Energy Poverty

Floor Speech

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Mr. BARRASSO. Madam President, I come to the floor today to discuss the global fight to end poverty and specifically the problem of energy poverty.

The numbers paint a very grim picture. Worldwide, 840 million people are living without electricity. They can't cook or heat their homes safely or reliably. In fact, nearly 3 billion people--3 billion people worldwide--still rely on wood and waste for household energy.

What should the United States do to help? First and foremost, I believe we should push multilateral development banks, like the World Bank, to invest in affordable energy projects, which will help these people. The World Bank's mission is to lift people out of poverty--to help lift people out of poverty. That is their mission. Specifically, it seeks to end extreme poverty while promoting shared prosperity.

For 75 years, the United States has been working with the World Bank to help developing countries grow. The United States remains the World Bank's largest contributor. Every U.S. dollar at the World Bank should make a difference for people in the developing world.

The World Bank's new policies, however, lead me to call for a review by the United States of how U.S. dollars are being used. Several years ago, the World Bank decided to stop financing certain projects-- specifically, oil, gas, and coal projects. I am concerned the World Bank is now blocking affordable energy development--energy that is needed to make a positive difference for so many people in the developing world. Traditional fuels are a vital tool for escaping energy poverty. Yet, with the policy change in the World Bank, only renewable energy projects qualify for funding. It seems that the World Bank is putting its liberal political agenda ahead of our anti-poverty mission.

The question is, Does the World Bank still want to help the people living in poor nations today? That is the question. If so, they should be helping with the use of abundant and affordable energy resources. If not, then I think the United States must reevaluate our support for the World Bank.

Here is a case in point: The Bank restricts the financing of high- efficiency power stations fueled by coal. Last fall, for example, the World Bank failed to honor its commitment to the country of Kosovo. The Bank pulled its funding from Kosovo's state-of-the-art, coal-fired powerplant--state of the art--needed in Kosovo. Kosovo faces an energy security barrier to grow. They don't have enough energy to grow the way they are prepared to. Kosovo has the fifth largest coal reserves in the world. Kosovo desperately needs to retire its older facility.

I saw this firsthand last month when I was visiting members of the Wyoming National Guard stationed in northern Kosovo. This decision by the World Bank is simply unacceptable.

What are other countries doing? China and Russia, meanwhile, are dramatically increasing their global investment in identical carbon- based energy projects. The World Bank is saying: Go ask China. Go ask Russia. South Africa, for example, is now working with China's development bank on its coal-fired powerplant. There are serious concerns when our allies work with China and Russia. These include lower standards, dependence on these countries, and undue political influence.

A number of Members in the Senate share my concern. On Thursday, I led a group of a dozen Senators in urging the World Bank to immediately lift these harmful restrictions. My letter to the President of the World Bank, President David Malpass, was cosigned by Senators Boozman, Capito, Cotton, Cramer, Cruz, Enzi, Hoeven, Johnson, Kennedy, Murkowski, and Thune. Together, we are pressing the World Bank to recommit to an ``all of the above'' energy strategy. Developing countries desperately need affordable, reliable energy.

We say in our letter:

People living in poor and developing nations want and need a stable energy supply. They are looking for power generation that provides energy security, helps create jobs, and improves their lives.

People back home in Wyoming know firsthand the benefits of developing abundant energy resources. The United States is a top global energy producer. Wyoming has played a key role in this success. We have produced our way to a booming U.S. economy, and we have created millions of new jobs along the way. People who are struggling worldwide to survive and thrive in developing countries deserve that same opportunity. As an energy powerhouse, America can help empower our allies and our energy exports.

Global philanthropist Bill Gates said: ``Increasing access to electricity is critical to lifting the world's poor out of poverty. Let me repeat. ``Increasing access to electricity is critical to lifting the world's poor out of poverty.''

Ultimately, the solution to energy poverty doesn't lie in limiting options but in using all available options. In pursuit of its mission, the World Bank must embrace, not exclude, abundant, affordable energy resources.

Let's work together to end energy poverty now for the 840 million people on the planet living without electricity.

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