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NRDC Proposes 'Responsible' Energy
Policy for the 21st Century
Report shows that
America can meet its energy needs without drilling in Alaska
Wildlife Refuge or suspending clean-air standards in
California
WASHINGTON (February 6, 2001) - NRDC (Natural Resources
Defense Council) today released a balanced plan for U.S.
energy policy that would meet the nation’s needs and save
consumers billions of dollars annually -- without destroying
pristine wilderness areas or rolling back environmental
safeguards. The report also offers a solution for California’s
electricity crisis that would not suspend state or federal air
quality standards.
Among other things, NRDC’s analysis shows that President
Bush’s proposal to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
coastal plain to oil development would not lessen U.S. oil
dependence, lower gasoline prices, or have an impact on the
California electricity crisis. The president’s proposal will
be the centerpiece of an omnibus Senate Republican energy bill
that is expected to be introduced sometime this month.
"Drilling for oil in the Arctic Refuge coastal plain makes
no sense from an environmental, economic or energy
perspective," said Gregory Wetstone, NRDC’s director of
programs. "One can quibble over just how much economically
recoverable oil there is under the coastal plain’s tundra, but
there’s not enough to make a difference. The real solution to
our energy problems is increased fuel efficiency. It would be
faster, cheaper and cleaner than drilling in the refuge."
According to NRDC, drilling proponents grossly overstate
how much oil could be recovered in the Arctic Refuge and
understate the potential environmental consequences. The U.S.
Geological Survey concluded that the area likely holds only
about 3.2 billion barrels of economically recoverable oil --
less than what the nation uses in six months. Production would
be spread over the 50 years of the field’s lifetime and would
likely peak at 150 million barrels per year in 2027 --
amounting to only 1.5 percent of projected U.S. consumption
that year. Given that current U.S. demand for oil -- which is
more than 7.1 billion barrels per year -- is increasing about
2 percent annually, the coastal plain would contribute less
than 1 percent of the oil we are projected to consume over the
next 50 years. Moreover, even if oil companies started
exploration in the Arctic Refuge today, it would take at least
10 years for the first oil to arrive at West Coast
refineries.
The cornerstone of NRDC’s plan is increased energy
efficiency relying on readily available and cost-effective
processes and technologies. In the short term, the plan calls
for increased reliance on natural gas as a bridge to renewable
and environmentally sound energy sources in the future.
Correspondingly, the plan calls for reducing reliance on
dirtier fossil fuels -- oil and coal.
Key NRDC recommendations include:
- raising fuel economy standards for new cars, sport
utility vehicles (SUVs) and other light trucks to an average
of 39 miles per gallon over the next decade;
- requiring replacement tires to be as fuel-efficient as
the original tires on new vehicles;
- expanding programs to weatherize housing for low-income
Americans;
- keeping development out of the Arctic National Wildlife
Refuge and sensitive offshore areas, including moratorium
areas, Alaska and the eastern Gulf of Mexico;
- maintaining protections for sensitive onshore public
lands and extend protection to other special places;
- establishing comprehensive limits on power plant air
pollution covering emissions of carbon, nitrogen, sulfur and
mercury;
- ending subsidies for so-called "clean coal" technology
and nuclear power;
- providing incentives for the construction of
energy-efficient buildings and manufacturing of energy
efficient heating, cooling and water-heating equipment;
and
- planning a gas pipeline if needed to deliver Prudhoe Bay
gas to the lower 48 states that follows the Trans-Alaska
Pipeline and the Alaska-Canadian Highway, complies with all
environmental laws, and incorporates the best pipeline
safety and environmental measures.
"The United States cannot produce its way out of oil
dependence," said Dr. Daniel Lashof, an NRDC senior scientist.
"What we can do is dampen U.S. consumption, which amounts to
about 25 percent of world petroleum demand. For example,
increasing average fuel efficiency for new cars, SUVs and
light trucks to 39 miles per gallon over the next decade would
save 51 billion barrels of oil over the next 50 years -- more
than 15 times the likely yield from the Arctic Refuge."
NRDC does welcome provisions it expects to see in the
Senate Republican energy bill providing tax incentives for
energy-efficiency improvements, but the group rejects any
legislation allowing oil drilling in the Arctic Refuge in
exchange for energy-efficiency measures. "As long as the Bush
administration and Senator Frank Murkowski insist on opening
the Arctic Refuge to oil development, the positive elements in
their package are nothing more than a Trojan horse," said
Chuck Clusen, an NRDC senior policy analyst. "If Republican
leaders are serious about enacting energy-efficiency
provisions, they’ll have to come up with a clean bill."
Finally, the public does not support oil development in the
Arctic Refuge coastal plain. According to a Associated Press
poll announced last week, Americans, by a 53 to 33 percent
margin, oppose the plan to explore for oil in the refuge. (An
additional 13 percent said they did not know.)
The Natural Resources Defense Council is a
national, nonprofit organization of scientists, lawyers and
environmental specialists dedicated to protecting public
health and the environment. Founded in 1970, NRDC has more
than 400,000 members nationwide, served from offices in New
York, Washington, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Related NRDC Pages
A
Responsible Energy Policy for the 21st Century
Additional Downloadable Materials for the
Press
Introductory
Statement of Greg Wetstone in Microsoft Word format, 87k