[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 81 (Friday, June 23, 2000)]
[House]
[Pages H5075-H5076]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     REGARDING THE NEED FOR A COMPREHENSIVE NATIONAL ENERGY POLICY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Regula) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. REGULA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address the House on the 
urgent need for leadership in developing a Comprehensive National 
Energy Policy. Those of my colleagues who have followed my floor 
speeches over the past 25 years know that this issue is not a new one 
for me. As a Member of this House during the 1970s when gasoline 
shortages resulted in long lines at the pump and even when the crisis 
subsided, I have continued to speak on the need for a balanced energy 
policy which provides for a diversity of energy options for Americans.
  Today, Mr. Speaker, recent spikes in the world crude oil prices, the 
tight gasoline supply, and the resulting extremely high prices at the 
pump, especially across the Midwest, again focus our attention on the 
urgent need for a comprehensive, and I emphasize comprehensive, policy.
  Today we have crossed the 50 percent threshold on oil imports. We now 
import 52 percent of our petroleum, and by 2020, that number is 
projected to reach 64 percent.

                              {time}  1415

  This number is important because, unlike in other sectors of the 
energy market, we are dependent on petroleum-based fuels for more than 
90 percent of our transportation market, automobiles, trucks and 
airplanes.
  In 1999, U.S. consumers used four times as much gasoline as they did 
50 years ago. In the past, our tendency has been to try to solve the 
problem with a short-term solution, then continue with our same habits. 
However, I urge my colleagues to consider the long-term benefits of 
developing a comprehensive, balanced policy for our Nation's energy. 
Our Nation depends upon affordable, reliable energy in every sector to 
retain our strong economy. Energy is too important for us to merely 
hope for the best.
  Mr. Speaker, today I recommend that we bring not just the Department 
of Energy into this debate, but the numerous other Federal agencies 
which have a direct impact on our Nation's energy supply through 
various regulations on how we produce, transport, and consume energy. 
These include the Department of Interior, the Department of 
Transportation, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, to name a 
few. All of these agencies impact the energy we use every day. Further, 
the Department of Defense and the U.S. Postal Service as major users of 
energy must also be at the table.
  Today about 85 percent of our energy use comes from traditional fuel 
sources, coal, oil and natural gas. The Energy Information 
Administration estimates that by 2020 that market share will reach 
nearly 90 percent. Our future use of these traditional fuels depends 
upon our continued research into ways to use these more efficiently, 
more cleanly, while, at the same time, we expand research on 
alternative fuels. We must do both.

[[Page H5076]]

  We cannot ignore the fact that we have more coal in this country in 
Btus than the rest of the world has recoverable oil. Coal is an 
excellent energy source, and we should be supporting research that will 
ultimately provide us with zero emission coal-fired power plants.
  International markets are an important component of our energy 
policy. As we look at the world energy situation, 2 billion people lack 
access to electricity. Current electric power capacity will have to 
triple over the next 50 years to meet this demand. The worldwide market 
for new power equipment is expected to be $2 trillion per decade for at 
least the next 5 decades. China alone plans to construct eight to 10 
power plants a year for the next 20 years, 75 percent of which will 
burn coal. This fact alone is the reason we must focus on continued 
research to develop the most energy-efficient, cleanest-burning coal 
technology possible.
  Natural gas holds great promise in many energy sectors. First, its 
great abundance in the United States, as well as all of North America, 
together with its clean-burning attributes, make it a fuel of choice 
for future power generation in this country. In the fiscal year 2001 
interior appropriations bills we have funded a major natural gas 
infrastructure program. Pipelines and refueling stations are necessary 
to improve access to clean, efficient domestically produced natural 
gas.
  Our dependence on petroleum-based fuels, gasoline and diesel fuel, 
for our transportation sector is a more difficult situation to address. 
We must continue to support alternatives, including natural gas and 
electric vehicles.
  We need to look at how we can make transportation fuels less 
polluting and how we can combine the use of these fuels with other 
cutting edge technologies and hybrid vehicles. Again, there is a focus 
on these efforts in the Interior appropriations bill for next year. The 
Interior appropriations bill has a strong focus on conservation of our 
energy and its end use.
  While we are doing what we can to provide necessary funding for 
research to improve emissions and efficiency in our Nation's energy use 
through funding provided to the Department of Energy, we must examine 
other important components of our energy picture. Policies which cut 
off supplies and access are not for tomorrow.
  I call on my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join together 
to develop a truly comprehensive energy policy. Failure to do so will 
make today's crisis a permanent crisis.

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