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184 lines
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Plaintext
184 lines
6.3 KiB
Plaintext
***** Reformatted. Please distribute.
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CLINTON/GORE ON NATIONAL ENERGY POLICY
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For twelve years, the Republicans in Washington
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have undermined our national security and cut short
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our economic growth because they haven't had a
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national energy policy. In the last decade, 8,000
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of our independent oil and gas producers have
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closed their doors; 300,000 Americans have lost
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their jobs. Of 4,500 domestic drilling rigs
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operating in the United States in 1981 when Ronald
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Reagan and George Bush took office, less than 700
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remain in operation today. We've fallen behind our
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competitors in energy efficiency and are in danger
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of leaving future generations of Americans in a
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precarious position of overwhelming debt and
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dependence.
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America needs a new national energy policy that
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enables Americans to control Americas energy
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future. Instead of coddling special interests
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whose fortunes depend on Americas addiction to
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foreign oil, the Clinton/Gore national energy
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policy promotes national security, energy
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diversity, economic prosperity, and environmental
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protection.
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It's time to make the right energy choices.
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Increase energy efficiency and conservation
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* Increase corporate average fuel economy
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standards from the current 27.5 miles per
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gallon to 40-45 miles per gallon.
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* Develop and implement revenue-neutral market
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incentives that reward conservation and
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penalize polluters and energy-wasters.
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* Adopt transportation strategies and highway
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spending programs that encourage car-pooling,
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high-efficiency highway technology, and mass
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transit by including conservation incentives
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in the federal matching fund program.
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* Promote changes in utility regulation to make
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energy efficiency profitable for both
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utilities and customers.
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* Strengthen federal programs to encourage
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energy-efficient housing, and to encourage
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state and local governments to adopt building
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codes that encourage conservation by calling
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for thicker walls and windows, new compact
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florescent bulbs, more efficient insulation
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and new low-cost housing construction that
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could cut domestic energy consumption by 25
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percent using measures that would pay for
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themselves in 5 to 7 years.
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* Increase energy efficiency in every federal
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agency and set standards to insure that
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federal grants, contracts, and projects
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support Americas national conservation goals.
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Increase natural gas use
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* Implement policies to expand markets for
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natural gas in every sector homes, businesses,
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industry, electrical generation, and
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transportation.
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* Speed development and certification of new
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natural gas pipelines to get natural gas to
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market, with special emphasis on areas not
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currently adequately served by natural gas.
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* Convert the enormous federal vehicle fleet to
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natural gas.
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* Use federal research and development dollars
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to develop new natural gas applications.
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Expand the use of renewable energy sources
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* Create a civilian advanced research agency
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that will support civilian research and
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development of renewable technologies and
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renewable fuel programs.
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* Reorient the mission of hundreds of national
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laboratories, moving from defense R&D to more
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work on commercial renewable energy projects.
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* Change the tax code to create greater
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incentives for renewable energy use.
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* Give incentives to utilities to adopt least
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cost planning, which factors environmental,
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social and economic costs into fuel-use
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decisions. Least-cost planning is currently
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employed by utility companies in 17 states.
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A safe, environmentally sound energy policy
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* Oppose increased reliance on nuclear power.
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There is good reason to believe that we can
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meet future energy needs -- with conservation
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and the use of alternative fuels -- without
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having to face the staggering costs, delays
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and uncertainties of nuclear waste disposal.
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* Oppose federal excise gas tax increases.
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Instead of a back-breaking federal gas tax, we
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should try conservation, increased use of
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natural gas, and increased use of alternative
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fuels.
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* Prohibit drilling in the Arctic National
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Wildlife Refuge in Alaska: work to expand the
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ANWR to include the 1.5 acre Arctic Coastal
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Plain while ensuring that Native Americans are
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able to use these lands for traditional
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subsistence hunting and fishing. Increased
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energy efficiency and the use of natural gas
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currently available in the lower 48 states can
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easily negate the need for ANWR drilling.
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* In Governor Clinton's first term in 1979, he
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created a state Department of Energy which
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emphasized renewable resource development,
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reduced institutional barriers to energy
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conservation and encouraged the development of
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new energy sources.
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* Established an Alternative Fuels Commission.
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* Arkansas ranks 10th in the nation in energy
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research spending.
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* Gore amendments enacted by the Senate as part
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of the 1992 energy bill:
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! Help small businesses increase their
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energy efficiency and cut their energy
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bills by establishing energy diagnostic
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centers where engineering students and
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their professors can work with small
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businesses.
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! Accelerate the government's efforts to
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procure the most energy efficient
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products and to provide grant money to
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states to fund energy efficiency and
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conservation initiatives.
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! Require the Tennessee Valley Authority of
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conduct least-cost planning analyses of
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energy supply and demand requirements.
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! Provides assistance to states to develop
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energy conservation and renewable energy
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initiatives.
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* Senator Gore was a leader in the successful
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efforts to kill provisions that would have
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allowed drilling in the Arctic National
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Wildlife Refuge.
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* Led efforts in the 1991 Interior
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Appropriations for solar and renewable joint
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venture programs.
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* Senator Gore introduced legislation to involve
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America's national labs in developing and
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disseminating energy efficient technologies
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and practices.
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