[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 15 (Thursday, January 29, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Page S620]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     RENEWABLE ELECTRICITY STANDARD

  Mr. UDALL. Mr. President, today we are voting in the 11 o'clock 
series on the renewable electricity standard--a bill to promote 25 
percent of our electricity to come by renewable sources by 2025.
  From what we have heard these past few weeks, we are either on the 
floor debating an energy bill or a jobs bill. This is what my 
Republican friends and colleagues have been saying.
  The Keystone Pipeline fits neither one of these descriptions. The 
Keystone Pipeline is not an energy bill. The bill lacks a comprehensive 
energy policy; it lacks even trying to set one. This is not a ``do it 
all, do it right'' energy bill. It isn't even a ``drill, baby, drill'' 
bill. This is the ``drill, Canada'' bill.
  If we are going to debate energy policy, we need to debate and adopt 
a renewable electricity standard. The Keystone Pipeline is an 
investment in doing things the old way--importing foreign oil. Instead 
of doubling down on foreign oil, we should be talking about how we can 
move America forward by investing in homegrown energy for the future. 
The renewable electricity standard is such a bill.
  I wish to point out that States already recognize this fact 
significantly. Colorado has a 30-percent target by 2020. Nevada has a 
25-percent target by 2025. Oregon has a 25-percent target by 2025. A 
number of other States have renewable electricity targets. Twenty-nine 
States, in fact, are developing a national market. There are many 
States that are meeting these goals and moving forward aggressively.
  In 2013, the State of Iowa produced 27 percent of its electricity 
alone with wind power.
  I see the chairwoman of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee on 
the floor. I promise to yield. I only have a couple of more minutes. I 
thank the chairwoman.
  This amendment--the renewable electricity standard--is a start to a 
comprehensive energy policy for the United States.
  We are told the Keystone Pipeline is a jobs bill. We are told 
Keystone will create jobs. Of course, we are all for that. But how many 
jobs? We are talking about 2,000, 3,000 construction jobs, but the 
permanent jobs are in the range of 50. How about a renewable 
electricity standard that promotes long-lasting manufacturing and 
installation jobs--American jobs, permanent jobs--jobs that can't be 
outsourced?
  The renewable electricity standard could create an additional 274,000 
to 297,000 jobs in the United States in such areas as construction, 
operations, and engineering. Over 50 percent of these jobs would be 
created in the manufacturing sector. These are hundreds of thousands of 
21st century American jobs in my State and across the country. We owe 
it to all Americans to consider this and other amendments that would 
improve the bill.
  Right now, we are losing out to other countries in both solar and 
wind. China has the largest market share. A national renewable 
electricity standard would help us move forward aggressively to get our 
market share in those two areas.
  It is clear to me a national renewable electricity standard would 
combat global warming while creating hundreds of thousands of jobs 
across the country. It will help maximize our energy potential while 
strengthening our economy and our energy security.
  Let's vote on that. Let's move forward to meet the real energy needs 
of American families.
  I thank the chairwoman for being so gracious and for her courtesy.
  I yield the floor.

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