Congressman Sander Levin

Building a Clean Energy Economy

Congress is working to increase investments in clean energy, energy efficiency and emerging technologies, and to limit carbon pollution. The goal is to set a new direction on energy that will create jobs here at home, curb our nation’s dependence on foreign sources of energy and reduce the carbon pollution that causes global warming. Done the right way, I believe that moving to a clean energy economy will create thousands of new jobs for Michigan.

The U.S. is sometimes called the Saudi Arabia of wind energy. We have a larger wind energy resource than any other nation in the world. Michigan is actually one of the more windy states in the country, but the key advantage our state brings to the table is our manufacturing base and skilled workforce. Each wind turbine and tower contains between 220 and 400 tons of steel and a myriad of moving parts. Producing the steel and especially the many machine-tooled parts for wind turbines means jobs and a reinvigorated U.S. manufacturing sector.

According to a 2008 study by the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. could generate 20 percent of its electricity from wind by 2030. The U.S. wind power industry already employs about 85,000 people today and is growing rapidly. Our economy also stands to benefit from the growth of other sources of renewable energy, including solar, biomass, and geothermal.

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Building Advanced Batteries Here in America

Advanced battery manufacturing is a critical gap in America’s industrial base, and one we must close. The domestic auto industry is committed to producing electric vehicles that will reduce emissions and help end our dependence on foreign oil. But we cannot trade our dependence on foreign oil for a dependence on foreign batteries. Michigan is well positioned to become the advanced battery capitol of North America, but it requires a partnership of effort between the federal government, industry, and the State of Michigan. I have been active in forging this partnership.

Nearly all batteries for hybrid electric vehicles are currently made in Pacific Rim countries. Although federal spending on advanced batteries has risen rapidly in recent years, Japan – the acknowledged leader in advanced battery production – has been investing in this technology for many years. We are coming to the game late and must build capability quickly to catch up.

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Cracking Down on Gasoline Price Gouging

In this difficult economy, households are struggling to make ends meet. The last thing consumers need is for oil companies to unfairly raise gas prices through the roof. During the summer of 2008 – even as the oil companies were posting tens of billions of dollars in record profits -- the average price of gasoline soared to more than $4 a gallon. While prices have fallen off since then with the slowdown in the world economy, consumers are still vulnerable to unfair price markups for gasoline and other energy products.

There is currently no federal law against energy price gouging. Because the federal government does not even have a clear definition of what price gouging is, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) can do little more than study the issue. Studies are not sufficient. Congress must provide real tools to investigate and crack down on price gouging.

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(Updated December 2, 2009)