Energy and Environment
It's time to think about the future - our national security and our economy depend on it. Reducing our dependence on foreign oil and curbing the effects of climate change have been priorities of mine since I first entered Congress, and now I'm working in the Senate to see that these important values are reflected in public policy. I believe that there isn't a silver bullet that will solve our energy problems - what we need is silver buckshot. That means an all-of-the-above approach that includes all energy sources, with a special emphasis on those that are clean and domestic. That means everything from renewable energy and energy efficiency to natural gas and nuclear power. This will help diversify the sources on which we depend, stabilize prices, create new jobs, and make our country more secure.
Two of my key energy priorities remain renewable energy and energy efficiency. This is about much more than being good stewards of our natural resources, it's about protecting our nation's security and strengthening our economy. Renewable energy production and energy efficient technologies hold huge economic potential for Colorado. Between the wind on the Eastern Plains, the sun in the San Luis Valley, and the great minds at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden – as well as our great colleges and universities – Colorado can lead the world in clean energy production.
While I believe renewable energy will be integral to achieving these goals in the future, in the near term we must focus on taking advantage of all of our domestic energy resources as well. For example, responsible natural gas development is poised to play a key role. Natural gas has been an economic boon for Colorado, creating good-paying jobs in our state. Natural gas also reduces harmful air pollution because it burns cleaner than other fossil fuels, and Colorado's stakeholder-developed disclosure requirements on hydraulic fracturing will help ensure that we protect public health and groundwater. Many power plants in Colorado have transitioned to using natural gas, but there is even greater potential for natural gas in the transportation sector, particularly for heavy-duty vehicles. Making this transition will have the added benefit of reducing our dependence on foreign oil and improving our national security. Natural gas has a bright future, as do new technologies to reduce carbon pollution, such as coal power with carbon capture and storage technology. I also believe that we can continue to explore other, traditional sources of energy, such as the safe expansion of nuclear power. All of these sources will be essential in order to achieve greater energy security.
Comprehensive Energy Reform Legislation
I've long fought for comprehensive energy legislation that will put our country on a path toward energy independence, increased national security, economic growth, and cleaner air and water. As a member of the U.S. Senate's Committee on Energy and Natural Resources (ENR), I have the opportunity to work on these complex issues every day. My work remains dedicated to moving America toward a balanced energy policy that will improve our economy, environment and national security.
In the past several years, I worked closely with Senators on both sides of the aisle to develop and pass a bipartisan energy bill through the ENR Committee: the American Clean Energy Leadership Act of 2009. I was pleased that the ENR Committee was able to produce a wide-ranging energy bill that included strong incentives for renewable energy as well as energy efficiency and nuclear power. The bill would have helped train workers so they can qualify for good-paying jobs in the renewable energy industry; advanced smart grid technology, so we can deliver electricity from suppliers to consumers using cheaper, cleaner digital technology; and improved energy efficiency in homes and businesses. While I have been disappointed by congressional inaction on this and many other energy priorities, I look forward to working with all my colleagues to find solutions that advance our economy, environment and national security.
Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency
Colorado is home to some of the top minds researching and developing new ways to produce clean energy, thanks in part to the Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden. NREL is one of Colorado's crown jewels, and I have fought for years to ensure the lab has the funding and staff needed to carry out its important mission to develop viable clean energy solutions. As your Senator, and as co-chair of the Senate Renewable Energy and Efficiency Caucus, I remain committed to these programs.
Renewable Electricity Standard
One of my top priorities for climate and energy legislation is the inclusion of a strong federal Renewable Electricity Standard (RES), like the standard we have in Colorado, which requires a percentage of electricity we use to be produced from renewable energy sources. A national standard will help us reduce our addiction to foreign oil, while increasing the demand for renewable energy, boosting the economy and creating new, good-paying jobs. Colorado and more than 20 other states already have such a standard because they know it's a key tool in the effort to diversify our energy sources, create jobs and control pollution. I was proud to play an instrumental role in helping to implement Colorado's RES. In 2004, I led - with former Republican state House Speaker Lola Spradley - a bipartisan campaign for Amendment 37, the ballot initiative to create the RES. The standard has proven so successful that the Colorado legislature increased it to 30 percent by 2020.
While in the U.S. House of Representatives, I worked with my colleagues to pass a federal RES similar to Colorado's, which would have required 15 percent of our nation's electricity to be generated from renewable energy sources by 2020. The measure was included as a part of the 2007 energy bill - the first time an RES had ever passed the House, and it was a great victory. Unfortunately, the RES amendment was removed from the bill during debate in the Senate.
I'm still dedicated to passing a national RES, and I'm continuing to help lead this fight in the U.S. Senate. In January 2011, I joined with Sen. Tom Udall to introduce a bill to require a federal 25 percent RES by 2025. I will continue to fight for the inclusion of a strong national RES in energy legislation when it is debated in the Senate.
Clean Air and Water
Coloradans know that a clean, healthy environment goes hand-in-hand with a strong economy. We need clean water to fish in, swim in, supply to our towns and irrigate our crops. We need clean air to breathe, keep us healthy and productive and attract tourists to our mountain vistas and open plains. Without these fundamental ingredients, Colorado’s economic engines won’t hum as loudly and our quality of life won’t be as high.
Fortunately, the history of environmental protection in America shows that we can be good stewards of the environment and grow the economy at the same time. The U.S. economy has grown by leaps and bounds since the landmark environmental statutes of the early 1970s, such as the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act. These and many other environmental safeguards, passed by Congress with broad, bipartisan support, keep us safe, healthy and productive. Despite being in a headwaters state, Coloradans know we all live downstream from someone, and we need appropriate rules in place to protect us from bad actors. Congress must remain vigilant, however, that federal rules work in conjunction with on-the-ground realities and preserve our Western heritage.
Though environmental pollution isn’t as obvious now as it was in the 1970s, we still have work to do. I am confident that we can continue to reduce pollution from toxic substances, greenhouse gases and harmful wastes in a way that creates jobs and strengthens our national security. In particular, climate change is one environmental challenge that our society must address with swift but responsible action. Climate change poses significant threats not only to our environment but to our national security and economy as well. We can meet this challenge, but it will take us working together in our communities, states, across the country, and around the world to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, adopt a comprehensive energy policy, develop cleaner-running vehicles, and put a price on carbon to lessen our impact on the planet.
While the threat of global climate change is serious, I also believe that it presents opportunities. As we work to find new ways to interact with our surroundings, we will increase the demand for new products and technologies, creating new jobs in cutting-edge, in-demand fields. Our response to climate change must strengthen our economy and our country. That’s the only way it will work.
We didn’t inherit this planet from our parents. Rather, we are borrowing it from our children, and we must leave it in better shape for future generations. I strive for common-sense solutions that result in a healthier environment, a stronger economy and a more secure world.
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Production Tax Credit for Wind Energy
Extending the production tax credit (PTC) for wind, which expires at the end of 2012, has been one of my top priorities this year. The PTC supports thousands of good-paying middle class jobs in Colorado and across the country, while also improving our environment and energy security. But continued uncertainty over the PTC's future has caused a major downturn in the wind energy industry, forcing manufacturers to lay off thousands of workers across the country with more to come if Congress does not extend the PTC as soon as possible. Since last year, I have been a leader in the Senate urging my colleagues to take action. Since June, I have addressed the Senate 19 separate times to urge Congress to extend the PTC, and I won't stop until we get the job done. I was pleased that in early August the Senate's Finance Committee reported a tax bill to extend the PTC on a widely bipartisan vote. Now the full Senate and House must act on this critical issue.
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Protecting air quality in Colorado’s pristine areas
Coloradans know that a strong economy and a healthy environment go hand in hand. That is why I have fought for strong environmental protections to help preserve public health and Colorado’s natural resources that work in concert with on the ground economic realities. For example, on December 16, 2011, I and the rest of the Colorado delegation sent a letter to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa Jackson urging her to promptly consider Colorado’s regional haze state implementation plan (SIP). The Colorado SIP will help combat regional haze pollution, protect air quality and preserve visibility in 12 of Colorado’s most pristine areas, such as our wilderness areas and national parks. It is one of the most aggressive SIPs in the nation and was developed with broad support among Colorado stakeholders. EPA issued its final approval of the Colorado SIP on September 10, 2012, meaning it will be implemented through 2018.
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Supporting Navy Alternative Energy Research
I led a letter to Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus expressing strong support for the Navy’s efforts to develop and employ alternative energy technologies. A total of 18 Senators, including myself, signed the letter. The letter states that research and development of new technologies has long been critical to maintaining America’s strategic advantage. We strongly believe that new energy development will save lives and money while creating new jobs and reducing American dependence on foreign oil.
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American Energy and Job Promotion Act
Colorado is positioned to lead the country in renewable energy. That's why I joined a bipartisan group of colleagues in introducing the American Energy and Job Promotion Act. This bill will extend several key renewable energy tax credits, like the production tax credit for wind, biomass, geothermal, hydropower, and other renewables. This measure, and others that I have supported, could help Americans reduce their energy costs at home and at the pump. Clean energy has great potential in Colorado and the U.S. to create new jobs and help us win the global energy race - but this will not happen without support from the federal government.
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Protecting our Outdoor Heritage
I am in the midst of a collaborative, community-driven process that I hope will ultimately allow Colorado to create legislation for wilderness and national monument designations in two very special places in our state – the Central Mountains (236,000 acres Summit, Eagle, and Pitkin counties) and Browns Canyon on the Arkansas River (20,000 acres in Chaffee County). By hearing your comments from the outset, I hope to develop a plan that a majority of the community agrees will support their interests and further develop Colorado’s booming recreation economy. If we do it in the right way — with a bottom-up rather than top-down approach — protecting public lands will support jobs, our economy, and the quality of life that makes Colorado the envy of the world. In order to facilitate the conversation with these communities, I've developed draft maps of possible wilderness boundaries, which will give us a firm base to compare notes and ideas. All of the maps are online at http://markudall.senate.gov/outdoorheritage, along with an e-mail comment form. I encourage you to share your thoughts about the maps, how the land is used today and your vision for the future of these special places.