[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 7]
[Senate]
[Pages 9340-9341]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                                 ENERGY

  Mr. THOMAS. Madam President, I take a moment to talk about at least 
one of the pending matters. Certainly our focus is, and should be, on 
what is happening in Iraq, supporting our troops, so we can support 
whatever needs to be done now as this war, hopefully, comes to a 
successful conclusion. In the meantime, of course, while we are aware 
we are not yet at that point, we have to continue with strong support 
and praise of our men and women.
  In addition, business goes on. Despite our interest in terrorism, 
despite our concern and support for Iraq, our lives continue. An 
important issue is energy. We have been through this a number of times 
before, and the unrest in the Middle East has something to do with it, 
although it is not the exclusive reason. We need to find ways, as we 
look forward, to supply ourselves with our electricity needs.
  Energy is at times taken for granted. We do not pay attention to it. 
Lights, automobiles, food--everything has to do with energy. As we all 
know, we depend on imports for 60 percent of our energy. Availability 
is threatened, from time to time, but economically we are better off 
producing here.
  We are in the process of working on an energy policy. Last year, 
Members may recall, we began with no energy policy. For various 
reasons--organizations, committees did not get to the work--we had no 
policy. When we talk policy, we are talking broader than the details; 
we are talking about a vision, where we need to be and the best way to 
get there over a period of time. I know how difficult it is because we 
deal with issues before the Senate on a daily basis. However, the most 
important function of the Congress and the Senate is to make policy. 
Others do the details and the implementation. Our emphasis ought to be 
on where we want to go, where we want to be over a period of time and, 
in broad terms, how we get there.
  We are now in the process, I am pleased to say, of coming up with an 
energy policy. Hopefully, it will be a broad policy that will include 
what we think our needs will be and then talk about how we get there. 
The policy will include, certainly, research. There will be new ways of 
generating energy for ourselves. We will be using different kinds of 
energy over time, including hydrogen. Certainly we will be looking at 
conservation. There is no question there are many ways we can save in 
the amount of energy we each use; we can reduce our demands on energy. 
There will be emphasis on alternative means, including hydrogen cars, 
and perhaps hydrogen for other purposes as well.
  Most importantly, in the short term, we will look at increasing 
domestic production of energy. We have the resources in our country to 
have considerably more energy made available than we do now. When we do 
it, for instance, in the case of coal, one of the largest resources of 
energy we have, we have to continue to look for ways to produce it in a 
clean fashion so we can have good climate, clean skies.
  I am hopeful we can continue to emphasize the future, where we need 
to be, how we are going to get there. We are going to have to recognize 
things have changed, for instance, in the area of electricity. Years 
ago, certainly, generators were also distributes of what they generated 
in their own retail markets. Now we have changed that and 40 percent of 
the generation is done by so-called marketing generators that do not 
distribute but sell it wholesale

[[Page 9341]]

around the country. Obviously, to make that work, we have to have 
transmission and transportation. That will be something we need as a 
national grid to be able to move electricity from the source to the 
area of consumption. That has changed. That is different than in the 
past. We will find ways to have cars and trucks that are more 
conservative in their use of gasoline.
  I am pleased we are moving forward. I just left a hearing where we 
discussed working on that after our recess, that hopefully we can come 
together with a sensible policy. I hope we do not get tangled up in 
every detail but, again, have this oriented toward looking out over a 
period of time as to how we will provide the necessary energy resources 
and use them in a clean manner. I look forward to that.
  I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Thomas). Without objection, it is so 
ordered.

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