[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 14]
[Senate]
[Page 19359]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                                 ENERGY

  Mr. TESTER. Mr. President, I first wish to thank the Senator from 
North Dakota for his comments. I think it is particularly important, as 
we get the news day after day about what is going on in the financial 
markets of this country, that we don't panic. The fact is, I think the 
investments we have in our banks are secure. There is no doubt about 
that. But the truth is, we have gotten here by an administration that, 
quite honestly, has not done its job with commonsense oversight, and 
greed has stepped in. The bottom line is that it is costing the 
Government a lot of money--$85 billion yesterday--to basically 
nationalize AIG. So I thank the Senator from North Dakota. I think his 
comments are on point.
  Today, I want to talk about something that has been on our minds for 
some time and will be on our minds for some time; that is, the cost of 
energy. It is an incredibly pressing issue, and it is long past due for 
a commonsense energy policy with short-term and long-term solutions--
critically important. America deserves no less, and Americans deserve 
no less. It is a matter of national and economic security.
  Securing our energy future will free America from being held hostage 
by foreign producers, and quite honestly, most of them don't like us 
much--countries such as Russia, Venezuela, and Saudi Arabia. Renewable 
energy projects will generate good new jobs here in America while 
creating a sustainable energy supply at affordable prices for American 
consumers.
  I have spoken many times on this floor about the need to drill for 
oil in places that make sense in this country. One of them in 
particular is a formation called the Bakken formation in eastern 
Montana. I have called on my colleagues to work together to crack down 
on oil speculators who artificially drive up the price of oil, and, of 
course, I have spoken about the need to conserve--the low-hanging 
fruit, conserve, conserve, conserve--and to invest in alternative and 
renewable energy for the future to make this country energy 
independent.
  That is why I rise today. In Montana, several alternative energy 
projects have been held up by the Federal Government. Why? Because of 
too much redtape. And this administration has cut staff and resources 
just when we need them the most in the area of renewable energy. That 
is why I am introducing legislation, along with Senator Feinstein, that 
will help get renewable energy projects approved faster. The measure 
will cut through the redtape that slows down too many of these 
innovative and important projects. My bill will make it easier for 
folks who are figuring out how to use new technology to solve the 
energy crisis while also cutting down on the emissions of greenhouse 
gases. It would also create as many as six renewable energy pilot 
project offices across the country to coordinate Federal permits for 
renewable energy projects and transmission lines with State 
governments.
  This legislation is only a part of the puzzle, but it is a very 
important piece. In the 2005 Energy bill, we created an oil and gas 
pilot project to speed up onshore gas and oil exploration drilling, and 
it is working. If we had put the same focus on renewable energy that we 
have on oil and gas, we would be in a different spot today. And we 
won't run out of renewables as we will with oil.
  I very much appreciate the work many of my colleagues have been doing 
to develop a bipartisan energy proposal, and I support their work. I 
call on the Senate to work together to pass commonsense solutions to 
this energy crisis. We can't put all our eggs in one basket energy-
wise. Energy security will take a mix of solutions, and it is not going 
to happen overnight. But every day we delay is another day we continue 
to rely on foreign energy.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The assistant majority leader is 
recognized.

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