Home Legislation Issues Page Energy

On the Issues: Energy

For far too long, our country’s reliance on petroleum products supplied by the Middle East has resulted in record profits for oil companies and volatility in gas prices, and compromised our national security. As the summer driving season approaches, I strongly believe that Congress must renew its focus on achieving energy independence and finally breaking our addiction to Middle East oil. Our economic and national security depend on our ability to develop our domestic resources – including oil and natural gas – but it is clear that fossil fuels cannot be the sole answer for our energy challenges here at home. Our energy policy must focus on developing domestic and renewable sources of energy to reduce our dependence on imported oil and to make progress in our fight against global warming.

Energy in the 111th Congress

I am pleased that the 111th Congress has made energy independence and security a key priority. I wholeheartedly support several pieces of legislation that are not just centered around developing renewable energy, but creating a thriving alternative energy industry that will create stable jobs at time when unemployment has skyrocketed in Florida and across the nation.

The centerpiece of energy legislation in Congress is the American Clean Energy and Security Act, H.R. 2454, which was recently reported favorably out of the Energy and Commerce Committee. This crucial legislation signifies a major step forward for America. It requires that 6% of all energy in America come from renewable sources by 2012 and 20 percent by 2020, which will lower utility costs for businesses and families and create millions of new jobs in the energy industry. The bill also creates a market-based cap and trade system which will help America drastically reduce the amount of carbon emitted into our atmosphere – the central cause of global warming.

I am also a proud cosponsor of the Retrofit for Energy and Environmental Performance Act, H.R. 1778. This legislation would increase energy efficiency by 20 percent nationally by retrofitting millions of homes and businesses. Homeowners who implement efficiency measures in their homes that reduce energy usage by 10 to 20 percent could quality for $1,000-$3,000 worth of financial incentives under this plan. Businesses would also benefit tremendously from the financial incentives in this legislation, which provides $.15 per square foot for the first 20 to 30 percent increase in efficiency that is implemented. 

Energy in Florida

Florida is uniquely positioned to create a thriving renewable energy industry. The Sunshine State has access to tremendous solar power, and I strongly support financial incentives and credits that encourage families and businesses to install solar panels. The more energy used by these renewable sources, the more our utilities costs will decrease. For this reason, I strongly supported a provision in the American Recovery Reinvestment Act that provides homeowners with a federal tax credit worth 30 percent of the cost of their new solar panels even if they are also receiving assistance from their state governments.

South Florida has also positioned itself as a leader in ocean energy technology, thanks to innovative research being done by Florida Atlantic University. Over the past few years, I have worked to secure federal dollars for FAU’s Center for Ocean Energy Technology, which is creating new ways to harness energy powered by ocean currents. I strongly believe the federal government has an interest in speeding the development of ocean current technology, which is completely renewable and clean and has the potential to create a thriving industry.  For that reason, I was pleased to assist FAU in establishing their Center of Excellence in Ocean Technology by helping secure federal funding for this important research. I have also advocated in Congress for other projects in South Florida related to energy and environmental issues, which you can view on my appropriations page.