Statement of Philip E. Clapp
President, National Environmental Trust
on the Senate Democrats' Energy Bill

Washington, D.C. -- This energy proposal is more notable for what it's missing than for what it includes. Senate Democrats can't pretend they're doing anything about the nation's energy security until they come up with a plan to increase auto fuel efficiency standards.

The Department of Energy projects that our oil imports from the Persian Gulf will double over the next 20 years, and the entire increase will be caused by the poor gas mileage of American-built cars and SUV's.

This is a clear choice between national security and special interest politics for the Senate Democrats, and some of them clearly haven't decided which side they're on yet.

That said, the bill rejects the worn-out approach taken by the President and the House, which would perpetuate 30 years of failed efforts just to produce our way out of energy dependence. President Nixon promised we would be independent of oil imports by 1980 if we just built the Trans Alaska Pipeline to bring Alaskan oil to the Lower 48. President Carter said we would cut our oil imports in half by 1990 if we handed the oil companies $88 billion in subsidies to launch a new "synthetic fuels" industry. None of it worked.

The Senate Democrats' bill begins to bring some balance to the nation's energy policy. It contains some small beginnings at promoting renewable energy resources, like a new standard requiring utilities to generate 10% of their electricity from renewables by 2010. And it takes the first serious step toward bringing global warming pollution under control by requiring companies to report on their global warming emissions.

But until they come forward with an auto fuel efficiency plan, the Democrats won't truly have an alternative energy proposal.

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For additional information, please contact Brandon MacGillis at: (202) 887 - 8833 or (202) 320 - 9448.