Energy |
Energy
The recent flux in energy prices posed significant challenges for Kansas. Although energy prices have moderated from recent highs in the summer of 2008, most Kansans know that higher prices could easily return. The burden of higher gas prices is particularly troubling in rural Kansas where we often travel long distances for necessary activities such as work and school. Higher energy prices increase the operating costs for many businesses, including our manufacturing industry, truck drivers, farmers, and ranchers. Whether you're heating your home in the winter months, using irrigation to water crops, or producing, transporting, or using fertilizer, higher energy prices are detrimental to Kansans.
No single form of energy can provide the answer that will allow production of sufficient amounts of domestic energy. To solve our nation's energy problem we must develop traditional sources of oil, natural gas, and coal; encourage development of renewable energy sources like biofuels and wind, solar, geothermal, and hydropower; expand use of nuclear energy; and promote conservation.
We must also develop a long-term approach to expanding renewable energy. Our current system relies on a piecemeal set of tax incentives that often expire on a yearly basis. Businesses, including the energy generation industry, are developed based on long-term investment models. Congress needs to develop an integrated approach that will promote regulatory certainty and allow sustained investment in all forms of renewable energy.
Energy exploration must also be accompanied by energy conservation. We must find ways to drive more efficient vehicles and construct energy conserving buildings. I supported higher fuel efficiency standards for vehicles and initiatives to encourage energy-efficient buildings and appliances in the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. Congress must continue to look for opportunities to advance practical and cost-effective methods for Kansans to reduce energy use. |