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Energy & Environment

Energy and Environment

Global warming is no longer an academic question for scientists to ponder.  It’s a very real crisis that requires American leadership. This is not a political issue; this is a critical generational responsibility that will take a commitment from Washington and from each of us here at home.

Addressing climate change is not just about solving the global warming problem facing the next generation - it has the immediate effect of creating high paying job opportunities if we invest in this technology now.  We export billions of dollars each year to import the energy we need to power our country.  The nation that harnesses the power of clean, renewable energy will be the nation that leads the next technological revolution.  The Fifth District stands ready to compete globally in developing and manufacturing the clean energy technologies that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve energy efficiency.  The companies that are growing here in the Fifth District are the companies developing solar and fuel cell technology, , like Solectra Renewables in Lawrence, Nuvera Fuel Cells in Billerica and Ballard in Lowell, and new, more efficient ways of transporting energy, like American Superconductor in Devens. 

These are difficult economic times for families across the Fifth District and I know that high gasoline prices are a burden for many families struggling to make ends meet.  The best way to address rising gasoline prices is to reduce our dependence on foreign oil, invest in more fuel efficient cars and electric vehicles, develop vehicles that run on alternative sources of energy, and invest in existing domestically produced sources of energy. 

Since being elected in October, 2007, I have made protecting our environment and promoting energy independence a priority of my office.  I was proud to cast one of my first votes in Congress to increase fuel efficiency standards for the first time in more than 30 years.

As a founding member of the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition I am working to help identify opportunities to support and improve energy efficiency and renewable energy efforts.  Our caucus is focused on ensuring that no opportunity is missed to adopt tangible climate change policy and help American firms participate in the next wave of technological expansion.

In 2009, I joined the Natural Resources Committee which oversees legislation related to domestic energy production, National Parks, rivers, forests, oceans and wilderness areas.  This Committee is particularly appropriate considering the vast and unique landscape that makes up the Fifth District, including two national historical parks, two national heritage areas, and three rivers protected under the Wild and Scenic River designation.  My work on the committee allows me to support the success of the first urban national park in Lowell and expand this pioneering concept to other urban communities.

Investments in clean energy and green technology

At the start of the 111th Congress, I voted for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which made a historic $69 billion investment in the clean energy sector of our economy.  This investment will lead to a major transformation of our energy system including unprecedented growth in the next generation of renewable sources of energy, enhanced manufacturing capacity for clean energy technology, advanced vehicle and fuel technologies, and a smarter electric grid.   

Our nation stands poised to lead the green revolution that will create the next generation of research and manufacturing jobs.   Many companies in the Fifth District are leading this charge towards innovation.  Companies such as Nuvera Fuel Cells in Billerica, Ballard and Konarka in Lowell, PowerHouse and Solectria Renewables in Lawrence are all growing clean energy jobs in our own backyard.  We can use American entrepreneurial spirit and work ethic to harness wind, solar, and geothermal energy sources to power homes, office buildings, and appliances.  We can draw from existing domestically produced alternative sources to fuel cars and trucks, while greatly reducing on dependence on foreign oil.  And as these technologies mature and become cost competitive with carbon equivalents, it will be American made clean energy technology and products that are sold overseas.

While natural gas is not a renewable resource or the answer to global warming, it is a viable interim option to help us reduce our dependence on foreign oil, reduce our carbon dioxide emissions, and reduce the prices we pay at the pump. That is why I am a cosponsor of New Alternative Transportation to Give Americans Solutions (NAT GAS) Act, which would provide a tax credit for auto manufacturers to produce natural gas vehicles (NGVs).  According to the U.S. Department of Energy, NGVs produce between 93-95 percent less overall toxins compared to gasoline and diesel vehicles, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 22 – 29 percent compared with diesel and gasoline fueled vehicles.

However, we must ensure the process for extracting natural gas from our land is done safely and responsibly. I am a cosponsor of the Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals (FRAC) Act, which establishes safeguards to protect drinking water from risks associated with the natural gas drilling technique known as hydraulic fracturing or “fracking.” By helping the United States reduce its carbon pollution and begin the transition to a sustainable energy future, the efficient use of natural gas can play an important role in meeting America’s energy needs.

Clean Energy legislation

On July 26, 2009, the House of Representatives passed the American Clean Energy and Security Act, also referred to as the Waxman-Markey bill after its authors.  I was proud to support this bill, which is by far the most comprehensive approach to combating global warming that Congress has considered. Scientists and an increasing numbers of business leaders agree that the best way to slow global warming is to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. This landmark legislation seeks to dramatically reduce harmful carbon emissions, promote the clean energy technologies and resources that will create jobs here at home, and greatly limit our dependence on foreign sources of energy. It would put a price on greenhouse gas emissions, a tactic which we have used successfully in recent years to limit the effects of acid rain and decrease lead in gasoline.  The bill embraces the goal of reducing our nation’s climate-changing pollution emissions 17 percent by 2020 and 80 percent by 2050, creating clean energy jobs here in America, protecting consumers from high energy costs, reducing our dependence on dirty and foreign fuels, and making our nation more secure. 

Deepwater Horizon oil spill

The tragedy at the Deepwater Horizon site in the Gulf of Mexico underscored the need to transition to clean renewable sources of energy.  It is abundantly clear that tragically insufficient oversight took place at the BP site and that years of cozy relationships between the oil industry and inspectors contributed to this disaster.  Use of our public lands is a privilege, not a right, and oil companies who seek to exploit our natural resources must be held to the highest safety and ethical standards.  In response to the BP spill, I introduced legislation, the Oil Spill Preparation and Protection Act, which would require oil companies that seek to drill in United States coastal waters to submit detailed plans on how they would contain and clean-up a worst-case scenario oil spill.   Drilling for oil miles below the earth’s surface in ocean depths of 5000 feet is an inherently risky undertaking.  As such, it is essential that all necessary safety precautions are taken and all scenarios are planned for appropriately preparing for a worst-case scenario, especially when an accident can hold such dire consequences for our environment and our economy.  My provision was included in the CLEAR Act, passed by the House of Representatives, and puts in place commonsense safeguards to prevent future environmental disasters.

While our legislation was passed in the House, Republicans in the Senate blocked its consideration.  Despite the failure of Congress to address the root causes of the spill, the threat posed by insufficiently regulated oil drilling off our coasts is today no less dangerous or potentially threatening to our economy than it was a year ago and I will continue to push for enactment of this legislation in the months ahead. 

As we continue to work to clean up the Gulf Coast, we must continue to hold the responsible parties liable for not only the clean-up, but for the devastating impact that this will have on our economy as well.   We must reform both the oil industry and the federal entities responsible for overseeing the oil industry.

Groundwork USA

Creating green-space and public parks in urban communities is an excellent way to revitalize neighborhoods and further economic development in our cities.  Older cities, like those in the Merrimack Valley, are often forced to cope with blighted landscapes at former industrial sites, which can create health hazards and impede economic renewal.  That is why I introduced the bipartisan Groundwork USA Trust Act, which would strengthen the existing Groundwork USA program, helping local communities and nonprofit organizations complete green-space projects.  I introduced the legislation after learning about the good work done in the district by Groundwork Lawrence, a nonprofit organization which has constructed community gardens, riverfront trails, and playgrounds, transforming unusable areas of the city into community space by leveraging every $1 of federal support into $24 of community works.  You can read more about this effort here.

Our National Parks

In the House, I sit on the Natural Resources Committee and the National Parks Subcommittee where I have been a strong advocate for National Parks since being elected to office. Earlier this year I was honored by the bipartisan, nonprofit group the National Parks Conservation Association with an award for my support of National Parks in Congress. 

I am fortunate to represent two outstanding National Parks in the Fifth District. The extraordinary transformation of Lowell began when the Lowell National Historical Park was established within the city’s core in 1978, the first urban national park of its kind in the United States.  The park has been instrumental in preserving and protecting the historic landscape of the city and revitalizing the economic and physical condition of the downtown area. 

Every year, thousands of people visit Minute Man National Historical Park in Concord to see first hand where the shot heard ‘round the world was fired and where the American Revolution began.  The National Parks Service plays a vital role in preserving these important pieces of our history as well as our wild spaces and landscapes.  I will continue to work to ensure that these natural treasures can be enjoyed for generations to come. 

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