The Express - "The Express Presents Responses from the 12 Candidates Seeking the Fifth Congressional District Seat on the Issue of Tolling Interstate 80"
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The Express - "The Express Presents Responses from the 12 Candidates Seeking the Fifth Congressional District Seat on the Issue of Tolling Interstate 80"
The Express presents responses from the 12 candidates seeking the Fifth Congressional District seat on the issue of tolling Interstate 80. We asked:
"What can you do to help control the rising cost of fuel, including gasoline and home heating fuel? What about other utilities like electricity? Rep. Peterson has supported a national energy policy. Do you support this? What specific energy proposals will you support and seek?"
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BILL CAHIR (DEMOCRAT)
Rising demand from China and India has driven up oil prices, and the war in Iraq also has forced consumers to pay a premium at the pump.
We need a new energy policy that emphasizes conservation, promotes renewable fuels like solar, wind and geothermal power, and research into alternative sources like cellulosic ethanol. We need to fund research into the development of more efficient hybrids and vehicles that can be fueled with hydrogen or nitrogen.
And we need to explore for natural gas, the cleanest-burning fossil fuel available. I will support a common-sense energy plan, but not one that neglects conservation, renewable fuels and research into cleaner vehicles.
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CHRIS EXARCHOS (REPUBLICAN)
The foundation of our economy is plenty of affordable energy ... energy to heat our homes, fuel our cars, run our factories and light our businesses. When energy costs are high, we all suffer.
Congress needs to take concrete steps to make energy more abundant and affordable. In the short term we need to find additional natural gas resources and encourage the use of clean coal technology, such as coal gasification and liquefaction. We can produce clean fuel from the abundant coal resources in the 5th District.
I support offshore drilling for natural gas and increased exploration for oil and oil shale. Increased use of natural gas and clean coal technology will increase our current energy supply, make our energy more secure and keep our energy dollars at home.
The second step to energy independence is using the royalties from the offshore drilling to fund research and startups for our long-term energy needs. Solar, nuclear and hydrogen are the non-hydrocarbon energy sources of the future. Some headway has been made toward making those sources effective and usable, such as hydrogen fuel cells and solar panels, but much more needs to be done to ensure they become affordable energy to power our economy.
We should not abandon nuclear power; new technologies will make it safe and affordable as it has been demonstrated in European countries.
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JOHN KRUPA (REPUBLICAN)
Supply and demand normally are the main forces that affect the price of fuels. The cost of fuels today is also being driven by the fear of supply interruption as well as an ever increasing global demand.
We do need a national energy policy now, one where Congress acts in a role to facilitate development of pathways and incentives to bring online, rapidly, new hydroelectric power plants, nuclear power plants, wind and solar energy production.
Congress also needs to be courageous enough to make available for utilization of all of our own natural energy resources that are being left untapped, resources such as drilling on our own continental shelf for oil and natural gas.
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MARK McCRACKEN (DEMOCRAT)
We must develop a national energy policy and we must be dedicated to following through with it. I support a policy that will stress domestically produced alternative fuels as a main component. In Clearfield County, ground was recently broken for the first bio-refinery in Pennsylvania and we will break ground for a second facility later in 2008. I would also support a cut in fuel taxes on bio-fuels so E85 ethanol would be on the market at a much lower price than traditional gas. Even without the lower taxes on bio-fuels, E85 ethanol is currently priced at around $2.99 per gallon versus $3.35 per gallon for regular 87 octane gas.
The bottom line is we must put our research and development money into finding ways to decrease our dependence on oil from the Middle East. We missed our wake up call in the 1970s during the Arab oil embargo. Hopefully, we will learn from our past mistakes and not repeat them.
We have to continue to fund programs that will help people afford the cost to heat their homes like the LIHEAP program. But, we also need to include in our national energy policy funding to find new, more efficient ways to heat our homes. Finally, on electricity costs, I would support a reinstatement of the caps on electric rates. Deregulation is a disaster for everyone and is driving up the cost of electricity.
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LOU RADKOWSKI (REPUBLICAN)
Unfortunately, fuel prices will continue to rise as the global demand for petroleum increases. Just as America rose to the challenge of putting a man on the moon, we need to rise to this energy challenge and utilize our nation's natural resources.
Pennsylvania consumers deserve access to reliable, affordable energy. Presently, America needs to explore its own domestic energy sources. Pennsylvania's wealth of natural resources is key to our short-term energy independence. As well, we need to continue exploration along the Intercontinental Shelf and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. We must always keep in mind that these deposits are not sustainable. Therefore, we need to utilize our nation's greatest natural resource, its people.
We need a National Energy Policy with appropriate timelines phasing in sustainable energy sources. I will establish economic incentives for innovative companies looking to create new, environmentally sustainable energy technologies. We must maintain and protect present energy sources while developing new technologies to improve the quality of life in our district, as well as our nation, and firmly establish our independence from foreign oil.
Pennsylvania consumers deserve access to reliable, affordable energy. Renewable energy accounts for just over 2% of U.S. electricity production. Pennsylvania is currently implementing a new Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard with a goal of 18 % electricity production from renewable and alternative sources by 2020. This is a worthy goal and I believe that Americans possess the ingenuity, creativity, and commitment to balance our economic energy needs with environmentally safe and sustainable sources.
The ever increasing cost of energy touches the lives of every citizen. The rising costs are directly related to the economy and our energy policy. The next Congressman will need to push hard toward improving the economic climate of the 5th District. Creating an economically prosperous environment for all Pennsylvanians will help alleviate of the burdens the rising energy costs have placed on citizens.
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KEITH RICHARDSON (REPUBLICAN)
I do support Rep. Peterson's call for a national energy plan. I believe we need a short-term plan to address immediate concerns like rising fuel costs, and a long-range plan that reduces our dependence on foreign sources of energy. The short range plan includes rolling back regulations that prevent us from tapping our own energy sources, like drilling on federal lands and on the continental shelf, where there are estimated to be at least 80 billion barrels of oil and vast stores of natural gas.
In the long-term, we need to continue the development of alternate sources of energy, but more importantly we need to take advantage of technology that is already available to us, such as nuclear energy. Nuclear technology has advanced in the two decades since we last brought a reactor online. In that same time, other nations have been moving forward. Even France now relies on nuclear power for 80% of its electricity. We cannot allow 20th Century fears to keep us from moving forward in the 21st Century.
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MATT SHANER (REPUBLICAN)
Making the tax-cuts of 2001 and 2003 permanent, passing a balanced budget amendment, and ending earmarks, are all very important. Additionally, job retention and creation is a vital part of that goal.
I will work to foster an environment that allows small businesses to grow and new business to be created. This will in turn create more job competition by employers which will help increase the salaries for workers.
I am in favor of creating a national energy policy. Sound long-term energy policy should be a two-pronged approach: increasing supply here domestically, while also providing economic incentives for the private sector to pursue alternative clean energies.
As Congressman, I will be an advocate of increasing the exploration and production of oil and natural gas here in the United States. I will also support clean coal initiatives, which are very important for Pennsylvania's economy and job retention.
Alternative energies are also a key component to energy independence. I would support tax incentives to companies exploring clean, economically feasible, energy alternatives to carbon-based energy.
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JEFF STROEHMANN (REPUBLICAN)
It will be difficult to find any short-term solutions for our high fuel and energy costs. We must work to increase our domestic sources of energy. It makes no sense to mortgage our future by importing oil from antagonistic Arab states, when we have vast areas in our own country that have not been explored.
We must also continue to invest research towards alternative sources for our homes, businesses, and automobiles. One of the three legs in reinvention plan' is energy independence.
Our region is rich with natural resources that can provide the entire nation with energy sources for the foreseeable future. We have coal, timber, oil and gas. We need to utilize our resources in an eco-friendly way to become more competitive. This includes clean coal technology and generating electricity from waste coal; being innovative by effectively using ethanol production, wood chips, switch grass and cellulose technology; and using methane from landfills to fuel cellulose operations.
This will create good paying local jobs that add to our tax base and communities, and help lessen our dependence on foreign sources of energy.
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JOHN STROUP (REPUBLICAN)
Instead of the current "feel good" response to our energy needs, we need a firm policy that includes exploration and development of new oil and gas fields and the construction of new domestic refining capacity to meet our near-term goals while committing ourselves to the development of new sources of energy for the future.
We have proven that we can protect the environment and still have the responsible production of energy - that is a capacity we can build on for both today and the future.
We have resources right here in Pennsylvania, from coal to waste wood that can provide important energy sources. We all our eggs in one basket now with foreign energy, and we cannot make that same mistake now.
Ensuring we have diverse energy sources is the best way to provide the supply that will meet demand, while also providing opportunities for developing new energy sources.
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GLENN THOMPSON (REPUBICAN)
Our economy is being held hostage by reliance on foreign governments for more than 50 percent of our energy resources. This is a threat to our national security, our national economy and the financial needs of our citizens. America has had no energy policy. Looking as far back to the gas lines of the 1970s, we have had plenty of time to prepare, but have failed to do so. I have supported Congressman Peterson's efforts to create such a policy. The development of a national energy policy is the number one priority for our country.
My seven-point energy proposal includes:
Access all our available domestic resources for gas and oil. This includes ANWAR, off the coast of California and Florida. Currently, China is drilling 60 miles off of our Florida coast, yet we are not allowing access of these same resources. I am confident that with today's technology we can do this without compromising the environment.
Competitive bidding for extracting these resources so the consumers win and not big oil. The subsidy of big oil must cease. This must be a partnership that is mutually beneficial.
Promote energy conservation practices as good stewards of our energy resources. Conservation practices are not Democratic or Republican ideas. This is an American thing to do.
Build new refineries.
Invest in research to identify productive alternative energy sources.
Develop new nuclear power plants.
Set new automotive fuel standards to maximize our use of energy for transportation.
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RICK VILELLO (DEMOCRAT)
For the short term we are pretty much at the mercy of our enemies and people that don't like us very much.
I would propose using some of the national reserves to increase supplies in the short term. I would also propose block grant type investments in our housing stock, as our average house is only one half as energy efficient as it could be.
Long term, the United States does need an effective energy policy. We need to promote energy independence expansion of renewable energy sources. We need to promote clean coal technology. We need to promote wind and solar. We need to promote research and development of our next energy source. We need to take advantage of our universities in the 5th district to do that research and development to create jobs in the 5th district and energy for the world.
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DEREK WALKER (REPUBLICAN)
With thousands of square miles of forests, millions of tons of mineral reserves, and potentially one of the largest untapped supplies of natural gas in the country, the regions abundant amount of natural resources give us several options for decreasing the high costs associated with energy. These abundant natural resources will also create new jobs and opportunities. Our region was built on these natural resources and I believe they have the ability to allow us to reinvent our communities as we continue to move forward.
Additionally by using our natural resources we can increase the supply of renewable energy sources which will help offset the potentially dramatic price increases consumers will be forced to pay after the last of the rate caps expire on December 31, 2010.
One of the biggest mistakes the federal government has made in the wake of the O.P.E.C. Oil Embargos of the 1970's was by not developing a national energy policy. Our next congress must implement a national energy policy which removes burdensome regulations and provides incentives to develop alternative energy sources. I applaud Rep. Peterson's on his efforts for bringing awareness to the looming energy crisis long before it was the fundamental issue it is today. As your Congressman, I will fight to make sure that those who are associated with production of our natural resources have significant input in the creation of a national energy policy.
I am a strong advocate of nuclear power, solar power and coal fired power plants that have pollution control instruments in place. We must also explore new oil and gas options and build additional oil refineries.
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