NELSON KICKS OFF STATEWIDE ENERGY TOUR IN OMAHA

August 12, 2008 - Nebraska's Senator Ben Nelson kicked off a statewide energy tour today at an Omaha gas station that sells E85 gasoline. He spoke about the use of Nebraska-produced ethanol and other renewable fuels to reduce America's dependence on foreign oil and about bipartisan legislation he co-authored to address the nation’s energy crisis.

"Our Senate 'Gang of 10' crafted a bill to help bring Congress together, end the partisan gridlock, and pass an energy plan," said Senator Nelson.

"Our balanced and bipartisan bill is the best proposal to bring Congress together on this critical issue," said Senator Nelson. "Nebraskans and all Americans are suffering from sky high energy prices and Congress needs to get in gear now."

The Gang of 10's five Republicans and five Democrats recently unveiled their New Energy Reform Act of 2008. The group crafted a plan aiming to put partisan politics aside and get Congress working together again to find solutions to the energy crisis in both the short and long-term.

"The model of the Gang of 10 shows the value of listening carefully to each other rather than just talking loudly at each other," Nelson explained.

The legislation Nelson and his colleagues will introduce soon would transition America's vehicles from running mostly on gasoline to use more fuels from renewable sources. It also calls for more conservation, consumer tax credits and responsible, targeted new domestic oil drilling that could decrease the price at the pump in a relatively short period of time.

"Our comprehensive New Energy Reform Act envisions a dramatic change: it transitions us from the old energy economy to the new energy economy. It harnesses American know-how to put more energy-efficient cars on the road and develop the natural power in renewable resources," said Nelson.

Other communities Nelson will visit this week include Ainsworth, Chadron, Hastings, Lincoln, South Sioux City, and Trenton. A stop at the Agriculture and Research Center at Mead is also planned.

"There's a lot of attention these days on the Olympics. People can't wait to see, for example, how many gold medals Michael Phelps will bring home from China,” said Nelson. “The eight Nebraska communities I'm visiting are all energy gold medal winners.

"I'm very interested to see drilling rigs that are pumping oil again, an ethanol plant run by landfill gas and the woodchip-powered energy plant at Chadron State College. I'm eager to see a plot of switch grass that can potentially be used for biofuels and the wind farm near Ainsworth with 36 turbines—a kind of high-tech "Green" energy garden," said Nelson.

"These are some of the brightest sources for new energy and they could be aided by our legislation," said Nelson. "We can debate it, work together to make needed improvements, but we must pass comprehensive energy legislation early this fall."

A radio actuality may be accessed by dialing 1-800-511-0763; enter recording number 2942.

The recording is also accessible by visiting Senator Nelson's website:
http://bennelson.senate.gov/news/multimedia.cfm.

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	Press Release	August 12, 2008
NELSON KICKS OFF STATEWIDE ENERGY TOUR IN OMAHA August 12, 2008 - Nebraska's Senator Ben Nelson kicked off a statewide energy tour today at an Omaha gas station that sells E85 gasoline. He spoke about the use of Nebraska-produced ethanol and other renewable fuels to reduce America's dependence on foreign oil and about bipartisan legislation he co-authored to address the nation’s energy crisis. "Our Senate 'Gang of 10' crafted a bill to help bring Congress together, end the partisan gridlock, and pass an energy plan," said Senator Nelson. "Our balanced and bipartisan bill is the best proposal to bring Congress together on this critical issue," said Senator Nelson. "Nebraskans and all Americans are suffering from sky high energy prices and Congress needs to get in gear now." The Gang of 10's five Republicans and five Democrats recently unveiled their New Energy Reform Act of 2008. The group crafted a plan aiming to put partisan politics aside and get Congress working together again to find solutions to the energy crisis in both the short and long-term. "The model of the Gang of 10 shows the value of listening carefully to each other rather than just talking loudly at each other," Nelson explained. The legislation Nelson and his colleagues will introduce soon would transition America's vehicles from running mostly on gasoline to use more fuels from renewable sources. It also calls for more conservation, consumer tax credits and responsible, targeted new domestic oil drilling that could decrease the price at the pump in a relatively short period of time. "Our comprehensive New Energy Reform Act envisions a dramatic change: it transitions us from the old energy economy to the new energy economy. It harnesses American know-how to put more energy-efficient cars on the road and develop the natural power in renewable resources," said Nelson. Other communities Nelson will visit this week include Ainsworth, Chadron, Hastings, Lincoln, South Sioux City, and Trenton. A stop at the Agriculture and Research Center at Mead is also planned. "There's a lot of attention these days on the Olympics. People can't wait to see, for example, how many gold medals Michael Phelps will bring home from China,” said Nelson. “The eight Nebraska communities I'm visiting are all energy gold medal winners. "I'm very interested to see drilling rigs that are pumping oil again, an ethanol plant run by landfill gas and the woodchip-powered energy plant at Chadron State College. I'm eager to see a plot of switch grass that can potentially be used for biofuels and the wind farm near Ainsworth with 36 turbines—a kind of high-tech "Green" energy garden," said Nelson. "These are some of the brightest sources for new energy and they could be aided by our legislation," said Nelson. "We can debate it, work together to make needed improvements, but we must pass comprehensive energy legislation early this fall." A radio actuality may be accessed by dialing 1-800-511-0763; enter recording number 2942. The recording is also accessible by visiting Senator Nelson's website: http://bennelson.senate.gov/news/multimedia.cfm. ###