Issue Position: Energy and Environment

Issue Position

It is possible to create legislation that protects both our environment and our economy. By advocating a multi-faceted and common-sense approach to our nation's environmental energy problems, we can set the stage for a cleaner tomorrow.

As chairman of the Clean Air and Nuclear Safety subcommittee, I have sought for stronger clean air laws and have urged Congress to combat global warming, which stands as one of our greatest environmental challenges of the 21st century.

Clean Air -- Unfortunately, Delaware is what I call "at the end of America's tailpipe." Other states' dirty emissions from cars and power plants drift east, causing pollution that Delaware cannot regulate. Since 2002, I have proposed legislation that would make all states clean-up their major fossil-fuel utility emissions.

On February 4, 2010, a bipartisan group of senators and I introduced a multipollutant bill, called the Clean Air Act Amendments of 2010 (S.2995), to move our nation's clean air laws into the 21st century. The legislation would drastically reduce emissions of mercury, nitrogen oxide, and sulfur dioxide from our nation's power plants. Our legislation provides an aggressive - yet achievable - schedule for fossil-fuel power plants to follow to reduce harmful emissions. First, it calls for reducing sulfur dioxide emissions from power plants by at least 80 percent by 2018. Second, it calls for reducing their nitrogen oxide emissions by at least 50 percent by 2015. And finally, it calls for reducing their mercury emissions by at least 90 percent by 2015.

I have also been very active on efforts to clean up old, dirty diesel engines. Dirty diesel emissions are linked to 21,000 premature deaths, hundreds of thousands of asthma attacks, millions of lost work days, and numerous other health impacts. I was one of the co-authors of legislation the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act or DERA that created a grant program to clean up our old diesel fleet. Not only does DERA help clean-up the air, but creating a demand for diesel retrofits also creates a demand for new jobs. And just recently, it was found that diesel emissions are a global warming agent.

The DERA program today produces $13 in health and economic benefits for every $1 of spending - making it one of the nation's most successful clean air programs. I call DERA a win-win-win, and that's why I will continue to work hard to maintain funding for DERA. This is why I worked so hard with my other Senators for funding for DERA in the Recovery Act earlier this year, of which $1.7 million will be going to Delaware.

Finally, I am working with a bi-partisan group of Senators to address black carbon, a dangerous pollutant emitted by old, dirty diesel engines that is thought to be the second largest contributor to global warming after carbon dioxide. We are providing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency with funding to study black carbon and the cost-effective ways to reduce black carbon emissions. The study will be an important step to reducing harmful air pollution that makes global warming worse and makes hundreds of Americans sick each year.

Climate -- I believe that global warming is one of the biggest challenges I may ever seen come before the Congress. I support an economy-wide approach to climate change and remain committed to getting a bill passed this Congress.

We need to take action now on climate change and energy reform, not just for the sake of the environment, but for the sake of our own economy. By emerging as a leader in clean and green energy, U.S. businesses and manufacturers will be more competitive. And we'll create tens - and possibly hundreds - of thousands of new jobs in the process.

To hear more about the economic impacts of climate change legislation and what it will mean for Delaware, please watch my recent video blog entry.

We know that we cannot get the climate change emission reductions from our transportation sector just from vehicle emission reductions and changes in fuel alone. That's why I introduced CLEAN TEA legislation to reserve a portion of climate change auction proceeds to change Americans' driving habits by funding rail, transit, bike and pedestrian trails and other alternative forms of transportation. In a recent op-ed, I explained why CLEAN TEA is integral to the success of emissions reduction goals.

Recycling -- I was the founder and now the co-chair of the Senate Recycling Caucus. Recycling is a priority of mine because it is one of the most visible and respected ways every American household and business can contribute to our environmental sustainability. Recycling significantly reduces the energy needed to manufacture products, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, and also creates jobs.

To learn more, please visit my blog.

While I look forward to supporting good recycling legislation, I've also made sure my colleagues and I improve our own recycling practices here on Capitol Hill. I was successful at getting strong recycling language in the last climate change bill - and expect to remain active on recycling issues during this year's climate debate. I also worked with my colleagues to enact the Recycling Investment Saves Energy (RISE) Act in 2008, which will increase America's capabilities to recycle, while creating new green jobs for American workers.

Nuclear Power -- I have been a long-time supporter of clean energy, such as nuclear energy. I believe clean, safe energy is what this country needs and what nuclear power has to offer. Nuclear power provides solutions to many problems facing America today. It will help reduce our reliance on foreign oil, and reduce air pollution that damages our environment and causes global warming. As chairman of the Senate subcommittee that oversees the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and our nation's civilian nuclear operations, I want to ensure this essential federal agency protects the public's health and security. I will continue to hold congressional oversight hearings to ensure that we have a strong, robust and safe nuclear industry.

Fuel-Efficiency -- The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 was a strong, first step to secure America's energy future by reducing our reliance on foreign oil and reducing harmful emissions into our air. The cornerstone of this energy legislation is a compromise I helped negotiate to increase the fleet-wide fuel economy average for cars, trucks and SUVs sold in the United States by roughly 10 miles per gallon by 2020 - or from 25 miles per gallon today to 35 miles per gallon overall.

Earlier this year, the Obama Administration announced it was accelerating the ramp-up of fuel efficiency standards, requiring a fleetwide average of 35.5 miles per gallon for new vehicles by 2016. This will save Americans an estimated around 1.4 million barrels of oil per day by 2020, which is nearly the amount of oil imported today from the Persian Gulf. Consumers will benefit by saving approximately $30 billion at the pump in that time period, based on a $2.25 per gallon gas price.

Last year, I also sponsored legislation to improve the Department of Defense authorization bill to require the federal government to buy more fuel-efficient vehicles, such as hybrids, fuel cells and clean diesels.

Wetlands & Chesapeake Bay -- With Delaware playing a vital role in coastal ecology - serving as a rest stop for millions of migrating birds - I have been a long supporter of wetland conservation. As governor, I enacted the Inland Bays Watershed Enhancement Act, which established a center to restore and protect the three, interconnected bodies of water in southeastern Delaware. I will continue to support wetland conservation in the Senate in the coming years.

My colleagues and I from around the Chesapeake Bay Watershed are working to reauthorize and improve a landmark program to protect the Chesapeake Bay from pollution and nutrient loading.

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