Yesterday, we learned that another oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico. Thankfully, nobody was hurt and no oil has leaked into the Gulf as a result of the explosion.
But this most recent explosion happened less than five months after the tragic explosion at BP’s Deepwater Horizon oil rig, which killed 11 workers, dumped 4.9 billion barrels of oil into our waters and wreaked havoc on the local economies of Gulf communities.
The most dangerous thing these spills have in common is this: there were warnings that disaster might occur. Just like BP, Mariner Energy, who owns the oil rig that exploded yesterday, was cited for two safety violations in the past six months alone.
It’s clear now, more than ever, that we need to rethink America’s energy strategy. We need to rethink the way we power our economy.
Earlier this week, I unveiled my clean energy jobs plan at ARC Energy, a New Hampshire company that manufactures energy-efficient light bulbs.
You can read my plan here [PDF]. It’s designed to create clean energy jobs, growing that sector of the economy through incentives for researching, developing, manufacturing and implementing clean energy technologies. It includes:
- A national 25% renewable energy standard.
- An expansion of manufacturing tax credits for green energy technologies.
- Research and development credits for green energy technologies.
- A revival of the federal biodiesel tax incentive program of $1 for every gallon of biodiesel produced.
- Investments in high-speed rail and other forms of green transportation, as well as incentives for clean fuel production and carpooling.
And, as an added bonus, my plan is fully paid for by ending tax breaks for big oil and cutting $60 billion in wasteful Pentagon spending.
We can’t afford to let big oil put our economy, our energy and our environment at risk. We can’t afford to rely on big oil any longer--the costs are just too high.
We need to work toward true energy independence. We have to lay the foundations now for a national transition to clean, green, renewable forms of energy, and we also need to create jobs.
My plan does all of those things, growing a vital sector of our economy when we need it most and moving us out from under the shadow of big oil once and for all.
My plan is just the start, though--as a United States Senator, I will continue standing up to big oil and I will continue to fight for more clean energy jobs--because we just can't wait for clean energy any longer.