[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 29 (Thursday, February 12, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2245-S2246]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. UDALL, of New Mexico (for himself and Mr. Udall, of 
        Colorado):
  S. 433. A bill to amend the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 
1978 to establish a renewable electricity standard, and for other 
purposes; to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
  Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. President, I rise to introduce 
legislation to establish a Federal renewable electricity standard. 
Before I talk about what that will do, let me tell you a little bit 
about the people it will help.
  Luna County, NM has a double-digit unemployment rate. More than half 
of its children live in poverty. It was in recession before our current 
economic crisis. If nothing changes, it will be in recession long after 
the rest of the country recovers. Now, let me be clear. Luna County 
deserves help, but I'm not looking to spend a lot of money. We usually 
think of economic development as something you pay for. But the 
proposal I am introducing today does not spend a dime. In fact, my plan 
will generate tax revenue.
  Luna County has something else worth noting. When you look at the 
United States on a map that measures solar thermal energy, Luna County 
is red hot. Like hundreds of small communities across our country, Luna 
has immense untapped potential for renewable energy. If Luna can find a 
way to sell its sunlight, its future will be secure. But Luna has a 
problem. America's energy markets do not value Luna's sunlight the way 
they should. These markets ignore three critical things. First, growing 
demand and stagnant supply mean rising prices for fossil fuels. The 
price of natural gas has more than tripled since 1995. Unless we act, 
we can expect more price spikes in the future, spikes that threaten the 
economy. But it is easier for utilities to buy a little more natural 
gas than it is to invest in clean technologies. The result is that we 
are moving forward as if our energy use is sustainable, when we know it 
is not.
  In most markets, this would be bad enough, but our energy markets 
have two other problems. Americans care whether our energy comes from 
farmers in Iowa or mullahs in Iran, but our markets do not. When we buy 
solar energy from Luna County, we keep our money in this country, and 
we make ourselves less dependent on countries such as Russia and Iran, 
countries that have shown their willingness to use our dependence 
against us. America's energy markets also ignore global climate change. 
Right now a clean electron produced by the sun costs as much as an 
electron produced by burning carbon. Our markets don't care whether the 
energy we consume is leading to fewer farms and more forest fires. They 
don't care whether our grandchildren will be able to live comfortably 
on this Earth. They just don't care. And we are paying the price. Even 
the most conservative economists will tell us that energy is a classic 
case of market failure. The energy market ignores our economic 
security, our national security, and the future of our world. 
Economists call these things externalities. I call them the basis of 
our way of life.
  So what do we do? I am proposing that we demand a little bit more 
from our utilities. Let's require that they produce 25 percent of their 
electricity from renewable sources by 2025. Thanks in large part to 
Senator Bingaman, the Senate has already passed a similar proposal 
three times. Last year I was proud to help pass a proposal such as this 
in the other body.
  Renewable electricity standards have succeeded at the State level. In 
fact, more than 28 States have renewable standards, including the State 
of New Mexico. But a national RES has never become the law of the land. 
It is time for Congress to make it so.
  There are many reasons to support this plan. To start, it is good for 
consumers. Scientists looking at a 20-percent standard concluded that 
it could save utility customers $31.8 billion. A 25-percent standard 
would save even more. A renewable energy standard would also strengthen 
rural communities and provide new income for farmers and ranchers.
  This plan will make America safer. The billions of dollars it will 
generate are dollars that cannot be used to hold our foreign policy 
hostage.
  Most importantly, a national renewable standard will create hundreds 
of thousands of high-paying jobs, jobs that cannot be outsourced. Study 
after study shows that shifting capital to renewable energy increases 
job creation. Not only will this plan stimulate job creation today, it 
will put us on a path toward dominance in the industries of the future.
  Some of my colleagues will probably say a renewable standard makes 
sense for sunny New Mexico, but it won't work for their States. I urge 
them to take another look at their States. Scientists predict that 
Florida could one day meet one-third of its energy needs by tapping the 
power of the gulf stream. Louisiana has wind energy potential offshore, 
and New Orleans has already begun to rebuild its economy by creating 
jobs developing solar energy. Alaska has wind energy potential all over 
its coast and geothermal potential in the south. The State of Tennessee 
concluded its existing investment in renewables could yield 4,500 jobs 
and additional investment could yield 45,000.
  Everywhere we look, America has untapped renewable energy potential. 
But for the sake of argument, let's say that Louisiana might have to 
import some energy from Florida under a national renewable standard. 
Louisiana already

[[Page S2246]]

imports a big chunk of its energy. As consumption rises, more and more 
of Louisiana's energy comes from imports. Today those imports come 
largely from natural gas, and 43 percent of the world's natural gas is 
under Russia and Iran. So Louisiana is bidding up the price of a 
commodity that is largely controlled by countries that don't like us. I 
would rather buy hydropower from Florida than fossil fuels from Iran.
  The choice is not between importing and not importing. It is between 
Charlie Crist and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. This is not a tough choice.
  Of course, some people say they support a renewable standard, but not 
yet. They say America cannot afford to reduce our contribution to 
climate change because the growth of China and India will drown out the 
impact of our emissions reductions. This concern is very real, but it 
represents a failure of our moral imagination. If we are to have a 
future as a country and as a global community, we cannot see the 
world's aspiring middle class as potential threats. We have to see them 
as potential customers. And we should be racing to develop the 
technologies they will need.

  Waiting for China to address its emissions problem before we address 
ours is like waiting for an opponent to finish the race before we start 
to lace up.
  Right now, the world is engaged in a high-stakes competition; America 
just does not always admit it. As the world's citizens see the impact 
of climate change, we are demanding energy supplies that do not 
endanger our collective future. That means soon clean energy will not 
be an alternative, it will be the standard. When that happens, 
whichever country dominates the clean energy industry will be able to 
create jobs on a grand scale.
  Do not take my word for it. The CEO of GE Energy has testified before 
the Congress that ``wind and solar energy are likely to be among the 
largest sources''--largest sources--``of new manufacturing jobs 
worldwide during the 21st Century.'' Think about what he said:

       [W]ind and solar energy are likely to be among the largest 
     sources of new manufacturing jobs. . . .

  We hear a lot of discussion on this floor about new manufacturing 
jobs and us losing manufacturing jobs. Well, this is where the new 
manufacturing jobs are going to be.
  A growing chorus of economists and business leaders agree with what 
this GE Energy CEO has said.
  America cannot afford to let another country become the world's clean 
energy leader. But right now we are falling behind. Countries that have 
done much more to shape their energy markets have already created 
thriving green energy industries. With a population roughly one-quarter 
as large as America's, Germany has more than twice as many workers 
developing wind energy technologies. Spain has almost five times as 
many workers in the solar thermal industry as America. China has more 
than 300 times as many.
  America is not falling behind because our scientists are not smart 
enough. Some of the big ideas now powering the economies of Europe 
originated right here. From 1970 to 1996, Los Alamos National Lab 
developed a technique for cleanly and efficiently using the Earth's 
heat to generate electricity. Estimates indicated the technique could 
eventually power the Earth for hundreds of years. But without market 
incentives to encourage continued development, progress stagnated. 
Germany took that technology and brought it to market in just 3 years. 
They now have 150 geothermal plants nearing completion. Think of the 
jobs that will create. Those could be our jobs. Those should be our 
jobs.
  A renewable electricity standard would let America catch up and take 
the lead. We still have the world's most productive workers. We still 
have the most creative entrepreneurs. Our culture encourages individual 
initiative to solve tough problems. But if we want to win, we have to 
act now.
  The American people are ready for this. I have driven to every county 
in New Mexico, and everywhere I saw innovation. I saw wind turbines 
going up in Little Texas. I saw the spot in Deming, NM, where the 
world's largest solar plant will sit. At Mesalands Community College in 
Tucumcari, NM, I saw a classroom in a wind turbine hundreds of feet 
over the desert. Even Luna County is starting to develop its resources. 
They just need help.
  The Federal Government is late to the party. We should be leading the 
clean energy revolution. Instead, our constituents are leaving us in 
the dust. The private sector is working hard, but they need us to 
create a market that supports their efforts. They need a market that 
values our economic security, our national security, our environmental 
security.
  Mr. President, it is time for us to lead.
  Now, you might have noticed that we New Mexicans are passionate about 
renewable energy. As I said earlier, Jeff Bingaman has led on this 
issue for years. As I said earlier, he has passed a renewable standard 
in the Senate three times. I introduced this legislation today because 
I want to help Senator Bingaman win this fight. I look forward to 
working with him and with all of you to get a renewable electricity 
standard signed into law.
  I am also pleased to be introducing this legislation with another 
Senator, a Senator with a very distinguished last name: my cousin, the 
senior Senator from Colorado. We spent a decade in the other body 
together. And much of that time was spent working to pass a renewable 
electricity standard. We were both attracted to his proposal because it 
reflects the kind of Western pragmatism that people in Colorado and New 
Mexico like. I know this issue is important to both of us. I want to 
thank the Senator for continuing this effort with me, and for his 
support through the years.
  Instead, our constituents are leaving us in the dust. The private 
sector is working hard, but they need us to create a market that 
supports their efforts. They need a market that values our economic 
security, our national security, our environmental security.
  Is time for us to lead.
  Now, you might have noticed that we New Mexicans are passionate about 
renewable energy. As I said earlier, Jeff Bingaman has led on this 
issue for years. I introduce this legislation today because I want to 
help Senator Bingaman win this fight. I look forward to working with 
him and with all of you to get a renewable electricity standard signed 
into law.
  I am also pleased to be introducing this legislation with another 
Senator, a Senator with a very distinguished last name: my cousin, the 
senior senator from Colorado. We spent a decade in the other body 
together, and much of that time was spent working to pass a renewable 
electricity standard. We were both attracted to this proposal because 
it reflects the kind of Western pragmatism that people in Colorado and 
New Mexico like. I know this issue is important to both of us. I want 
to thank the Senator for continuing this effort with me, and for his 
support through the years.
                                 ______