I know Jerome wrote a strong diary on our move toward energy independence. But as a complement to that piece, I think we need to recognize some pretty big movement today in the Senate, at least from the standpoint of Democrats creating a real choice between the parties as the`06 midterms approach. This is important enough for two diaries, imo.
According to a mass email from the Apollo Alliance today,
Today, Senate Democrats unveiled the Clean EDGE Act of 2006, a broad framework for energy independence and development of the domestic clean energy industry, and proposed to reduce our dependence on foreign oil by 40%. Key provisions in the bill would create good jobs, control gas prices, reduce dependence on foreign oil, and help curb global warming pollution.
Among the components of this moonshot effort to get the United States off oil are these goals:
* Reducing Our Dependence on Foreign Oil: The legislation seeks to reduce our dependence on foreign oil by 40% by cutting U.S. oil use by nearly 6 million barrels a day in 2020.
* Transitioning to Clean Home Grown Fuels: The Clean EDGE Act of 2006 aims to increase the number of flex fuel vehicles that can run on both gas and ethanol to half of all new U.S. vehicles sold by 2020. Furthermore, it mandates an increase in the number of gas stations selling alternative fuels.
* Supporting Clean Energy and Good Jobs: It also acts as a catalyst for clean energy and good jobs by setting a national "renewable portfolio standard" that requires 10% of all electricity to come from renewable sources by 2020.
* Ending Giveaways to Big Oil: The bill pays for itself by ending some subsidies to big oil and restricting certain oil industry incentives including royalty waivers. Furthermore, the legislation would make price gouging a federal crime
* Investing in American Jobs and Industry: The Clean EDGE Act will create a clean energy investment administration to help deploy renewable power and related manufacturing technology. It also invests in education programs to develop a skilled domestic workforce, to create good new clean energy jobs.
As we've been discussing here, energy independence for national security is a political winner. Living in a deeply red state, I have actually been able to get Republican friends to agree with me on the need for something like this.
Here's more from today's news:
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.) today joined Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) and several of her Democratic colleagues to introduce the Clean Energy Development for a Growing Economy (EDGE) Act of 2006.
"The American public needs relief - real solutions to what we are going to do to become energy independent. We know people are nervous about rising energy costs and we know what it means to their families," said Senator Mikulski. "We need to keep America rolling. Where is President Bush? This administration has no answer. But we do."
The Clean EDGE Act calls for a major investment in the research, development and production of the alternative energy vehicles, fuels and technologies that will break our nation's addiction to foreign oil. The bill launches an aggressive effort to increase the number of alternative fuel vehicles sold, protect consumers from gas price gouging and market manipulation, reduce our dependence on fossil fuels by putting the federal government in the lead in reducing our dependence on foreign oil, and leveling the playing field for new renewable and energy efficient technologies.
The bill's co-sponsors include Senators Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), Christopher J. Dodd (D-Conn.), Mel Menendez (D-N.J.), Tim Johnson (D-S.D.), Thomas R. Carper (D-Del.), Mark Dayton (D-Minn.), John F. Kerry (D-Mass.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and Ken Salazar (D-Colo.).
We must let these leaders know how much we support this initiative.
Think about the contrast for '06: on the one side, it's W's choice to favor more support for oil; on the other, a bold new call to take the most important step of all to protect our national security.
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