[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 167 (Wednesday, December 5, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S12463-S12464]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       THE DEMOCRATIC ENERGY BILL

  Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, after months of hard work by the chairman 
of nine committees, we are today introducing legislation to establish a 
national energy policy. The bill we are introducing provides a 
blueprint for solving many of the nation's energy problems, and will 
provide the American people with clean, reliable, and affordable energy 
for generations to come.
  This bill recognizes that the use of energy has profound consequences 
for economic health, environmental quality and national security. The 
energy policy we choose to adopt will have long-lasting consequences in 
each of these areas.
  Today, we have an opportunity to dramatically reshape America's 
energy future, and it is an opportunity we cannot afford to lose.
  The strength of our economy depends, in large measure, in the 
abundant and inexpensive supply of energy.
  The periodic price shocks experienced by American drivers since the 
mid-1970s underscores the vulnerability associated with our growing 
dependence on foreign oil. At the same time, the rolling blackouts 
experienced by California last summer serves as a cautionary tale of 
the failure to guarantee reliable and abundant supplies of electricity.
  One of the greatest environmental challenges that our nation--and the 
world--will face in the coming years is the rising tide of global 
climate change. The way we generate and use energy in the future will 
determine whether we effectively face this challenge and prevent the 
catastrophic impacts of global warming, and whether we can make the air 
we breathe cleaner and more healthy.
  And finally, the success of our foreign policy and the security of 
our nation are inextricably linked to our future patterns of energy 
use.
  In the last 12 years we have spent billions of dollars fighting two 
wars in the Middle East, both of which involved oil. When Iraq invaded 
Kuwait it endangered the oil fields that supplied a significant 
percentage of the world's energy. The U.S., in cooperation with much of 
the rest of the world, was forced to respond to that threat.
  More recently, we have learned that much of Osama bin Laden's 
financial support came from supporters made rich by the oil-based 
economy of the Middle-East.
  It is long past time when we take whatever steps we can toward 
freeing ourselves from our dependence on foreign oil, and the 
volatility associated with it.
  The bill we are introducing today is intended to address these 
challenges by pursuing a thoughtful, progressive, and realistic energy 
policies.
  I thank Chairman Bingaman for the job he has done in working with 
nine committees to produce this bill. In addition to his Energy and 
Natural Resources Committee, he also coordinated with: the Environment 
and Public Works Committee; the Commerce Committee; the Banking 
Committee; the Indian Affairs Committee; the Foreign Relations 
Committee; the Governmental Affairs Committee; the Agriculture 
Committee; and the Finance Committee.
  The events of September 11 have dictated that committees which have 
jurisdiction over key elements of energy

[[Page S12464]]

policy deal with the issues that demand our immediate attention. Those 
committees are now turning to their energy-related work, and will have 
their provisions complete prior to floor debate.
  For Example, the Commerce Committee has worked tirelessly to address 
aviation security and now is turning its attention to fuel economy. It 
will develop provisions designed to improve fuel efficiency of vehicles 
over the next 2 months and add them to this package.
  The Finance Committee, which has spent so much time working on the 
economic stimulus legislation, will develop and add an energy tax 
component designed to spur investment in new, efficient energy 
technologies.
  And the Environment and Public Works Committee will add provisions 
related to the protection and insurance of commercial nuclear 
facilities.
  While those elements will continue to fall into place, the pieces of 
the bill already in place outline a balanced energy plan that will 
strengthen our economy, protect our environment, and provide energy 
security for our nation for decades to come.
  The bill Senator Bingaman and I are introducing today includes 
provisions promoting renewable energy, clean coal use, oil and gas 
exploration, as well as greater efforts to improve the efficiency with 
which we use that energy. It will create hundreds of thousands of new 
jobs, while reducing our dependence on foreign oil.
  Under our legislation, the federal government will lead by exemple--
reducing consumption of energy by 20 percent by 2011 and purchasing 7.5 
percent of its energy from renewable sources by 2010.
  Our proposal requires utilities to generate and sell 10 percent of 
their electricity from renewable energy sources by 2020. It requires 
that five billion gallons per year of renewable fuels, such as ethanol 
and biodiesel, must be used in the nation's transportation fuels marked 
by 2012.
  We increase funding for LIHEAP and state energy weatherization 
grants.
  Our bill establishes permanent authority for the President to operate 
the Strategic Petroleum Reserves and request that it be filled. The 
bill overturns the air conditioner efficiency standard recently adopted 
by DOE and replaces it with a more aggressive standard.
  We authorize up to $10 billion in loan guarantees to encourage timely 
development of a pipeline to bring 35 trillion cubic feet of natural 
gas from Alaska to the lower 48 states. Construction of this pipeline 
is expected to generate 400,000 new jobs.
  To keep our nation moving forward, our plan authorizes billions of 
dollars of additional funding for research and development of energy-
efficient and renewable energy technologies, and more efficient use of 
fossil fuels.
  By reducing emissions of carbon dioxide, our bill is designed to help 
restore American's tattered credibility with the international 
community on the issue of climate change.
  This bill includes climate change provisions developed by the 
Committees on Energy, Environment, Agriculture, Governmental Affairs, 
Foreign Relations and Commerce.
  I am pleased that Senator Bingaman has included the Byrd-Stevens 
climate change legislation. This is a bipartisan and voluntary proposal 
that was passed unanimously by the Government Affairs Committee earlier 
this year.
  It requires the establishment of comprehensive national plan, 
including a renewed commitment to develop the next generation energy 
technologies. We have complemented the Byrd-Stevens proposal with other 
climate change proposals from members on both sides of the aisle.
  I know many of my colleagues are eager to debate our energy policy, 
and I look forward to giving this issue the substantive debate it 
deserves shortly after the new year.
  I look forward to working with the White House, Senate Republicans, 
and our colleagues in the House to shape a national energy policy that 
can be signed into law.

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