Issue Position: Energy

Issue Position

What I believe:

* We must strive to reduce our reliance on oil, an increasingly scarce resource. Our continued addiction to this rapidly depleting energy source damages the environment, undermines our national security, and gravely threatens our economy.

* "Peak oil" is a real phenomenon. Oil is a finite resource and global oil extraction and refinement will peak - soon. That means it will reach its highest possible volume, then begin a continual decline. Supply will fall as demand continues to rise worldwide, and the price of all petroleum-based products - gasoline, transportation, and plastic products (to name a few) - will dramatically rise.

* America should invest heavily in becoming the world's leading producer of clean, efficient, renewable energy.

* Coal is not a clean solution to our energy crisis. Biofuels, especially corn ethanol divert precious agricultural produce away from food production, causing the price of staples like rice, corn, and soy to skyrocket. Natural gas could be an acceptable bridge to an era in which clean renewables like solar, wind, and hydro are dominant. This must be the ultimate goal.

* Environmental standards and regulation have been shockingly unenforced under President Bush, resulting in massive damage to the natural environment. The EPA needs additional resources and a Congressional mandate to aggressively defend the environment, which is a public good.

* Congress should aggressively tighten efficiency standards, especially fuel standards for automobiles, and implement legislation to dramatically cut pollution.

What I have done:

* Cosponsored the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, which will:

o move the United States toward greater energy independence and security;

o increase the production of clean renewable fuels;

o protect consumers;

o increase the efficiency of products, buildings, and vehicles;

o promote research on and deploy greenhouse gas capture and storage options;

o and improve the energy performance of the Federal Government.

* Voted to remove subsidies to oil and gas companies.

* Cosponsored legislation to establish the H-Prize, which would award competitive cash prizes to advance the research, development, and commercial application of hydrogen energy technologies.

* Cosponsored the Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act of 2008, which passed the House. It extends tax credits for the production of electricity from renewable resources.

What I will do:

* Make energy independence a central cause of my service.

* Support measures to dramatically increase mandatory automobile fuel efficiency.

* Advocate for a significant development fund to sponsor wide-scale research, development, and production of energy from renewable sources. America must strive to become the leader of this industry.

* Continue to vote for aid to lower- and middle-income Americans squeezed by rising energy costs.

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