Energy Independence

ENERGY INDEPENDENCE -- (House of Representatives - December 04, 2007)

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Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I rise on the eve of consideration of major energy legislation here in this House. And while the President seems willing to admit that America is addicted to imported oil, which is step one, recognition, he can't seem to get much further than that. In fact, during his administration, America is now importing over a billion more barrels of imported oil every year. A billion more than when he began his administration.

So admitting we have a problem is easy. You can do it at a distance. You can mention it in your State of the Union address. That doesn't solve the crisis.

Every day that the President makes another empty veto threat against energy legislation is another day for growing our trade deficit by oil. In fact, if you look at what's happening today, nearly three quarters of what we use to drive this economy that is petroleum-based is imported. And that oil import constitutes about a third of our trillion dollar trade deficit. It's a disastrous policy. It takes away America's independence. And it keeps us addicted to a lot of places in the world that don't have democratic governments in place.

Our addiction is obvious, and the solution seems just as clear. When our Nation launched its space program and we embarked upon a national effort, we developed our domestic resources and we began to move into outer space. We can do the same in energy if we were serious. From domestically produced biofuels to wind to fuel cells, hydrogen, solar power, and geothermal, as well as clean coal technologies, the potential of our market is unlimited. But it is limited by our technological and industrial imagination.

With half as many sunny days as countries like Portugal, the world's leading solar energy producer is not the United States but Germany. Germany accounts for 15 percent of worldwide sales in solar panels and other photovoltaic equipment and has 15 of the 20 biggest solar plants. That's right. A country located in Northern Europe with no natural advantage is outperforming the rest of the world. And they are doing the same with wind power.

On wind energy, the story is much the same. Take one look at our Nation's wind map, and our wind potential is very, very clear.

This is a map of the United States, of course, with the darkest areas indicating where we are most wind rich. From rich reserves in offshore wind production along the Great Lakes to the upper plains regions whose fields howl day and night, America must act to capture that endless resource. Simply recognizing the potential is only our first step. While the United States lags behind, European companies are investing billions into our nascent wind market. As pointed out in a recent Herald Tribune article in July of 2007, a Portuguese company, Energias, paid nearly $3 billion to buy Horizon Wind Energy from Goldman Sachs. This purchase secures their parent company, Mexia, with the fourth largest wind farm capacity in the world, behind mostly European companies like Iberdrola of Spain and another Spanish company, Acciona Energia. When is our Nation going to be serious about stepping up to energy independence and capturing some of the resources that bless our land?

The key for developing our domestic industry in both wind and solar is political leadership from here in Washington. And unless we take these needed steps, America will continue to take its lead from foreign nations, and our hopes for developing true domestic new industries along with the jobs they hold will never materialize.

Mr. President, if you are serious about solving our energy crisis, I suggest you enroll in Congress's 12-step plan for recovering from our oil addiction. We will begin some of those discussions tomorrow as the energy bill is considered. Some of the steps are contained in that bill.

It's time that we invite the President to join us in shaping a new energy future for our Nation that restores our inherent economic independence by becoming energy independent and, in so doing, secure political independence for future generations.

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