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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—SENATE June 30, 2000

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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—SENATE June 30, 2000 13362 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—SENATE June 30, 2000 States more time to complete their Trade Commission to investigate if tive fuel to form the cornerstone of our lists, allocations, and plans—a lot more there were any illegal price manipula- energy policy. It is the right fuel to time. tions in the Midwest leading to such bridge the energy and environmental That is a pretty good tradeoff. dramatic price increases. issues facing us. By blocking the rule, we will simply This problem of dependence on im- If we are to have a comprehensive en- delay the tough decisions about how to ported oil has been in the making for ergy policy that strengthens our econ- make the program work. We will per- many years. Our import dependence omy and serves the real needs of Amer- petuate the current outdated, frag- has been rising for the past 2 decades. icans, then we need to dismantle our mented, litigious system. The combination of lower domestic dependence on foreign oil as soon as Most important of all, we will delay, production and increased demand has possible. And the way to do this is to once again, the day when our nation fi- led to imports making up a larger begin using more natural gas—a do- nally has clean streams, rivers, and share of total oil consumed in the mestically abundant fuel—that is safe lakes, from sea to shining sea. United States. In 1992, crude oil im- and reliable to deliver, more environ- I regret that this provision has been ports accounted for approximately 45 mentally friendly than oil, and over included in the conference report and I percent of our domestic demand. Last three times as energy-efficient as elec- will work to reverse the decision at the year crude oil imports accounted for 58 tricity from the point of origin to point earliest opportunity. percent. The Energy Information Ad- of use. I yield the floor and suggest the ab- ministration’s Short-Term Outlook Let me state those facts again: Nat- sence of a quorum. forecasts that oil imports will exceed ural gas is plentiful, efficient, environ- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The 60 percent of total demand this year. mentally friendly, and it is a domestic clerk will call the roll. EIA’s long-term forecasts have oil im- fuel source. The legislative clerk proceeded to ports constituting 66 percent of U.S. Natural gas offers itself as a good call the roll. supply by 2010, and more than 71 per- choice for the fuel of the future. It of- Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, I ask cent by 2020. fers us many advantages that other unanimous consent that the order for Continued reliance on such large fuels do not. About 85 percent of the the quorum call be rescinded. quantities of imported oil will frus- natural gas consumed in America each The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without trate our efforts to develop a national year is produced domestically. The bal- objection, it is so ordered. energy policy and set the stage for en- ance is imported almost entirely from Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, I ask ergy emergencies in the future. Canada. We have a large domestic nat- unanimous consent for 15 minutes in For months now, we have watched ural gas resource base and advances in morning business. the price of gasoline and fuel oil rise at exploration and production tech- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without breakneck speed. All across America, nologies are allowing increased produc- tion. We also have potentially vast re- objection, it is so ordered. families have suffered ever-escalating sources in the form of methane hy- f prices. We have not had a coherent and com- drates. This resource base is yet to be A NATIONAL ENERGY POLICY prehensive energy policy for a long explored. Natural gas is the cleanest fossil fuel. Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, for most time. Additionally, we have not had a Wider use of natural gas will be more of the 1990s, the average gasoline prices commitment to address our dependence benign to the environment compared to in Honolulu hovered at roughly 25 on foreign sources of oil. Absence of an some other fuel sources. Natural gas cents to 50 cents above the national av- effective policy and a visible commit- would emit reduced levels of green- erage. In June 1999, only 1 year ago, ment to addressing our energy depend- house gas emissions, and would not Hawaii’s price of $1.51 per gallon ence have made us hostage to OPEC’s contribute to acid rain, smog, solid ranked above Oregon’s at $1.44 and the production decision. It has also encour- waste, or water pollution. national average of $1.14. aged Mexico, our NAFTA partner, to We must invest in technologies that As late as last month, according to join OPEC in limiting oil supplies. help facilitate wider application of nat- the Automobile Association of Amer- We all understand that there is no ural gas. New technologies such as ica, Hawaii topped the Nation with an overnight solution to America’s energy micro turbines, fuel cells, and other on- average per gallon price of $1.85, com- problems. We can’t turn this trend site power systems are environ- pared to the next highest state, Ne- around overnight. Tax repeals and mentally attractive. Wider use of these vada, at $1.67 and a U.S. average of other such short-term actions may ap- technologies in the private and public $1.51. pear appealing, given the political cli- sectors must be facilitated. All Federal This month, according to AAA, Ha- mate, and may even provide limited re- research and development programs waii ranked fourth highest with an av- lief in the short run, but they do not should be reevaluated to provide them erage price for regular unleaded of $1.86 provide a solution to our energy prob- with a clear direction. We must boost per gallon. That fell below Illinois with lem. They do not provide a sound basis support for those programs that help an average of $1.98, Michigan at $1.96, for a national energy policy. Their un- replace imported oil. and Wisconsin at $1.91. Still, Hawaii’s intended consequences may be other Transportation demands on imported price was well above the U.S. average problems such as deficits in highway oil remain as strong as ever. Since the of $1.63. and transit funds. oil shock of the 1970s, all major energy It is no pleasure to say that Hawaii The only way to reverse our energy consuming sectors of our economy with has lost this dubious distinction as the problem is to have a multifaceted en- the exception of transportation have State with the Nation’s highest gaso- ergy strategy and remain committed to significantly reduced their dependence line prices. The pocketbooks of Ameri- that strategy. In my judgment, you on oil. The transportation sector re- cans are hurting all over the country. need both of these in equal portions. mains almost totally dependent on oil- There has been no shortage of This will send a clear message to OPEC based motor fuels. The fuel efficiency blame—short supplies, pipeline prob- and their partners about America’s re- of our vehicles needs to be improved. lems, cleaner gasoline requirements, solve. At the same time, we must make a too much driving and gas guzzlers, oil The way to improve our energy out- concerted effort to encourage develop- company manipulations, even an eso- look is to adopt energy conservation, ment and use of alternative vehicle teric patent dispute, to name a few. So encourage energy efficiency, and sup- fuels. Natural gas vehicles should be far, the initial examination of the port renewable energy programs. Above made an integral part of our transpor- causes of the dramatic increase of all, we must develop energy resources tation sector. prices in some areas of the Midwest has that diversify our energy mix and If coal was the energy source of the provided no clear picture. The Clinton strengthen our energy security. Nat- nineteenth century, and oil was the en- administration has asked the Federal ural gas appears to be the most attrac- ergy source of the twentieth century, VerDate jul 14 2003 10:21 Nov 03, 2004 Jkt 039102 PO 00000 Frm 00062 Fmt 0686 Sfmt 0634 E:\BR00\S30JN0.002 S30JN0 June 30, 2000 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—SENATE 13363 then I submit natural gas can and acting on instructions of his State, he stood ity were men of education and standing. In should be America’s source of energy and proposed: ‘‘That these United Colonies general, each came from what would now be for the twenty-first century. are, and of right ought to be, free and inde- called the ‘‘power structure’’ of his home Americans are demanding an energy pendent States, that they are absolved from State. They had security as few men had it all allegiance to the British Crown, and that in the 18th century. system that will guarantee adequate all political connection between them and Each man had far more to lose from revo- energy for future needs, protect the en- the state of Great Britain is, and ought to lution than he had to gain from it—except vironment, and protect consumers be, totally dissolved.’’ where principle and honor were concerned. It from exploitation. This was no longer opposition to Par- was principle, not property, that brought We are facing numerous problems re- liament. It was revolution against the these men to Philadelphia. In no other light lated to energy such as runaway prices, Crown.
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