[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 107 (Tuesday, July 20, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6005-S6007]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              CLEAN ENERGY

  Mr. KAUFMAN. Mr. President, 2 years ago for the first time global 
investments in clean energy technology exceeded those for fossil fuels. 
This is clearly a trend that will continue, and a good trend. 
Unfortunately, America is not keeping up with the clean energy 
revolution. Today, 90 percent of the market for production of clean 
energy is outside the United States. We are losing the race to develop 
those technologies in nearly every market.
  Of the top 10 solar panel companies in the world, only 1 is American. 
Similarly, of the top 10 wind turbine manufacturers, only 1 is 
American. And of

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the top 10 advanced battery manufacturers, only 2 are American.
  For decades we have talked about the need to reform our Nation's 
energy policy. Every President since Franklin Delano Roosevelt has 
included energy reform in their policy agenda, and in virtually every 
Congress we passed an energy bill. But these efforts have not been 
successful in revolutionizing our Nation's energy system because they 
did not go far enough. Our oil imports have tripled since 1974. Today 
we rely on fossil fuels to meet 86 percent of our energy needs and we 
are one of the largest contributors to global carbon pollution.
  The truth is simple and unmistakable. If we want to move away from 
dirty fossil fuels, we need to put a price on carbon pollution and we 
need to do it now. Putting a price on carbon will reflect the true 
costs of our energy sources and enable market forces to drive American 
ingenuity to develop clean energy technologies that will create jobs, 
enhance U.S. competitiveness, strengthen national security, and cut 
carbon pollution.
  We are in the worst economic recession our country has seen since the 
Great Depression. We need to invest in sectors of the economy that can 
create jobs today and then long into the future. Studies have shown 
that investments in clean energy jobs create more jobs per dollar than 
fossil fuel-based energy products. These clean energy jobs use American 
ingenuity to turn Sun and wind into electricity, waste into fuel, and 
reduce the energy we use to power our homes, businesses, cars, and 
trucks. These are the sectors that will provide the long-term economic 
security and job creation we desperately need.
  Studies by numerous academic institutions show that by putting a 
price on carbon, we could create up to 1.7 million net new jobs over 
the next 10 years. That is 170,000 jobs per year and includes any jobs 
that may be lost in the transition away from fossil fuels. Many clean 
energy jobs cannot be shipped overseas. From installing insulation to 
building offshore wind turbines, these are jobs that can exist only on 
American soil. The creation of these new clean energy jobs will 
themselves create a multiplier effect, allow Americans to do more with 
their income--such as eat out at a restaurant, take a vacation, or buy 
a home. These activities could add an additional $39 billion to $111 
billion boost to the economy. It is clear that investing in clean 
energy will give us the best bang for the buck by creating more jobs 
today and for generations to come, paving a long-term sustainable path 
to economic recovery.
  The good news is that we do not have to wait for these clean energy 
technologies to be developed. We can get started today. Over the last 
few decades we made great strides in improving green energy 
technologies. For example, advances in wind energy technology have 
reduced the cost from 30 cents per kilowatt hour in the early 1980s to 
less than 5 cents per kilowatt hour today. The Obama administration as 
well as cities and States across the country have recognized the 
potential for these technologies. In fact, the energy provisions of the 
Recovery Act represent the largest single investment in clean energy in 
American history.
  The truth is, as much as that is, it is still not nearly enough. The 
rest of the world also faces an economic recession, energy insecurity, 
and carbon pollution, and many countries have also begun to take 
significant steps to transition to a new clean energy economy, 
including China.
  We have some things in common with China. We each contribute roughly 
20 percent of the world's carbon pollution, and we both rely heavily on 
foreign oil to meet our energy needs. However, China is outpacing the 
U.S. investments in clean energy. From 2005 to 2009, China's investment 
in clean energy increased by 148 percent. This surge of financing led 
China to surpass the United States for the first time last year, 
spending nearly twice as much on renewable energy technology.
  China is now the largest manufacturer of wind turbines and the 
largest manufacturer of solar panels, 95 percent of which they export 
to other countries.
  My home State of Delaware is a leader in renewable energy 
development. In fact, we are on the verge of constructing one of the 
first offshore wind farms in the United States. The project leaders are 
working hard to make sure that the turbines off the Delaware coast will 
proudly wear the label ``Made in the U.S.A.''
  Today, the average wind tower has 50 percent American-made 
components. If we want to ensure that 100 percent of future wind and 
other renewable energy projects are made in America, then we must make 
it a national priority. Only then will we have the capacity to meet our 
own rising demands for clean energy.
  We must also recognize the fact that our reliance on foreign oil is a 
serious threat to our national security. The United States imports 
nearly 60 percent of the oil we use, and 70 percent of the imports come 
from outside North America. All told, we send $1 billion overseas every 
day for foreign oil. Some of the nations we buy oil from do not share 
our interests and may be hostile to the United States or their own 
people, and some of these nations are unstable, corrupt, and dangerous. 
Because of this, we send our troops overseas to ensure the secure flow 
of oil around the world. This stretches our military thin, and puts our 
troops in harm's way.
  Even during times of peace, we have spent $50 billion a year to 
patrol shipping lanes and secure Middle Eastern oilfields and transport 
routes. Our dependence on foreign oil also forces us to deal with 
undemocratic nations in order to protect our interests in oil. It 
reduces our leverage and forces us to make oil security part of our 
international diplomatic and military strategies.
  Furthermore, because we consume 25 percent of the world's oil, our 
high demand drives up prices worldwide. So no matter from whom we 
choose to buy oil, oil-rich nations, some of which are unstable and 
hostile to the United States, will reap the benefits.
  This dependence on oil also leaves us vulnerable to price 
manipulation by entities such as OPEC, which can influence global oil 
prices at any time, as they have done so many times in the past. We 
have the opportunity now to make this right. We can eliminate the 
threat of foreign oil to our national security by transitioning to a 
clean energy economy. We can harness American ingenuity and regain our 
competitive edge in the global markets. We can create hundreds of 
thousands of new jobs in America for generations to come.
  By putting a price on carbon, we will send a signal to investors, 
industries, manufacturers, and global competitors that the future of 
the American economy lies in clean energy.
  Pricing carbon is the most cost-effective policy tool available to 
transition the United States away from dirty fossil fuels. It will 
create incentives for businesses and industry to find low-cost 
solutions to reduce carbon pollution, and it will send a clear signal 
that offers predictability in the marketplace. It will allow businesses 
and investors to finance long-term projects in renewable energy knowing 
that they are standing on the same common ground as their competitors.
  Many of the new clean energy technologies require decades of lead 
time before they are ready for commercial-scale development. Therefore, 
it is imperative that we start investing in them immediately. 
Furthermore, because market barriers exist, we must also provide 
additional investments such as loan guarantees, grants, tax incentives, 
and other assistance to encourage early and significant action toward 
clean energy technology development and deployment.
  We can no longer afford to pay for the high cost of a fossil-based 
economy. Putting a price on carbon will reflect the true costs of our 
energy sources and enable market forces to drive American ingenuity to 
develop clean energy technologies. We have the most creative and 
talented workforce in the world. We can transform our energy system to 
one that creates jobs and enhances U.S. competitiveness, strengthens 
national security, and cuts carbon pollution. But we have to take the 
bull by the horns. Now is the time to chart a new course for the 
country.
  I urge my colleagues to join me and seize this moment.
  I yield the floor and I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.

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  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. SANDERS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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