[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 3]
[Senate]
[Pages 2876-2877]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                                 ENERGY

  Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, the economy, as has been noted, has been 
performing extremely well of late with 10 consecutive quarters of 
economic growth, with job creation at 4.5 million jobs created in the 
last 2\1/2\ years. There are a lot of good things happening in our 
economy. One of the dark clouds that hovers over our economy right now, 
however, is the cost of energy. For several years, going back to the 
very first year of the Bush administration, there was an effort made by 
the administration to move a comprehensive energy bill through 
Congress, get it passed and put into law, that lessens our dependence 
upon foreign sources of energy.
  Regrettably, in the last Congress, that bill, after it had been 
negotiated through the conference committee, was filibustered by the 
Senate Democrats and prevented from becoming law.
  In this session of Congress, last July, the Senate and the House came 
together in a conference committee and reported out a conference 
report, an energy bill that was signed into law by the President that 
will make remarkable strides forward in doing what all agree is an 
important goal for this country, which is to reduce our dependence upon 
foreign sources of energy.
  Statistics today show we are now 59 percent dependent upon imports 
for our U.S. energy demand. That is expected to be 60 percent not too 
far into the future. The Energy Information Agency says U.S. oil 
consumption will grow from 20.7 million barrels a day in 2005 to 26.1 
million barrels a day in 2025. We are using more energy. Worldwide 
demand for energy is growing. Countries such as India and China are 
demanding more and more energy. We rely on energy that exists outside 
the United States in areas of the world that are unpredictable and 
unreliable and unstable.

[[Page 2877]]

  We have a great solution. We have seen significant success in my 
State of South Dakota with renewable energy. The products we raise and 
grow right here in the United States, in States such as South Dakota, 
corn and soybeans, can be converted into energy that will lessen that 
dependence upon foreign sources of energy and, at the same time, create 
jobs. We are creating enormous numbers of jobs across this country, 
particularly in the Midwest.
  New technologies will allow ethanol, cellulose ethanol, to be made 
from other products, from other feedstocks. This will be a trend that 
will continue to create jobs all across this country.
  The ethanol industry and the economic gains we have seen have 
benefited our rural economy. Over the next year, ethanol will displace 
2 million barrels of imported oil, create 234,840 jobs and boost 
American household incomes by $43 billion. Because of the ethanol 
requirement in the Energy bill we passed last summer, 34 new ethanol 
plants are under construction, 8 existing plants will be expanded 
today, and more than 150 plants are in the works. Each plant employs 
between 40 and 50 people directly and creates hundreds of jobs 
throughout the local economy. These new plants will add more than 2 
billion gallons of ethanol to the Nation's fuel supply by 2007, a 50-
percent growth in ethanol production.
  This is a good story for the American economy because the American 
economy relies upon affordable energy. My State of South Dakota is a 
case in point. We are an agriculture intense economy, energy intense 
economy, and rely on tourism. We have long distances to cover. We need 
affordable energy to continue to grow the economy and create jobs in 
states such as South Dakota.
  The ethanol success story could not have happened had it not been for 
the Republican leadership in the Senate and the House coming together 
last summer on a bill that would put in place a renewable fuel standard 
that guarantees a market for ethanol moving forward in the year 2012. 
As a consequence, we are seeing remarkable improvements in the economy 
in places that had been struggling economic areas in this country, in 
rural areas of America that had been losing jobs and suffering from 
outmigration. It is a success story and one that could not have 
happened had it not been for the leadership that moved forward with an 
energy bill last year, that put in place the renewable fuel standard 
for the first time as a matter of policy in this country.
  There are lots of other areas in the Energy bill currently being 
developed. If you look at wind energy, solar energy, nuclear energy, 
the Energy bill passed last summer provides great strides forward as we 
strive to achieve energy independence in this country and deal with 
what is a fundamental issue for our national security; that is, our 
energy security.
  I rise this morning to again take note of the fact that we are an 
economy that is in some respects growing, seeing job expansion and a 
lot of good things happening in our economy, but also acknowledging 
that unless we do something to decrease the amount, the 60 percent of 
the energy that we get from outside the United States, we run the risk 
of dramatically undermining and harming the economic growth we have 
experienced.
  The energy policies we put in place last summer and some of the 
things currently under consideration in the Senate as we move forward 
will make great strides forward in helping America deal with what is an 
economic security issue, what is a national security issue, and that is 
the crisis of energy we see not only in the United States but across 
the world as more and more countries have an energy demand and the 
consumption continues to increase with a very limited supply.
  We have a supply right in the Midwest. We grow corn each year, we 
grow soybeans each year. Other areas produce products that, as 
technology continues to improve, will enable us to convert those 
products into usable energy for America's future.
  I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Vitter). Without objection, it is so 
ordered. The Senator from Mississippi is recognized.
  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, parliamentary inquiry: What is the status of 
the agenda at this time?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. In just a minute, morning business will be 
closed. Then the Senate will resume consideration of S. 2349.
  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, you say in a minute. Do we have other 
speakers?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. No. The Chair just needs to announce that.
  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. DODD. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

                          ____________________