Jobs and Energy Permitting Act of 2011

Floor Speech

Mr. WU. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong support of this amendment to prohibit oil and gas drilling off the Oregon coast.

As an Oregonian, I question why we would risk our pristine coast to support an energy industry of the last century rather than of the next century, why we would subject our fisheries and visitor-based coastal economy to the dangers of a BP-style disaster in Oregon waters.

We should focus on generating local jobs, not profits for far-off oil companies. We could create these local jobs by investing in the energy industries of the next century that are uniquely suited to the Oregon coast--waste energy and next-generation offshore wind. Oregon can be the Saudi Arabia of renewable wave energy. Wave energy depends on two things, big waves and seabed contours suited to exploit those waves; and Oregon has both. Oregon is the best place in the world where these two factors come together.

As for wind energy, next-generation technology will allow floating wind farms to be operated 100 miles offshore. These are the jobs of the future. These are the technology and the energy of the future.

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