[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 5]
[HO]
[Page 6210]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                        A NATIONAL ENERGY POLICY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from the gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Udall) is recognized 
for 5 minutes.
  Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I wanted to talk about an issue 
that I know is going to become a very serious issue in this session of 
Congress, and that is a national energy policy. This administration is 
going to unveil in the coming weeks their plan for a national energy 
policy and I thought it was important to talk a little bit about what I 
think should be in that national energy policy and how we ought to look 
forward. Energy and energy issues are not just about today. I think the 
people of this country pay us to look out to the future, 25, 50 years, 
and put this Nation on a very strong basis where we can be energy 
efficient.
  Are we in that condition today? I do not think so. I think 
increasingly in recent years, we have gone up and up with imports. We 
have increased our dependence on foreign oil. In fact, in the 1960s we 
imported about 20 percent of our oil. We are approaching today about 60 
percent of our oil.

                              {time}  1600

  So we are getting heavily dependent on imports. Where is the foreign 
oil coming from that we are importing? Over 55 percent of that oil is 
coming from seven countries. They are in the Middle East, a volatile 
region, a region where there is always something going to happen that 
might impact the oil supply. So we need to look ahead.
  I wanted to talk a little bit about what are the components of a 
national energy policy.
  First of all, we have to look at having a strong domestic industry. 
Many States out in the West, New Mexico is one of them, have strong, 
vital domestic oil industries. We have to make sure that those 
industries stay strong and that we give the incentive so that they can 
develop.
  Secondly, we have to look at fuel efficiency. In the last end of this 
administration, the Clinton administration, we talked about energy 
efficiency and the Clinton administration, through Secretary 
Richardson, who is from my home State and a colleague of mine, he put 
in a requirement that air conditioners in the future have 30 percent 
energy efficiency. I find it very unfortunate that this administration 
has rolled that back. Rather than get more energy-efficient air 
conditioners which use up huge amounts of energy in the summer, that 
has been rolled back.
  We need to look at fuel efficiency. If we just increased our 
automobile efficiency 3 miles per gallon, that would equal all of the 
oil that is in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. So fuel efficiency 
on automobiles is another important component, and I hope that this 
administration recommends that.
  In addition to air conditioners, there are a number of other 
appliances which could be more energy efficient. We need to look at 
every one of those, and I hope there are some major recommendations in 
that area.
  Then we need to look at conservation. Since 1900 until today, we have 
used up enormous sums of oil. Some estimates are that we have used up 
half of what all there is out there. That, to me, is deplorable. The 
amount of time that people have been on this earth and just a couple of 
generations here are using it all. A good conservation ethic says that 
we should leave the world in a better place for our children. So we 
should not be using such a vital resource at such a rapid pace. So we 
need to apply a conservation ethic. I hope this President speaks out 
and says, in terms of a national energy policy, we need conservation 
and we need it to be a big part of government and private sector and 
throughout the economy.
  The last area that I think needs to be emphasized here is alternative 
and renewable forms of energy. If we focus on fuel cells, solar, wind, 
biomass, do the research, bring down the costs, we can be a country 
that is energy independent; and we will not be so dependent on this 
foreign oil. When it comes to those areas, I really do not understand 
this President cutting solar and wind and some of the other renewable 
forms.
  So in sum, Mr. Speaker, let us look at a true national energy policy 
in the coming weeks.

                          ____________________