, Delahunt helped establish a Renewable Fuels Task Force to boost local demand for renewable fuels and is now working on a proposal to create renewable energy enterprise zones that provide tax and other incentives to develop new alternative energy businesses. 

He has also called on the federal government and Massachusetts to establish Offshore Ocean Energy Research and Development zones to nurture emerging wave and tidal energy companies.  Over the past several years he has worked with local communities and encouraged the expansion of Municipal Wind Energy projects, such as the one proposed off the coast of Hull, MA. 

Delahunt has cited Hull as a National Model for communities seeking to become energy independent.  The Town has its own municipal light company and engages the community in the actual siting decisions of wind turbines.  As a municipal utility, Hull offers local residents power at a price that is below the rates of the larger utilities.  He has also encouraged Cape and Islands officials to embrace Hull’s community based wind energy initiative. 

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