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| Energy
Policy I support a comprehensive and balanced national energy security plan that will reduce our dependence and Middle East oil. We need to foster a more reliable energy supply that is clean, safe and affordable, and that protects consumers and our environment. We need to address both supply and demand, increasing domestic energy supplies while emphasizing conservation and efficiency. Making our national energy policy more environmentally responsible can also help improve our economy. By fostering the use of renewable energy sources such as ethanol, bio-diesel biomass and wind, we can reduce our dependence on foreign oil and strengthen our local economy. These energy sources can be replenished and expanded to help us reduce our dependence on carbon-based fuels and address the problems associated with greenhouse gases. We also must encourage energy efficiency in transportation, including increased CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) standards and improved mass transit options. I am a co-sponsor of legislation that would phase in higher CAFE standards for SUVs and light trucks, and I voted to raise fuel standards for cars. In addition, we need to continue to promote energy conservation through improvements in the energy efficiency of buildings and appliances. These are among the priorities I will pursue as the Senate debates a national energy policy. We also must address the price spikes that have roiled our energy markets in recent years. The national Consumer Energy Commission I have proposed would study the causes of energy price spikes from a consumer perspective and identify ways to avoid them in the future. On June 28, 2001, President Bush sent an outline to Congress regarding his agenda for energy, and a bill emerged from the House of Representatives that largely reflects this outline. I disagree with a number of provisions in the House-passed energy bill (H.R. 4), including the proposal to allow new oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is a unique natural area, one of our last, truly undisturbed frontiers, and I will continue to fight to protect it. Our Arctic and other wildlife refuges provide valuable recreational opportunities for our citizens and preserve an important part of our nation's heritage for future generations. That is why during the debate on the Interior Appropriations bill for fiscal year 2002, I was the chief sponsor of an amendment to prohibit new drilling for natural gas and oil in national monuments across the United States. This amendment, which became law, helps protect our 118 national monuments, including the Grand Canyon, Glacier Bay, Zion and Acadia National Park. I co-sponsored an amendment to the Energy and Water Appropriations bill to place a moratorium on drilling in the Great Lakes and to study the environmental effects of drilling in these bodies of water. The Great Lakes contain 20 percent of the world's freshwater and 95 percent of the freshwater in the United States. Preserving our world's supply of freshwater is becoming increasingly important as the population grows. Lake Michigan alone provides safe drinking water for more than 10 million people every day. In addition to providing vital drinking water, the Great Lakes help our tourism industry thrive and provide ecological diversity and habitat for migratory waterfowl and fish. Finally, the Great Lakes will do little to add to our energy independence. All the oil drilled from the Great Lakes in the past 20 years has amounted to less than one hour's worth of U.S. oil consumption. Just as we must protect our national refuges and monuments for future generations, we also must protect our precious water supply and the ecological balance. Instead of indiscriminately joining the drilling bandwagon and risking our precious national treasures, we should first focus on energy exploration in existing, environmentally-safe drilling locations. I believe we can enhance our nation's energy supply, while preserving our special places. The President's outline and H.R. 4 do not adequately encourage renewable energy. While the House bill has some positive features - including an extension of the ethanol tax credit, funding for clean coal technologies, and tax credits to promote the use of electricity generated by wind and biomass - we can do more. Illinois has great potential for wind energy. I have introduced legislation that would promote the use of small wind systems by homes and small businesses. |
SENATOR DICK DURBIN'S LEGISLATIVE
AGENDA |