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“INTRODUCTION OF THE NEW APOLLO ENERGY ACT” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Energy was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E1194 on June 9, 2005.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
INTRODUCTION OF THE NEW APOLLO ENERGY ACT
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HON. JAY INSLEE
of washington
in the house of representatives
Thursday, June 9, 2005
Mr. INSLEE. Mr. Speaker, in April 2005, the House of Representatives once again passed an antiquated and outdated energy bill that fails to address the grave realities that our country faces today. With record high gasoline prices, we need an energy bill that diversifies our automobile fuels and encourages domestically manufactured fuel efficient vehicles.
With millions of family wage manufacturing jobs lost since 2001, we need an energy bill that takes bold action to tap into American ingenuity in order to lead the world in new clean energy technology, rather than playing catch-up to the Japanese, Danish, and Germans. Just as concerning is that our reliance on Middle Eastern oil, creates a need to establish an energy policy that allows us to end our historically objectionable policies in this area. Additionally, the science is clear that our greenhouse gas emissions are threatening to significantly change the world's climate, yet this energy bill does not even contain the words ``climate change'' or ``global warming''. The House passed Energy bill does little, or nothing, to address these mounting concerns.
That is why I, and several of my colleagues, have joined together to introduce the most innovative and comprehensive energy plan in recent decades, known as the New Apollo Energy Act. New Apollo seeks to solve America's energy crisis through technological innovation much in the same way that President Kennedy channeled the resources of the American people in the 1960's to meet the challenges of the race to the Moon.
The New Apollo Energy Act has the three simple goals of: (1) breaking our addiction to Middle Eastern oil, thereby increasing our Nation's homeland security; (2) creating millions of high paying domestic jobs; and (3) addressing the environmental problem presented by global warming.
Highlights of our New Apollo Energy Act include: Significant tax incentives for the development, manufacturing, and purchasing of domestic clean energy technologies; Investment in energy efficient infrastructure and regulatory oversight; An oil savings provision that requires the President to use existing authority to reduce the daily consumption of oil by 600,000 barrels by 2010 and 3,000,000 barrels by 2020 (approximately what we currently import from the entire Middle East); Increased funding for LIHEAP and weatherization projects; A 10 percent Renewable Portfolio Standard by 2021; Electric grid reliability standards; Appliance efficiency standards; A renewable fuels standards set at 8 billion gallons by 2013.
The New Apollo Energy Act creates jobs. It is often falsely assumed that environmental protection and innovation comes at a cost to the economy, yet study after study concludes that environmental stewardship and technological ingenuity can walk hand in hand. The University of California at Berkley reported that the renewable energy sector generates more jobs per megawatt of power installed, per unit of energy produced, and per dollar of investment, than the fossil fuel-
based energy sector. The Apollo Alliance has found that a substantial federal commitment to clean energy could yield up to 3.3 million jobs nationally. The University of Michigan concluded that United States stands to lose 38,000-207,000 jobs if the domestic automotive industry fails to retool their plants to adjust to the growing hybrid vehicle market. Further, the Department of Energy has estimated that standards just on clothes washers, water heaters, and fluorescent lamp ballasts will create 120,000 jobs through 2020.
The New Apollo Energy Act reduces our dependence on foreign oil. We no longer have to accept an energy bill that fails to encourage the usage of renewable energy or one that fails to reduce our consumption of foreign oil. The Department of Energy's own independent research body--the Energy Information Agency (EIA)--concluded that under the Administration's proposed energy plan over the next 20 years, our oil imports will increase to 80 percent, and gas prices are likely to rise 3-8 cents, which would be the equivalent projections of enacting no energy bill at all. The EIA has also reported that despite the electric utilities' repeated claims that a renewable energy standard would hurt consumers and the economy as a whole, a 10 percent renewable energy standard by 2020 would cost consumers almost nothing--about the difference of 1 percent spread out over the next 15 years.
The New Apollo Energy Act reduces greenhouse gas emissions. Among other things, the New Apollo Energy Act provides tax credits and loan guarantees to develop more cellulosic biomass and biodiesel while providing incentives to produce and purchase energy efficient projects and developing new efficiency standards for the home.
Most importantly, this bill includes a tradable greenhouse gas permit scheme that closely resembles McCain-Lieberman's Climate Stewardship Act. In 2010, our bill would cap carbon dioxide emissions at 2000 levels. This would also include an auction for 5-10 percent of the permits for new entrants. As Members of Congress we are continually amazed that many of our colleagues have yet to accept global warming as fact. Many of us have seen the effects of global warming with our own eyes--the disappearing glaciers in Glacier National Park, the melting permafrost in the Arctic, the disintegration of ice shelves, the rapidly rising temperatures, and the sudden appearance of birds and other animals in places where they have never before existed. Global warming is about as much a theory as gravity, yet some in Congress continue to ignore nature's warning signs. Congress needs to embrace a policy that directly confronts the problem of climate change with the kind of innovative technology that has made science aware of these issues.
The New Apollo Energy Act is revenue neutral. This bill is funded by closing corporate tax shelter loop-holes, and from funds generated by the carbon emissions cap and trade program set up in this bill.
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