Issues
Energy
I strongly oppose the so-called cap-and-trade bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives with the support of Jim Moran. President Obama has admitted that “electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket” under a cap-and-trade system. In addition, the Democrats’ cap-and-trade bill would destroy millions of American jobs. Rather than subjecting themselves to the additional costs and burdens imposed by the federal government, manufacturers will move their operations overseas to countries, such as China and India, where cap-and-trade regulation does not exist.
And while Virginians will see gas prices rise, electricity bills soar, and jobs leave the state as a result of cap-and-trade, the bill will not have any meaningful effect on the planet’s climate. Even if the cap-and-trade system were to work exactly as advertised and the bill’s target for carbon emissions were actually achieved, climatologists predict that the cap-and-trade bill would at most lower projected global temperatures by only one-tenth of one degree Fahrenheit by 2050.
Instead of pursuing this flawed strategy, the United States should concentrate on reducing its dependence on foreign oil and removing regulatory obstacles to the development of clean energy sources. Each year, we send hundreds of billions of dollars overseas to purchase energy, and much of that money goes to Venezuela and countries in the Middle East that are hostile to American interests and values. In order to protect our national security as well as our economic security, this flow of funds out of the country must be reduced, and we must increase domestic energy production. More energy production in the United States will mean more jobs for American workers and lower energy prices for American consumers.
Specifically, I favor taking the following steps to lead America to energy independence:
1. Build 100 nuclear power plants in the United States in the next 20 years - We should aim to double the amount of energy that we produce through nuclear power in the next twenty years by constructing 100 nuclear power plants. Nuclear power is safe and does not produce any carbon emissions. Other countries, such as France, safely produce a far higher percentage of their electricity through nuclear power than does the United States. By removing regulatory barriers, nuclear power plants will be built using private investment and will create approximately 250,000 high-paying American manufacturing jobs in the private sector.
2. Expand offshore oil and gas exploration and drilling – The federal government estimates that there are approximately 18 billion of barrels of oil and 77 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in those portions of the Outer Continental Shelf that are now available for exploration. Because of technological advances, we can now drill in these areas in an environmentally responsible manner. In order to reduce our dependence on foreign oil, lower energy prices, and create Americans jobs, the federal government should immediately offer leases for offshore oil and gas exploration and drilling. In particular, drilling off the coast of Virginia could create thousands of jobs in our Commonwealth and produce hundreds of millions of dollars a year in royalties that could be used to fund transportation projects in Virginia. Unfortunately, Jim Moran has consistently opposed efforts to harness our offshore energy resources.
3. Open the Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to oil and gas exploration – It is estimated that we could recover between 3 and 16 billion barrels of oil and trillions of cubic feet of natural gas by drilling in ANWR. By tapping this domestic source of energy, we would decrease our dependence on foreign oil, lower energy prices, create American jobs, and keep American dollars in the United States. Through royalties and leases, we would also generate tens of billions of dollars for the federal government. Thanks to advances in technology and directional drilling, oil and gas exploration in ANWR would not have an adverse impact on the environment. Indeed, while ANWR is roughly the size of South Carolina, drilling would only need to take place in an area smaller than Los Angeles International Airport. Unfortunately, Jim Moran has consistently opposed developing these domestic energy resources.
4. Streamline siting and permitting processes for wind power projects – Wind power holds great promise as a clean and safe source of energy. Unfortunately, however, wind power projects can be delayed for years due to overly burdensome review processes. In Massachusetts, for example, the Cape Cod wind farm was proposed in 2001 but the federal government still hasn’t completed its review of the proposal. Such delays are entirely unacceptable. We must streamline the review process for wind power projects so that decisions are made in a prompt manner. Clean energy projects shouldn’t be strangled in a web of bureaucratic red tape.
