Energy and Environment
From its earliest days, Pennsylvania has been distinguished by the richness, beauty and diversity of our natural environment. As a public official, I have worked to preserve that heritage. And as a Senator from Pennsylvania, I am committed to protecting the environment, preserving our national treasures and safeguarding the health of our families.
We are in the middle of a natural gas rush in Pennsylvania. If done correctly, natural gas drilling in Pennsylvania can provide a great economic boost and create jobs. By this I mean that hydraulic fracturing must be done in a way that protects the health and safety of Pennsylvanians and the workers on the rigs and that creates jobs for Pennsylvanians. The federal government should encourage public-private partnerships to spur growth in related industries that use natural gas to create jobs and reduce the demand for foreign oil.
In light of the importance that coal plays to Pennsylvania in the form of jobs and low-cost electricity, I am also supporting bipartisan legislation that would accelerate the development and deployment of technologies to capture and store carbon dioxide from power plants and other industrial sources.
The United States needs an energy policy that reduces our dependence on foreign oil and that invests in renewable resources. Unfortunately, our energy policy has been too focused on giving taxpayer subsidies to oil companies rather than making new investments that can increase our economic, energy, and environmental security.
I have introduced legislation that would repeal these oil industry tax breaks and reinvest them in alternative fuel research to create jobs here.
Related Galleries
Related Legislation
S. 588
A bill to amend the Workforce Investment Act of 1998, to authorize a national grant program for on-the-job training.
S. 587
A bill to amend the Safe Drinking Water Act to repeal a certain exemption for hydraulic fracturing, and for other purposes.
S. 589
A bill to provide for an expedited response to emergencies related to oil or gas production or storage.