March 15, 2002
Consumers, Economy Win With Energy Efficiency
By Rep. Sherwood
Boehlert (R-New Hartford)
Renewable energy and energy efficiency need to be part of a comprehensive U.S. energy policy. As Chairman of the House Science Committee with jurisdiction over much of the nation's research and development funding, I have been working in Congress to help shape energy policy that's good for the economy, good for the environment, and good for consumers.
It is undeniable that renewable energy and energy efficiency can help reduce our dependence on foreign sources of energy, contain energy costs, promote long-term economic growth, and provide for a cleaner, healthier environment. Rolling brownouts in California and the sudden home heating oil spike in New York State in January 2000 are fresh in our memories. Those situations hit consumers hard in the wallet and must be avoided in the future. We cannot afford to wait any longer to put long-term energy policies into place that will protect consumers and help our economy recover from September 11.
An example from our area is the new wind farm up and running in Madison County. It's an isolated step, no question. However, it allows me to make a strong case in Washington that these initiatives can work and can lead toward a more comprehensive energy policy. Seven windmills in upstate New York generate enough electricity for 5,000 people, provide revenue for local government and schools, and lesson our dependence on imported oil. That's a winning combination.
Another priority of mine is raising Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency standards (CAFE standards) in SUVs and light trucks. This is the single most significant step we can take as a nation to reduce our dependence on foreign oil, improve our national security, protect our environment and our economy, and assist our consumers. (More miles per gallon lead to less frequent and less costly trips to the gas station.)
Even a very moderate increase in CAFE standards would save more oil and a lot sooner than would be economically produced by the controversial plan to drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR).* In part, that's because transportation is the sector of our economy most dependent on oil; 43 percent of the oil the nation used in the year 2000 was consumed as gasoline. We're simply never going to kick our dependency on foreign oil if we don't use less fuel in our cars.
That doesn't mean we have to travel less, but does mean we can and should do more so efficiently. That's why when the House considered its energy bill last year, I proposed that we phase in a single CAFE standard for all cars and light trucks of 27.5 miles per gallon over five years (27.5 miles per gallon is the current standard for cars). The approach we took - a single average for all vehicles -- provides maximum flexibility for automobile manufacturers; they can choose to make cars more efficient, or SUVs and light trucks more efficient, or some combination of both. The choice is theirs and the consumers.
Moreover, fuel standards can save consumers money, which is one reason why pollsters consistently find public support for raising them. Indeed, the case for tighter standards is so self-evident that their opponents reach for scare tactics to combat them.
A study by the National Academy of Sciences was so damning for opponents of CAFE standards that the automobile industry actually tried to argue that the Academy - the nation's most prestigious scientific body - didn't understand physics. Contrary to what some contend, cars do not have to be made smaller and wider - and therefore possibly less safe - to increase fuel efficiency. Even Automotive News, a virtual industry bible, pointed out that the design and mechanical changes could bring about greater fuel efficiency at a modest cost. And the consumers - that's you and me - would offset those costs with fuel savings.
While our efforts in Congress came up short this time, the issue will be revisited.
As Science Committee Chairman, I am doing everything I can to promote these technologies. Renewable energy and energy efficiency can help reduce the dependence on foreign sources of energy and as the worldwide demand for energy increases, they can provide relief from escalating energy costs. Additionally, these technologies are a common sense method to ensure that we take responsibility for protecting the environment for generations to come.
*Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) - Only a tiny portion (5 percent) of the vast wilderness known as the North Slope of Alaska. Ninety-five percent of the North Slopes are open for business and drilling is extensive. President Eisenhower, hardly a radical, first called for preserving ANWR. It remains a wildlife refuse.