Issue Position: Energy

Issue Position

I believe that the United States should lead the world in energy production and innovation, and I fully support research, development, and full utilization of all domestic energy sources, including oil, gas, nuclear, biomass, solar and wind. Current restrictions on the cultivation of existing energy sources and barriers to research on new technologies have strained our innovative capabilities and I will work to scale back those restraints in order to achieve growth in new technologies. In order to facilitate those goals, I have co-sponsored the following bills that were introduced in the 114th Congress that directly address research and cultivation limitations:

H.R. 4084 (Rep. Weber, TX): Nuclear Energy Innovation Capabilities Act
A bill to enhance partnership and the research capabilities of the private sector, National Laboratories, and academia in the areas of nuclear, chemical, and material science engineering in order develop new reactor concepts.

H.R. 1158 (Rep. Hultgren, IL): Department of Energy Laboratory Modernization and Technology Transfer Act
A bill to expedite the transfer of research and technology studies from the National Laboratories to the private sector. It would direct the Department of Energy to continue commercializing technology pilot initiatives, which would allow private organizations to use National Laboratory facilities for energy research.

H.R. 339 (Rep. Young, AK): American Energy Independence and Price Reduction Act
A bill to require the Secretary of the Interior to create an exploration, development and production program for the oil and gas resources on the coastal plains of Alaska and to repeal the prohibition against leasing or developing oil and gas in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR).

Furthermore, throughout my career I have supported these initiatives. For example, I championed a solution to one of the main impediments to the development of large-scale solar power plants in the Southwest. After learning in 2008 that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) had for years neglected to approve the construction of a single solar power plant on BLM property, I developed a coalition of Members in the House of Representatives to put pressure on the Administration to cut through the red tape and begin processing and approving these applications. In 2009, after introducing legislation, sending a letter to the Secretary of Interior, delivering speeches, and otherwise engaging the Administration, the BLM decided to expedite the environmental review of these projects. As a result, BLM approved nearly three dozen utility-scale solar energy projects in California, Arizona, and Nevada.

I have also been a champion of Space-Based Solar Power which has the potential to fulfill the world's energy needs for a world "beyond oil." While known to be technically feasible since the 1970s, key aspects still need to be developed to field a system which can potentially meet all global energy demand, providing 24-hour pollution-free renewable energy. The Department of Defense reviewed the concept in 2007 and found that "[SBSP] does present a strategic opportunity that could significantly advance US and partner security, capability, and freedom of action and merits significant further attention on the part of both the U.S. Government and the private sector."

Source