 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
The National Energy Policy Report of the National Energy Policy Development Group
Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality
Prepared Statement of The Honorable Joe Barton
Today, the Energy & Air Quality Subcommittee holds another in its series of hearings on national energy policy. We welcome today the new Secretary of Energy, Spence Abraham. Last month, the President's National Energy Policy Development Group, of which Secretary Abraham is an important member, sent a report to the President and to Congress. I have read the report cover to cover, and I hope Subcommittee Members have, as well as members of the press whose job it is to describe it. The word "balanced" is used a lot in Washington, but must certainly be used here today. This is a balanced plan for a truly comprehensive energy policy. Conservation, energy efficiency, renewables, and other alternate energy all have their place in the plan, as they do in our national policy. Coal, nuclear, hydro, natural gas, and crude oil also have their place in the plan, as they do in the real world today. Our nation is a net energy importer. Just as California needs to erode its supply-demand imbalance in electricity, our Nation needs to do the same for energy as a whole. Many of the Nations we import energy from, such as Canada, are allies and good friends. Others, we maintain good relationships with, and will usually work with us in times of trouble. But not always. Still others, such as Iraq, love our dependency upon energy imports and look to leverage our liability against us. This year, our average imports of crude oil from Iraq exceed half a million barrels per day. Energy policy has been neglected. Our supply has not grown as it should. Within the last several seasons, we have begun to pay the price, with price spikes in heating oil, crude oil, gasoline, natural gas, and, of course, electricity. In this time of crisis, or in this troubling time, (if some will not let us say "crisis"), we must put every element of an energy policy on the table and ignore nothing. Renewables other than hydro are only a very small part of our energy inventory, and in many cases the technologies are not yet economically competitive - but we should not ignore them, and we should, in fact, encourage renewable technologies. Our gains in conservation and energy efficiency have been impressive. Today, we are among the most energy-efficient Nations in the world. But we cannot ignore further developments in conservation and energy efficiency, and find ways to achieve them without hurting consumers and businesses. Nuclear and hydro energy have two great advantages for consumers, environmental groups, and lawmakers - both have no air emissions. New nuclear technologies and developments in incremental hydro capacity can help promote our energy security, and cannot be ignored. In some parts of the country, hydro supplies more than a third of our electricity. Nuclear supplies one-fifth of our electricity nationally, and more than thirty percent in New England and the Mid-Atlantic. Finally, our fossil fuels continue to play an incredibly important role in the generation of electricity, the fueling of our cars, and the production of goods and services for American consumers. None of them should be taken off the table, and we should pursue, not neglect, using our natural resource advantages in a comprehensive plan. Our Nation has been called the "Saudi Arabia of coal". No Nation with such a gift is wise to ignore it. Energy is not naturally a partisan issue, and it should not be partisan here. Republican consumers and workers need electricity, gasoline, and energy for manufacturing, just as Democratic consumers and workers need the same. Members of this Subcommittee from both parties have studied energy issues for a long time and have a great understanding of what needs to be done. As we prepare legislation subsequent to the Administration's proposal, I want to do so on a bipartisan basis. I know the Ranking Member, Mr. Boucher, is ready to do the same. Secretary Abraham, I welcome you today. You have already shown yourself a good study and a forceful advocate. Our Subcommittee jurisdiction includes a great deal of your department, and we look forward to working with you. This is a critically important time - we must get the Nation back on track towards energy stability. The plan you will discuss today appears to me to be a good one and will accomplish that goal.
|
|||||||||||
|
