U.S. Senator Ken Salazar

Member: Finance, Agriculture, Energy, Ethics and Aging Committees

 

2300 15th Street, Suite 450 Denver, CO 80202 | 702 Hart Senate Building, Washington, D.C. 20510

 

 

For Immediate Release

May 2, 2007

CONTACT:    Cody Wertz – Comm. Director
303-455-5999


  Four Salazar Proposals to Increase Energy Independence Approved by Senate Energy Committee

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Earlier today, the Senate Energy Committee voted to approve four proposals to help America continue its progress toward energy independence and reduce its addiction to foreign oil. The proposals will also put our country on the path to large-scale storage of carbon dioxide, a leading cause of global climate change. One of these proposals was written by United States Senator Ken Salazar, and he is a cosponsor of the other three.

“Energy independence can only be achieved if we use a multi-pronged approach that includes growing the fuels that run our automobiles, increasing energy efficiency so we waste less and developing clean and responsible ways to use traditional fossil fuels like coal without contributing to global climate change; these four proposals advance us toward that goal” said Salazar.

The four bills Senator Salazar supports were incorporated into one energy bill that was approved by the Senate Energy Committee earlier today. Those four bills are:

The bipartisan Biofuels for Energy Security and Transportation Act (S.987), co-sponsored by Senator Salazar, which would establish a Renewable Fuel Standard of 36 billion gallons per year by 2022 and take other steps to increase American investment in and use of biofuels.

The Energy Efficiency Promotion Act (EEPA) (S.1115), co-sponsored by Senator Salazar, which sets the goal of reducing U.S. gasoline consumption by 45 percent by 2030, saves consumers money by putting in place new efficiency standards on products such as residential boilers, clothes washers, dishwashers, dehumidifiers, and electric motors, and requires the government to lead the way in energy efficiency improvements like converting to Energy-Star-rated lighting, reducing its gasoline consumption by 20 percent by 2015 and requiring at least 15 percent of its energy from renewable sources by 2015.

During the hearing, Senator Salazar announced plans to amend the EEPA on the Senate floor by:

  • Strengthening the oil savings provisions of the bill to 2.2 million barrels per day by 2015 and 9.4 million barrels per day by 2030, compared to 1.6 million and 5.6 million previously in the bill;
  • Requiring automobile manufacturers to convert 50 percent of their fleet to flexible fuel vehicles by 2012 (there is no requirement like this currently in the bill); and
  • Expanding production incentives for medium- and heavy-duty plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (versus only light-duty hybrids currently in the bill) and clearly define what types of vehicles are eligible for production incentives, giving car makers certainty about where we expect to see progress.

Senator Salazar’s innovative bipartisan bill to evaluate the Nation’s carbon storage capacity, S. 731, the National Carbon Dioxide Storage Capacity Assessment Act. Senator Salazar’s bill requires the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to develop an official, scientifically- and publicly-approved methodology and then conduct a comprehensive inventory of the Nation’s ability to store carbon in appropriate geologic features and other natural basins. S. 731 is endorsed by several leading energy firms and conservation organizations, and a recent MIT report includes a recommendation to conduct such an analysis.

The bipartisan Dept. of Energy Carbon Capture and Storage Research, Development, and Demonstration Act (S. 962), also co-sponsored by Senator Salazar. The bill would carry out large-scale testing of carbon sequestration projects. S. 962 will make competitive awards for seven large-volume carbon sequestration projects to validate information on the cost and feasibility of commercial deployment of technologies to safely contain carbon dioxide.

Having been approved by the Senate Energy Committee, Senator Salazar’s proposals now go on to the full Senate for consideration.

 

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