Issue Position: Energy and the Environment

Issue Position

Hawai"i remains the most petroleum-dependent state in the nation, but it also possesses a singularly diverse array of alternative energy resources. With the islands' particular climate and geography, Hawai"i has the unique opportunity to stand as a leader in the development and deployment of solar, wind, wave, geothermal, biofuel, and other sustainable energy sources.

These technologies would create much-needed jobs, and help move Hawai"i's Clean Energy Initiative forward. Colleen strongly believes that investment in renewable energy technologies must continue in order to protect the islands' unique environment and economy, as well as to preserve their long-term sustainability.

As a member of the House Committee on Natural Resources during the 112th and 113th sessions of the United States Congress, Colleen had the opportunity to actively address important environmental and energy issues. She was also a member of the Sustainable Energy and Environment Caucus, which focuses on protecting the environment and developing clean, renewable energy sources.

During her two terms in Congress, Colleen helped steer more than $38 million toward programs and initiatives that protect and preserve the environment. This included funds for improvements to Haleakala National Park, fisheries maintenance and habitat protection, coral reef and coastal zone management, native plant and animal protection, and tsunami preparedness.

As residents of an island state, the people of Hawai"i understand the importance of clean air and clean water. Visitors from all over the world travel to the islands to enjoy its world-class beaches. Local children and families use the ocean for recreational and traditional activities. And the livelihoods of Hawai"i's farmers and fishermen depend on clean water. Colleen fought Republican legislation that limits federal oversight of clean water standards, as undermining the Clean Water Act would negatively affect the health of Hawai"i's communities, economy, and precious natural environment.

After the United States experienced the worst oil spill in national history, Colleen proposed two common sense amendments that would show the public that Congress is serious about preventing another disaster like the Deepwater Horizon.

The Hanabusa Amendment to H.R. 1938 -- North American-Made Security Act requires that a Presidential Permit approving the construction and operation of the Keystone XL pipeline will not be issued unless the Secretary of Energy, in consultation with the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, certifies that the applicant has calculated a worst-case oil spill scenario for the proposed pipeline.

Hawai"i is also home to an abundance of endangered and threatened species. Our unique ecosystems provide these plants and animals with the habitats they need to survive, and Colleen maintains that it is critical to give them the protection that ensures they will be available to future generations.

She cosponsored an amendment that eliminated a dangerous provision in H.R. 2584, the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill for fiscal year 2012. This rider would have blocked the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service from using funds to list new plants and animals under the Endangered Species Act, to designate habitat as critical to the survival of listed species, or to increase protections for threatened and endangered species. Denying the power to add new species to the endangered list would move those species closer to extinction, making it more difficult and more expensive to save them down the road.

Source