[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 9]
[House]
[Page 13080]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



            SUPPORT ENERGY SECURITY ACT TO MEET ENERGY NEEDS

  (Mr. GIBBONS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, due to recent current events, I do not 
think anyone can deny nor can anyone argue that this country needs more 
energy. Every estimate I have seen points to a sharp rise in our 
Nation's energy demands over the next 20 years. The demand for 
electricity, for example, is expected to rise 45 percent, according to 
the DOE, and the demand for natural gas will be even greater. It is 
expected to rise 62 percent by the year 2020.
  Now, everyone knows that conservation can take the edge off that 
demand, and, in fact, the Republican energy package offers a framework 
for energy conservation that we have long needed. But, as Californians 
know quite well, even the best conservation efforts will not solve this 
problem. They are experiencing about a 15 percent gain in that demand 
due to conservation. That still leaves us about 40 to 50 percent short, 
and, without new energy supplies, more businesses, more hospitals, and 
more homes are going to go dark unnecessarily. We need to produce more 
energy.
  Therefore, I encourage my colleagues to support H.R. 2436 the Energy 
Security Act, which provides a multifaceted energy package.

                          ____________________