Congressman John Salazar Votes For National Clean Energy Act

Colorado Should Lead The Nation In Renewable Energy

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Rep. John Salazar (CO-3) sent a strong message to America's leaders today when he voted to repeal $14 billion in subsidies for big oil companies and instead invest those funds in a reserve to promote alternative fuels and renewable energy resources, and to improve energy conservation.

H.R. 6, the Clean Energy Act, is the last vote of the legislative "100 Hours" agenda that House Democratic leadership rolled out during the start of the 110th Congress.  The bill passed by a vote of 264 to 123.

“This vote is very important to rural America,” said Rep. Salazar. “Agriculture is the backbone of our country’s renewable energy supply. Just yesterday, Colorado Governor Bill Ritter stood with state leaders to unveil an aggressive energy agenda to make Colorado the nation’s leader in renewable energy.  State leaders have everything they need, thanks to rural Colorado for providing the foundation for growing and developing renewable energy fuels,” said Rep. Salazar.    

Salazar says rural Colorado is moving in the right direction with the wind farms that exist in Lamar, production of biodiesel in Costilla County, the construction of a large solar facility in Saguache County, and the courting of a leading renewable energy company, Prism Solar Technologies, that is looking to relocate to Pueblo. 

“It’s initiatives like these that need a little more support from our leaders and our government to make Colorado the national leader when it comes to producing and using renewable energy,” said Salazar.  

H.R. 6 would ensure that oil companies awarded the 1998 and 1999 leases for drilling offshore in the Gulf of Mexico paid their fair share in royalties, and it would close loopholes, ending giveaways to oil companies in the tax code and in the 2005 Energy bill.  Further, the Clean Energy Act would create a Strategic Renewable Energy Reserve to invest in clean, renewable energy resources and alternative fuels. 

In 2005 when Republicans controlled Congress, Salazar was unable to gain passage for legislation he introduced, titled the 10 x ‘10 Renewable Energy Plan.  This legislation would have mandated that renewable fuels make up 10 percent of all gasoline sold in the United States by 2010.