[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 87 (Thursday, June 21, 2001)]
[House]
[Pages H3440-H3441]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1845
                        AMERICA'S ENERGY CRISIS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Kirk). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentleman from Montana (Mr. Rehberg) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. REHBERG. Mr. Speaker, I rise today because I wish to speak to 
America about our current energy crisis. While prices rise at the pump 
to over $2 a gallon in some places and Californians are forced to 
contend with blackouts, this Nation is still in a position to extricate 
ourselves from this crisis and once and for all prevent future energy 
and fuel shortages.
  There is no quick fix or one-stop-shop solution to this problem. 
Through a balanced approach combining research and development, capital 
investment and conservation measures, we can once and for all provide 
our Nation with clean, abundant energy.
  We must commit ourselves to developing cheaper and more efficient 
ways of harnessing renewable sources of energy. We can now only meet a 
fraction of our energy needs with solar, hydro and wind powers. If we 
invest in developing these clean, unending energy sources, we will in 
time be able to satisfy much of our demand without using a drop of oil 
or a lump of coal.
  While research and development will take time to show their benefits, 
there are things we can do now to ameliorate our situation. Building 
new power plants will start us on the road to providing energy for the 
near future. Improving our energy infrastructure will deliver what 
energy we have to homes, businesses and industries in a more efficient 
manner.

[[Page H3441]]

  Finally, we must face the reality that energy is wasted. Eliminating 
this waste will not be easy, but a small sacrifice now will avoid the 
necessity of even greater sacrifices later. Fellow citizens, by turning 
your lights out at night, buying energy-efficient appliances and taking 
public transportation, you can reduce our collective energy need 
drastically. Every time you turn off a light you will be brightening 
the light of America's future.
  I have confidence in American solutions to America's energy problems. 
Ingenuity, self-sacrifice and faith in science and the future will 
deliver us into an era in which we will no longer have to worry about 
our energy needs.

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