Energy independence is Priority No. 1

Harry Reid

Sunday, Jan. 21, 2007 | 7:22 a.m.

By Harry Reid

There is a simple truth we must face here in Nevada and across the country: Our nation's energy policy is outdated. It has put our national security in jeopardy, our economy under threat and the health of our planet in doubt. Now is the time to make America energy independent.

Through failed energy policies, America helps prop up undemocratic regimes, we undercut our own small-business owners and encourage the outsourcing of American jobs, and we continue to increase the risks of global warming.

Unfortunately, in the last six years our nation has grown more dependent on oil from foreign sources, energy costs have gone up, and the damage to our environment has only worsened. Meanwhile, oil companies have reaped the benefits. The top five oil companies reported record profits in 2005, and they're on track to break that record in 2006.

It is time for a new direction. The benefits of success would be tremendous and the costs of failure would be staggering.

As the new majority leader in the United States Senate, I am ready to take up the challenge.

Energy independence would mean more jobs for Nevadans, it would mean security for our nation, and it would mean a brighter future for our world. A recent study by the nonpartisan Apollo Alliance showed that a real investment in energy independence would bring more than 3,000 new jobs to Nevada and more than 500,000 jobs nationwide. That alone is worth the effort.

From now on, the Senate will work to transform our nation's energy policy. We are moving forward with new policies that will bring a cleaner, safer, and more prosperous energy future instead of putting our nation's future at risk.

Our first principle in any new energy legislation will be to encourage the investment in, development of, and distribution of clean, renewable and alternative energy technologies and products that do not increase our dependence on oil or our greenhouse gas emissions.

Congress will also pursue aggressive campaigns to install biofuels, improve fuel efficiency and accelerate the adoption of new vehicle technologies. Furthermore, as perhaps the largest energy consumer on the planet, the federal government must take the lead by reducing our own oil use, buying renewable fuels and power, increasing energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. By investing in efficient "green" buildings, the federal government can lower heating costs, reduce our fuel costs and save valuable taxpayer dollars.

To ease the burden of rapidly rising energy prices on American consumers and small businesses, it is time for government and the private sector to partner on solutions that will reduce market volatility and help alleviate energy costs.

Finally, I firmly believe that the United States must accept its moral responsibility to lead the world in combating global warming. I intend for Congress to enact a mandatory program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in America and to be a true leader in obtaining binding commitments from all major emitting countries around the world. This will change the patterns of investment in this country and unleash a wave of job-creating innovation and renewable energy development.

Press reports suggest that President Bush will make a major announcement about his vision for the future of America's energy policy in his upcoming State of the Union address. I hope he does, and I hope it means more than just another empty promise from this White House. President Bush has called for energy independence in every one of his five State of the Union addresses. Despite the rhetoric, Americans have seen precious little progress.

Talk is not enough. I have set the United States Senate on course to take Nevada and this country in a new direction, and I hope the president is ready to work with Congress to make America truly energy independent.