Energy
SECURING AND SUSTAINING AMERICA
“From over-dependence on oil, to global warming, to record gas and heating oil prices, it’s clear that now, more than ever, we must put renewed focus on securing energy independence for America. Forging a new way forward when it comes to energy will improve our nation’s security by making us less dependent on potentially unfriendly countries.
I’ve long supported actions that promote renewable and innovative energy and also improve energy efficiency. These policies not only have the potential to bring down prices, they also provide new economic opportunities in both rural and urban areas across Wisconsin and around the nation.”
- Senator Russ Feingold
Reducing Prices at the Pump and at Home – Our country’s long-term solution to high and fluctuating gas prices is a sustainable renewable energy policy – one that reduces our dependence on fossil fuels. At the same time, policies must be enacted that end price gouging and stop market manipulation that keep prices at the pump high for all of us.
Russ has supported the Oil and Gas Traders Oversight Act which requires various reporting and recordkeeping for different energy transactions to prevent market manipulation. He sponsored the ‘Use it or Lose it” bill that pushes the oil companies to look for and drill for oil on federal lands where they already hold permits. The legislation would revoke permits on lands where no oil exploration was taking place. He supported opening the strategic petroleum reserve in times of unusually high gas prices in an effort to make more fuel available to consumers. Russ also has been a leading champion of fully funding the Low Income Housing and Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). LIHEAP helps lower income individuals pay for heating oil – something families across Wisconsin rely on during cold winter months.
Ensuring More Electricity is Generated from Renewable Sources – Russ has been a leader in fighting for aggressive national renewable portfolio standards for utilities. He strongly supports legislation requiring utilities to generate 15 percent of their electricity from renewable sources by 2020. He also supports increased financial penalties for utilities that do not meet these standards. He has backed efforts that raise the amount of the county’s fuel that must come from renewable sources to 36 billion gallons by 2022 – up from the current 8.5 billion in 2008.
Russ has also consistently supported increased spending for historically underfunded federal renewable energy programs. Russ cosponsored an amendment that would have transferred funds designated for research on atomic weapons within the Department of Energy to renewable energy research. He also backed another bill to increase funds for renewable energy research by limiting the travel budget for Department of Energy contractors.
Encouraging Energy Efficiency – Russ has worked to improve energy efficiency in an effort to combat climate change and reduce energy costs. Along with Senator Kohl, he supported legislation known as the Federal Energy Bank Act to help federal agencies fund the installation of energy efficient lights and appliances in federal buildings.
Russ has also supported legislation to create a $20 million per year demonstration grant program through USDA-Rural Development to provide funds to communities for the upgrade of local electric transmission and distribution systems.
Read more on Russ's efforts to create Clean Energy Jobs
Read more on Russ's efforts with the E-4 Initiative
See Also: Stopping Unfairness at the Pump, Preventing the Next Enron, Read more about Russ's efforts keeping Jobs in Wisconsin, Combating Climate Change: Environment
