[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 137 (Thursday, October 17, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10658-S10659]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     THE IMPORTANCE OF ENERGY LITERACY TO A NATIONAL ENERGY POLICY

  Mr. ALLARD. Mr. President, I wish to bring the Senate's attention to 
the importance of energy literacy to a national energy policy.
  The National Energy Policy Development Group recommended an energy 
literacy project in the May 2001, National Energy Policy. You can find 
it on the first page of Chapter Two, entitled ``Striking Home.'' The 
recommendation states, ``The NEPD

[[Page S10659]]

Group recommends that the President direct the Secretary of Energy to 
explore potential opportunities to develop educational programs related 
to energy development and use. This should include possible legislation 
to create public awareness programs about energy. Such programs should 
be long term in nature, should be funded and managed by the respective 
energy industries, and should include information on energy's 
compatibility with a clean environment.''
  The legislation currently under consideration in the House/Senate 
conference addresses a lot of important issues but these are tactical 
issues relating to energy. In order to better solve the Nation's long-
term energy security or energy needs we must address public education.
  One of the best ways to go about this would be with a broad based 
education program as recommended in chapter two. Today's public is far 
better informed about their energy choices than the public of even a 
decade ago, but there is always more room to learn. A highly informed 
public will be able to make better energy choices and will demand a 
long-term, far-reaching energy policy.
  This will require broad based national, and international, public 
education and information programs on energy issues, including 
conservation and efficiency, the role energy plays in the economy and 
the impact energy use has on the environment. There must also be a 
focus on the interlocking relationship of what are referred to as the 3 
Es: energy, economy, and environment.
  It is important that all 3 Es be considered simultaneously in order 
to have credibility and to recognize this interlocking relationship. It 
is also important that any effort that tries to achieve a cultural 
change in how society views energy recognize its importance in the 
public's economic well-being and its role in the public's quality of 
life.
  An excellent example of this is being conducted by the Energy 
Literacy Project, ELP. The ELP is currently supporting an ongoing 
research effort at the Colorado School of Mines to identify programs 
that offer educational material about the interlocking nature of 
Energy, the Economy and the Environment, the 3 Es. The ELP is a non-
profit 501(c)(3) corporation whose goal is to see a cultural change in 
how society views the role energy plays in its economic well-being and 
in its quality of life. They have an excellent web site that explains 
much of their work located at www.energy-literacy.org.
 The public wants and deserves sound, reliable information. A 
sustainable energy policy will be much more easily attained with a 
knowledgeable public that can make informed, well-reasoned decisions 
about its choices and a sustainable energy policy.

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