Gary Peters Announces New Energy Plan to Lower Gas Prices, Invest in Michigan Jobs

Press Release

Gary Peters Announces New Energy Plan to Lower Gas Prices, Invest in Michigan Jobs

Just hours before President Bush was scheduled to arrive in Southeast Michigan for a Republican Party fundraiser co-hosted by Congressman Knollenberg, Congressional candidate Gary Peters joined five Oakland County municipal and public safety leaders for a conference call to announce his plan to address the energy crisis, and to discuss how rising gas prices are impacting local communities.

"Our automakers, families, and local communities are suffering from outrageous gas prices while oil companies rake in record profits," said Gary Peters. "We need to act now to put American consumers back in charge, but Congressman Knollenberg has been part of the problem in Washington, working with President Bush to give tax breaks to oil companies and block investment in new energy solutions."

As gas prices have climbed to over $4.00 per gallon, Congressman Knollenberg has repeatedly voted to protect taxpayer funded subsidies for big oil companies while voting against funding for new research. In recent weeks, Knollenberg has called for a continuation of the Bush Administration's energy policies, including increasing imports of foreign oil and expanding drilling along America's coastlines.

According to the Energy Information Administration, Bush and Knollenberg's proposed drilling expansion would do nothing to lower oil prices in the short-term. It would be at least ten years until oil became available and close to twenty years before the new supply made any impact on prices.

Meanwhile, gas prices in Michigan have increased from less than $1.50 per gallon, when President Bush took office, to an average of over $4.00 per gallon today. The increase in the cost of diesel fuel has been even more dramatic, rising to over $4.80 per gallon in May, and placing a heavy burden on fire departments, school districts, and municipalities.

"My plan will invest in alternative energy technologies to reduce our dependence on oil and create new jobs, and it will crack down on price gouging and energy speculation to lower gas prices immediately and ease the burden on our automakers, families, and local communities," Peters continued. "Michigan has an incredibly strong entrepreneurial tradition, and I am confident that we can take the lead in new energy industries like plug-in hybrids, hydrogen fuel cells, and next-generation solar and wind energy."

Gary Peters' plan to address energy the energy crisis has five key points:

* Address Energy Speculation - The one of the largest factors driving up the cost of oil is out-of-control speculation in the energy markets. Through increasing transparency and limiting the amount of money that hedge funds can dump into the energy markets, we can immediately bring down the price of oil.
* Crack Down on Price Gouging - Proposals like the one offered by Congressman Stupak will help crack down on unscrupulous companies that unfairly increase gasoline prices to gouge customers.
* Invest in Alternative Energy Industries - By eliminating taxpayer-funded subsidies for Big Oil and reinvesting in alternative energy industries and technologies, we can reduce energy costs while creating new jobs here in Michigan.
* Partner with Universities to Expand Research - Michigan has world-class educational institutions side-by-side with world class manufacturing facilities and businesses. If we double our investment in alternative energy research and development, including advanced cellulosic ethanol, fuel cells, and plug-in hybrid vehicles, we can lead the way in developing the next generation energy technologies.
* Focus on Long Term Growth of the Green Economy - To encourage long-term growth and investment in alternative energy industries, the first step we can take is to extend the solar and wind energy tax credits, and provide long-term production incentives for renewable fuels.

The Impact on Local Governments
Skyrocketing fuel costs aren't just devastating Michigan's automotive industry and hurting families, they are also placing a crushing burden on local municipal budgets here in Oakland County.

"It will be nearly twenty years before Congressman Knollenberg's plan would produce enough oil to lower gas prices, and we can't afford to wait that long. High gas prices are hurting our communities now, and we need to take action now to bring prices down," said Gary Peters.

Joining Gary Peters on today's conference call were Carl Solden, the Waterford Township Supervisor, Fred Timpner, the Executive Director of the Michigan Association of Police, Dave DeBoer, a West Bloomfield Firefighter and IAFF District Organizer, Scott Moore, a Birmingham City Commissioner, and Kevin McLogan, a member of the Royal Oak School Board.

According to both Timpner and DeBoer, rising fuel costs have forced police and fire departments to make operational changes that could impact their ability to respond to emergencies. Timpner said that many police departments have cut back on the number of patrol cars on the streets and limited the number of miles that an officer may patrol during a given shift. DeBoer noted that fire and rescue vehicles are now shut down while on scene at an emergency site, which can cause added delays in responding to a second emergency.

Both Solden and Moore spoke about how rising costs for petroleum products are forcing cities to limit road construction and other maintenance activities. McLogan described how the diesel price increases this year alone have already put the Royal Oak school district nearly $8,000 over its fuel budget.

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