Creating Long-Term Energy Alternatives for the Nation Act of 2007

Floor Speech

CREATING LONG-TERM ENERGY ALTERNATIVES FOR THE NATION ACT OF 2007 -- (Senate - June 15, 2007)

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

AMENDMENT NO. 1608 TO AMENDMENT NO. 1502

Mr. CORKER. I ask unanimous consent the pending amendment be temporarily laid aside so I may offer amendment No. 1608.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. CORKER. Mr. President, if we are serious about energy security and reducing our dependence on foreign oil and our consumption of gasoline, we have to, through our energy legislation, encourage a variety of fuels and technologies. Current law requires 5.4 billion gallons of renewable fuel in 2008, and 7.5 billion gallons in 2012. The underlying bill on the floor today increases the amount to 8.5 billion gallons in 2008 and 36 billion gallons by the year 2022.

The underlying bill focuses on renewable fuels, including ethanol from corn and cellulosic ethanol, and I think that is outstanding. I am so proud the State of Tennessee is going to be playing a very large role in our country meeting those objectives.

The amendment I am offering expands the renewable fuel standard by adding a clean fuel definition so any fuel meeting criteria may be a part of the 36 billion gallon mandate. It does not in any way strike or replace the underlying fuels that qualify.

To qualify as a clean fuel under this amendment, a fuel must meet the following requirements: not be derived from crude oil, and achieve life cycle greenhouse gas emission reductions that are better than the life cycle greenhouse gas emissions of conventional gasoline.

In addition, on top of what I just said, it must meet one of the following requirements: achieve a life cycle emission reduction compared with conventional gasoline of two or more criteria pollutants. Those pollutants include sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds, and particulate matter with a diameter smaller than 10 microns; and achieve a life cycle greenhouse gas emission reduction of 20 percent compared to conventional gasoline.

Under no circumstances per this amendment can a fuel qualify if its greenhouse gas emissions are not less than conventional gasoline and if it is derived from crude oil. In other words, crude oil products do not qualify and the life cycle greenhouse gas emissions have to be less than conventional gasoline.

In addition, a clean fuel may participate in the advanced biofuels carve-out beginning in 2016 if it meets the follow requirements: not derived from crude oil, achieves a life cycle emission reduction compared to conventional gasoline of two or more criteria pollutants including sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds, and particulate matter with a diameter smaller than 10 microns and, the other hurdle, achieves life cycle greenhouse gas emission reductions of 20 percent compared to conventional gasoline.

We have a number of technologies that are being pursued today that could meet the solutions our country needs to pursue. While I am a tremendous fan of much of what is happening right now with ethanol--again the State of Tennessee playing a big role--we need to allow the entrepreneurs in our country to help us solve this problem of dependence on oil from foreign sources, especially those that are not friendly to our country. For that reason, ethanol should not be our only solution. What we should try to do as a body is not to pick winners and losers. What we should do is set standards and allow the market to meet those standards.

We have, again, tremendous initiatives going throughout our country. What we need to do in the Senate is not to define too narrowly what we want to help us be less dependent on foreign oil. If we do that, we will continue to consume more and more gasoline. My amendment is focused on making sure we continue to pursue energy security, that we allow our gross domestic product to grow, and we harness that great entrepreneurialism that exists throughout our country; that we do everything we can to lower greenhouse gas emissions and other criteria pollutants that also create tremendous damage to people throughout our country. I think this amendment does that.

I ask my fellow Senators to endorse this particular amendment.

I notice at this point, after offering this amendment, there is an absence of a quorum, and I wish to set aside my amendment.

Source