Issues – Energy
Energy | Economy & Jobs | Education | Healthcare | National Security
The United States must be committed to creating an energy policy that allows us to be independent from foreign sources, bring down the costs for all Americans, and invest in new alternative energy technologies.
In order to protect consumers from skyrocketing energy prices or crippling many businesses in the Puget Sound region, we must implement policies that will make our energy sources more reliable and diverse.
Traditional fossil-fuel energy sources like natural gas, oil, and coal are in limited supply and we need to use them wisely. With that in mind, we must embrace the use of alternative and renewable energy sources and increase efficiencies in our current sources. Wind and solar power, once thought to not be practical on a mass-scale, have become increasingly cost-competitive with fossil fuels. We need to encourage greater research and development, and the use of these clean and renewable energy sources. Fuel cells, geothermal energy, and bio-fuels are just a few of the energy technologies that should be used and further developed to get us back to a more self sustainable America.
Not only will embracing new energy technology make our economy flourish and our environment cleaner, but it will allow America to once again be a world leader in energy innovation. Instead of relying on oil imports from foreign sources we can develop and export the fuel cells, solar panels, smart grid infrastructure, and other innovative technologies that will continue to create good American jobs and help the rest of the world develop cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable sources of energy.
Adam’s work on Energy:
- Consistently supported legislation to make renewable and alternative energies more affordable for consumers through tax credits and funding for research and development. Supported legislation that extended renewable energy tax credits into 2009 and beyond;
- Introduced the High-Performance Buildings Act, which improves the energy costs and health of families living in affordable housing units, by providing grants to non-profits that increase sustainable development capacity in low-income communities. Many of the major provisions of this legislation were incorporated in the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 and enacted into law;
- Consistently supported legislation to increase Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards, making cars more fuel-efficient and backed passage of the Energy Independence and Security Act, which revised and improved fuel economy standards for the first time in several decades;
- Cosponsored legislation to develop stricter emissions standards for power plants;
- Supported responsible funding increases for the Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star program, which identifies and promotes energy efficient consumer products.
