|
Advancing Energy Independence |
| Print |
|
 In Congress I am committed to moving America forward on the path to achieving energy independence. Renewable energy is the next great market opportunity, and I want America, and specifically upstate New York, to be on the forefront. Through smart investments we can create good jobs for our community and lead the way to a cleaner environment that preserves the character and beauty of upstate New York and the North County.
During my first 100 hours in Congress, I cosponsored HR 6, the CLEAN Energy Act of 2007, and joined 263 of my colleagues of both parties to vote in support of investing in renewable energy. The bill repeals billions in federal subsidies for the oil and gas industry, and creates a Strategic Renewable Energy Reserve to invest in clean, renewable energy resources and to promote job growth in new emerging technologies.
I believe that through a diverse energy sector and an investment in clean renewables we can revitalize our manufacturing base, create homegrown energy from biofuels and strengthen our economic and national security.
We must make a firm commitment to our long-term energy future, and that begins with investing in the next generation of scientists and engineers that will move America closer to this goal. That is why I sponsored an amendment to H.R. 363: Sowing the Seeds through Science and Engineering Research Act, called the Undergraduate Scholarships for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (US-STEM) program. This scholarship program would encourage our students to pursue degrees in the sciences, and prepare the next generation of Americans to lead us toward energy independence.
As a Member of the House Committee on Agriculture, I had the opportunity to craft the Farm Bill, which included unprecedented attention for biofuels and rural energy development.
Our rural communities will be central to the development of clean, homegrown energy. The Farm Bill included the creation of the Rural Energy for America Program that provides grants and loan guarantees for farmers and small businesses to purchase and install renewable energy systems and to make energy efficiency improvements. The bill also includes expansion of energy feedstock development, such as grasses and woody biomass, which can be used for the production of clean, efficient cellulosic ethanol, and also inclusion of methane to energy production which is particularly beneficial to our dairy and livestock farmers.
Through investment in homegrown, clean and renewable energy we can slow, stop, and ultimately reverse the effects of global climate change, revitalize America's economy and strengthen America's national security.
|