Tax provisions will be the main issue, key lawmakers say, when the House and Senate try to agree on a finalized farm bill under the threat of a veto from the Bush administration.

The report by the Government Accountability Office paints tankers as targets for terrorism, and who can disagree? As long as we rely on tankers in a time of suicide bombers and America-haters, the ships and their cargoes will need protecting. But we won’t need to spend billions of taxpayer dollars turning the Coast Guard into a second navy for the purpose of protecting Middle Eastern energy from Middle Eastern terrorists if we can summon the political will to produce our own energy from our own reserves. Simply accepting the inevitability of soaring natural gas imports is hardly a good idea, much less necessary, when America has vast reserves of energy available within our own boundaries.

Today’s is the second report in response to our request. The first, delivered in March, made the case for continued research on technical safety issues, and that makes perfect sense. Most Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) safety experts surveyed by GAO say that the protection zones already required of tankers and terminals will do their job of protecting the public in the unlikely event of an incident, whether accidental or intentional. Fortunately, LNG shipments have an excellent record for safety, and more than 40,000 tankers have delivered the product over nearly half a century without even a major spill, much less a disaster. That’s good, and it’s also the minimum that we should expect. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission seems ready and able to apply the latest science in its licensing decisions, and I support continued research to provide up-to-date science as a policy that’s only prudent.

Hogan & Hartson Environmental Policy Group Chairman Patrick M. Raher, who represents two major automakers, predicts Congress will pass corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards before its holiday recess.

Some automakers have supported the CAFE standards in the current energy bill according to Raher. Automakers know Congress and the American people are demanding more fuel efficiency, Raher says, and the current bill gives them time to achieve it.

I was honored to vote for the Democrats’ groundbreaking energy plan in the House last Thursday.  For three decades, our Congressional leaders have paid lip service to the needs of our environment without using the powers of government to meet those needs.  Now, with the Democrats’ energy bill, 40% more fuel-efficient cars will cut down on pollution and save consumers money on energy.

I am particularly proud to have negotiated for the inclusion of another major component of the bill, the $10 billion Energy Efficiency Block Grants (EEBG) program.  EEBG will support local city, county, and state government programs seeking to achieve greater energy efficiency and lower energy usage. Read the rest of this entry »

Rep. Oberstar is chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

There is a provision in the New Direction energy bill promoting “green locomotives,� which are more energy efficient than the environmentally-friendly locomotives currently in use.  This $40 million grant program helps rail operators acquire the more technologically-advanced locomotives that exceed current Clean Air standards, such as hybrid locomotives.  The legislation also contains a feasibility study on transporting ethanol by pipeline, as well as a capital grant program for short-line regional railroads.

Early season snows have come to parts of Idaho this year.  Winter snow is generally a good thing in Idaho when you consider water scarcity issues in the West and the winter recreation season, but, as is the case in other states, winter weather also brings home the hard reality of rising energy costs.  We’re already experiencing considerable discomfort at the gas pump; with winter’s arrival, heating bills are also increasing.

Congress has been working to reconcile differences between House and Senate versions of important energy legislation passed this summer.  The best compromise will encourage conservation with incentives, promote cost-effective and reasonably-paced alternative fuel development and move us toward self-sustaining, domestic fuel supplies.  This can only be accomplished if policies reflect careful consideration of economic, national security and environmental implications.

I supported the Senate-passed energy bill in June, which included reasonable corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards.  The legislation also increased requirements for biofuels, another important step toward conservation and U.S. energy security.  Provisions that encourage domestic development of alternative fuels and promote geothermal energy are good for the U.S. economy and environment.  However, I have concerns about emerging House legislation. Read the rest of this entry »

Energy is an issue that affects every single person in our country and there is no doubt that our energy crisis is real. Yet once again Democrat leadership has crafted a harmful piece of legislation behind closed doors. After a second attempt to breathe new life into the energy bill, the revised legislation still implements higher costs on consumers and businesses, and requires large mandates in unproven science. This ‘comprehensive’ solution does nothing to increase our real energy production. Production of oil and natural gas, nuclear, coal-to-liquid, and other forms of energy are completely left out of what Democrats call a ‘comprehensive’ solution. Read the rest of this entry »

Since the Democrats have controlled Congress, there has been no comprehensive plan to reduce America’s dependency on foreign energy.  Instead, we have seen bills that increase our reliance on foreign energy and if implemented, would drastically increase energy costs for consumers and businesses.  This job-killing energy bill will only result in higher energy costs, cut domestic energy production, increase dependence on foreign energy sources, send thousands of American jobs overseas, and drain the wallets of our families.  We need an energy bill that will encourage domestic energy production and protect American consumers and American jobs.

Yesterday, the Democratic Congress passed a so called “energy bill� that raises taxes, mandates that states derive 15 percent of their electricity from renewable resources, but fails to produce a single drop of new energy.

Americans are looking for Congress to produce an energy bill that makes use of the resources and technologies we have available in an effort to deliver the most affordable energy we can to those who need it most.  In order to do this, we need to unlock new supply, encourage conservation and promote the research and innovation necessary to develop new technologies.

Unfortunately, the bill passed yesterday includes none of these.  Instead, the bill imposes $21 billion of new taxes Read the rest of this entry »

I am encouraged to have been able to amend major climate change legislation, winning votes on two key amendments in the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee’s mark-up of the Warner-Lieberman climate legislation.

There are three key points that have been my primary focus throughout this process. First, fossil fuels, such as coal, are vital to achieving our goals of having a cleaner energy future. We can not get there without them. Secondly, a strong American economy – one that creates jobs and new technologies - is vital to develop the tools needed to capture and sequester carbon. And third, we can not afford hurt the very regions, industries, and workers, who will provide that technology through hard work and innovation.

The first amendment, which passed unanimously, designates the University of Wyoming and Montana State University as the Rocky Mountain Centers for Coal Utilization. Our state is the nation’s top source for energy, and more specifically energy derived from coal. By establishing the University of Wyoming at the forefront of clean-coal technology nationally, we strengthen Wyoming’s future, and provide needed domestic energy sources for our great nation. The centers, among other things, will develop new technologies leading to the capture and sequestration of carbon dioxide. Read the rest of this entry »