October 3, 2005

CONTACT: Brian O'Malley, 202-675-6279
America Needs Real Energy Solutions
Statement by David Hamilton, Director of the Sierra Club's Global Warming
and Energy Program
Local Perspective by Carla Klein, Director Missouri Sierra Club 573-815-9250

"The Energy Bill being brought to the floor of Congress this week exploits
the tragedies of Hurricane Katrina and Rita to push through failed energy
and air policies the Republican leadership in the House wasn’t able to get
into the Energy Bill passed earlier this year. Right now they are working
with the energy industry to exhume those failed energy policies that make
America less safe and more dependent on oil - including eliminating
safeguards for building new refineries and creating a scheme to weaken
clean air and water protections that only benefit polluting industries.
"America faces a stark choice in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
Millions of Americans will be struck with steep home-heating bills, and
many have been hurt by skyrocketing gas prices which had already been
climbing. Facing this challenge, we can either continue relying on the
polluting, fragile infrastructure that led to our current energy problems -
or we can embrace a new energy future.

"The energy bill being voted on this Friday in the House of Representatives
(HR 3893) fails to propose productive solutions and instead offers more of
the same goodies off of the oil and utility industry wish-list. The bill
tries to solve America’s energy problems by providing an open-ended
taxpayer subsidy to cover all the costs an oil company may incur due to a
delay in the initial operation of a new or upgraded oil refinery, including
delays due to compliance with state or federal laws or regulations. The
reality is that the between 2001 and mid-2005, the combined profits for the
biggest five oil refiners was $228 billion. From 1975 to 2000, the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) received only one permit request for
a new refinery. Oil refineries are not being built because the industry,
not because environmental laws are holding them back.

"The Republican leadership is also using the proposed Energy Bill to push
provisions that would gut environmental protections, including the Clean
Air Act's New Source Review program. This program requires older
factories, including refineries, to install modern pollution control
technology when they make changes that increase pollution. In reality, our
gasoline supplies are in critical condition because of the intentional
actions of oil companies - like Exxon Mobil - to increase market power and
profits by reducing refinery capacity.

"Environmental protections were created to protect the health and safety of
Americans. Now - at a time when people’s health and safety should be the
paramount concern - is not the time suspend or weaken these laws in order
to give handouts to the oil industry. The Bush administration has recently
begun encouraging citizens to conserve energy. It is important to ask
Americans to do their part to conserve energy but at a time when the Bush
administration is asking regular citizens to sacrifice, the administration
and Congress are refusing to ask the same from the oil and automobile
industries.

"Instead of focusing on losing issues like giveaways to the oil industry,
Congress has a unique opportunity to lay out a vision for a new energy
future that will lower energy bills and cut America’s dependence on oil so
we don’t repeat the mistakes of the past. The federal government can raise
fuel economy standards - the biggest single step we can take to saving
money at the gas pump is to make our cars, trucks, and SUVs go farther on a
gallon of gas. Because oil companies are posting the biggest profits in
corporate history as a result of skyrocketing prices, Congress can
institute a windfall profit tax on the oil industry that could be used to
help lower energy costs and be invested in technology to make America less
dependent on oil. And finally, the EPA should enforce the Clean Air Act to
ensure that all Americans are breathing clean and safe air.

"America needs real energy solutions - not flawed, recycled policies."
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“Clean, reliable, renewable energy like wind and solar are real solutions for Missouri and many parts of the Country,” explains Carla Klein, Director for the Missouri Sierra Club. “It is frustrating that the federal government continues to subsidize dirty 19th Century technology rather than investing in clean long-term solutions.”

States and Cities are taking steps to reap the benefits of reduced energy consumption and taking the lead to reduce global warming pollution while addressing local energy needs. According to the American Wind Energy Association our neighboring state of Kansas is ranked third in the nation for wind energy production. Kansas recently established the Kansas Public Transmission Authority. This body has the authority to build the new transmission lines needed in western Kansas to utilize their tremendous wind power. Cities are also taking action by investing in energy efficient housing projects, green fleets to reduce their consumption and pollution. Local governments aren't waiting for federal action. However, a comprehensive energy policy should reflect national initiatives that local communities can emulate.  We can do better, citizen’s need to demand, cleaner, cheaper, safer energy solutions from their elected officials.

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