Duckworth Proposes Development of Renewable Energy Sources, Reduced Dependence on Foreign Oil

DUCKWORTH PROPOSES DEVELOPMENT OF RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES, REDUCED DEPENDENCE ON FOREIGN OIL
DUCKWORTH CALLS FOR END TO CONGRESSIONAL SUBSIDIES FOR OIL COMPANIES AT A TIME OF RECORD PROFITS

Congressional candidate Tammy Duckworth unveiled on Wednesday a plan to develop new forms of renewable energy and reduce Americans' dependence on foreign sources of oil. Duckworth called the issue a "matter of national security and economic security for consumers in our district."

With this week's reports of record profits by oil companies and analysts predicting even higher gas prices this summer, Duckworth said that she would vote to rescind huge subsidies contained in the energy bill passed last year by Congress. This week, Exxon Mobil Corporation reported profits from 2005 of $36 billion, a record for any company in U.S. history. The energy bill passed last year gave away $14 billion to the oil industry.

"Our leaders in Washington should be putting our country on a path to energy independence through greater conservation efforts and the rapid development of alternative energy sources," she said.

"Doing so will help us protect our environment, protect our pocket-books and protect us from the threat of rogue nations and oil states who have us over a barrel," she said. She made her comments standing at an Exxon Mobil station in Lombard.

Duckworth said that, if elected, she was committed to pursuing policies in Congress that would encourage— largely through incentive-based programs—the development of alternative energy sources.

The proposal outlined Wednesday by Duckworth included four main points:

• ENCOURAGE AVAILABILITY OF ALTERNATIVE FUELS
Duckworth pointed out that many vehicles on the road today— including most cars manufactured since the mid-1990s, such as the Ford Taurus—are flex-fuel cars that are already equipped to run on alternative fuels. However, such fuels—known as "e85" and "b20"—are not readily available at neighborhood gas pumps. In addition, many drivers are not even aware that they have this option.
Duckworth said that Congress should encourage gas stations to stock these fuels so drivers will have easier access to them. She also said that the (U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Trade Commission) should investigate whether automakers are living up to warranties for drivers who use such fuels.

• IMPROVE GAS-MILEAGE STANDARDS
Duckworth said that she supported bipartisan efforts— such as legislation proposed by Reps. Ed Markey (D-MA) and Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY)-- calling on the auto industry to improve gas-mileage standards. Their legislation (H.R. 3762) would call for a modest but effective increase in fuel efficiency standards over the next decade. Under the bill, the U.S. Secretry of Energy would issue fuel standards by 2016 for new cars averaging 33 mpg, up from the current average of 27.5 mpg. This would encourage the production of more hybrid vehicles, while resulting in savings of more than 2.6 million barrels of oil per day.

• DEVELOPMENT OF RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
Duckwoth said that, "the most effective long-range solution to our dependence on foreign oil rests in the development of alternative, renewable energy sources,"and that she embraces the concept of market-based incentives to achieve that goal. She said that the federal government should follow the lead of more than twenty states, including Illinois, which have established renewable portfolio standard (or "RPS") programs calling for more electricity to be produced through such souces. RPS programs allow corporations that generate power to receive credits relative to the amount of power derived from renewable sources, which can be maintained or sold by the originating company.

• AN END TO SUBSIDIES AND TX BREAKS TO THE OIL INDUSTRY
Duckworth said she would vote to rescind the $14 billion in new subsidies and tax breaks for the highly profitable oil industry contained in last year's energy bill. She said that this week's announcement of Exxon Mobil's 2005 profits demonstrate that such help was unnecessary. "Whether it's tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans who don't need them or subsidies for highly profitable oil companies, this Congress seems more interested in helping those who have the best connections, rather than doing what's right for the nation's interest," she said. She said that she would support returning the money to the treasury, with $1 billion set aside for the development of renewable fuels.

Duckworth said that she was pleased that President Bush referred to the topic during his State of the Union address Tuesday night, but said that his "rhetoric needs to be matched with action.

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