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Guest Commentary February 22, 2002
Renewable Energy Provides Benefits For Our Environment and Economy
The Honorable Olympia Snowe
In its National Energy Policy released last May, the Bush Administration acknowledged that "renewable energy can help provide for our future needs by harnessing abundant, naturally occurring sources of energy, such as the sun, the wind, geothermal heat, and biomass from forestry waste." Indeed, as our country experiences an increased reliance on foreign oil and continued carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel sources, development in the areas of energy efficiency and renewable energy is becoming more and more essential in realizing significant gains for the environment, public health, the economy, and national security.
Today, more than ever, we must prevent depletion of our natural resources - thereby helping to reduce our dependence on foreign oil - by developing more reliable and diverse energy systems, rather than relying solely on the current, centralized infrastructure of pipelines, refineries, power plants, electricity grids, and oil tankers. We cannot continue to spend $57 billion each year purchasing oil from the Middle East, nor can we afford to continue releasing carbon dioxide – the main greenhouse gas causing climate change – into the atmosphere.
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Last week, I joined with the U.S. Public Interest Research Group (US PIRG) in releasing a report on the importance of renewable energy. The report finds that Maine could generate up to 95 percent of its electricity by expanding its current energy mix to include renewables, such as wind and solar. Currently, Maine relies on fossil fuels for 42 percent of its electrical power needs - a dependence that creates costs for both the consumer and the environment.
Reducing these costs and realizing the benefits of renewable energy sources will require Congress to pass well balanced legislation that encourages the use of renewables. Together with Senator James Jeffords (I-Vermont), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, I authored the Renewable Energy and Energies Efficiencies Act, legislation that promotes energy efficiency through the use of renewable energy sources. The bill promotes a renewable portfolio standard (RPS), which requires suppliers to provide a certain amount of energy from renewable energy sources. ... Experts estimate that a natural clean energy standard will spur investments of $140 billion in new capital investments in renewables.
Other provisions in our bill include a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 18 percent, and the creation of a National Electric Systems Benefits Fund to assist states in guaranteeing electricity access for all households and help low-income consumers reduce their electricity bills through conservation. ... The legislation also provides for fair and equitable treatment for consumers who generate their own power, and contribute excess electricity back into the power grid.
In addition to the Jeffords-Snowe bill, the Senate Finance Committee recently passed a package of tax incentives that includes an array of measures I supported to encourage the use of environmentally-responsible energy alternatives. ... Included in the legislation is a tax credit for consumers who purchase hybrid and fuel cell vehicles, the development of fuel cells for safe electricity generation for homes and businesses, and provisions to encourage energy-efficient construction - such as use of energy-efficient windows, air conditioners, and appliances - in new and existing homes.
This legislation develops responsible tax-incentives to increase the efficiency of the electricity we produce, the cars we drive, the appliances we use, the homes in which we live, and, in turn, the competitiveness of domestic manufacturers. The key is to make the best renewable and alternative energy systems competitive with today's non-renewable energy sources to encourage increasing development.
There is no shortage of renewable energy resources. Every day, the sunlight that falls on the United States contains more than twice the energy we consume in an entire year. The state of North Dakota alone has enough wind to supply 35 percent of the total U.S. electricity demand. These and other self-renewing resources are simply waiting to be harvested, and continued research will ensure that we have the technologies to get this new energy onto the national energy grid.
Olympia Snowe, a Republican, is a U.S. Senator from Maine. The above commentary has been adapted from Sen. Snowe's weekly column, February 22, 2002. To contact her, Click Here.
The above column has been distributed by PoliticsOL.com.
