DonYoung

Energy Independence

    Said quite simply--America must become energy independent.  We have no other choice unless we are prepared to continue to finance foreign governments.  The good news is that we have the ability to, and that Alaska can lead the way. 

    It is no secret that 65% of all oil consumed in the U.S. comes from foreign sources, and domestic oil production has reached lows not seen since 1947.  In 2008, the U.S. sent more than $460 billion overseas purchasing oil that we could be producing domestically.  This is shameful.  At every step of the way a vocal minority opposed to any development whatsoever has gotten in the way of responsible natural resource development, that would keep America strong and bridge the gap until the technology and infrastructure for widespread renewable energy becomes economical.

    While proposals for a green economy, such as President Obama’s, sound nice, they do little more than use taxpayer dollars to subsidize an industry full. of unproven technology that is not economically sustainable by itself.  Doing this costs the taxpayers money through the subsidies, and causes the price of energy to needlessly increase.  For this reason, I introduced H.R. 49, the American Energy Independence and Price Reduction Act which would open a small portion of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to environmentally sound natural resource development, and use a portion of the royalties to finance renewable and alternative energy projects.  I am also a chief cosponsor of H.R. 1431, the No Cost Stimulus Act, which would open ANWR and the Outer Continental Shelf to natural resource development, and break down regulatory barriers to renewable and natural resource development projects—all at no cost to the American taxpayer.