Senate Proceeding on Feb 13th, 2009 :: 1:39:25 to 1:49:00
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1:39:13 to 1:39:37( Edit History Discussion )

Mark Udall: spending close to trillion on a package that we don't know whether it's going to work or not. and if additional help is need, we will have run out of ammunition. with that, mr. president, i yield the a senator: mr. president? e presiding officer: the

1:39:25 to 1:49:00( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Mark Udall
Bill: H.R. 1: American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009

1:39:38 to 1:39:58( Edit History Discussion )

Mark Udall: senator from colorado. mr. udall: we will pass an economic recovery bill designed to create and save jobs. there are many reasons our economy is in trouble. one can point to the housing bubble and bust and failure properly regulate financial markets, two wars that we haven't paid for, and a global credit crunch. but whatever the causes for

1:39:59 to 1:40:20( Edit History Discussion )

Mark Udall: economic crisis, a common thread is running through the fabric of our economy is energy. and i have to tell you that i think a decade of shortsighted energy policies and missed opportunities have contributed to the economic crisis that we face today. i also believe that a way out of this kraoeufrs can be -- crisis can be found if we develop a smart energy policy.

1:40:21 to 1:40:41( Edit History Discussion )

Mark Udall: and that's what i want to talk about today, mr. president. investments in energy technology, energy conservation and sustainable energy will be an important part of the path to economic recovery. and we need to soon. one way we can move forward is to pass legislation estabshing

1:40:42 to 1:41:03( Edit History Discussion )

Mark Udall: a national renewable electricity r.e.s. this week i'm joining senator tom udall from new mexico in introducing such a bill. establishing a national renewable electricity standard is a goal i've been striving to achieve for many years. in 1997, as a colorado state legislator, i introduced several

1:41:04 to 1:41:24( Edit History Discussion )

Mark Udall: bills designed to advance renewable energy, including a state renewable energy portfolio standard. now, while my bills were down in committee and never reached the full house floor, my work in the colorado house laid a path for action. in 2004, as a member of the u.s. house of representatives, i

1:41:25 to 1:41:45( Edit History Discussion )

Mark Udall: traveled across colorado with our then-statehouse speaker, republican for the nation's first statewide r.e.s. ballot measure. despite well-publicized objections from colorado's electricity providers, color voters approved amendment 37, which required 100%

1:41:46 to 1:42:07( Edit History Discussion )

Mark Udall: energy production for our state by the year 2015. and then after we easily reached that goal, within just a few years, the colorado legislature increased this r.e.s. to 20% by the year 2020. this time with the support of those very electricity providers who opposed the measure in realize the bottom-line benefits

1:42:08 to 1:42:29( Edit History Discussion )

Mark Udall: of utilizing renewable sources of energy. i've continued this work at the federal level since being introduced and elected to the united states house of representatives. and again in 2003, along with my cousin, tom udall, i introduced a bill to create a national r.e.s. this bill became the basis for a measure that we passed out of

1:42:30 to 1:42:50( Edit History Discussion )

Mark Udall: the house this measure would have created an r.e.s. of 15% by the yea 20 for our entire nation. now, unfortunately, this amendment di't make it through the united states senate. it failed by just one vote and was not included in the 2007 energy bill. but now thankfully under the

1:42:51 to 1:43:11( Edit History Discussion )

Mark Udall: leadership of energy and natural resources committee chairman jeff bingaman and with the growing support of a number of new senators, we will have opportunities in this congress to pursue, again, a natiol r.e.s. earlier this week chairman draft language 20% by the year 2020.

1:43:12 to 1:43:32( Edit History Discussion )

Mark Udall: chairman bingaman for holding this important hearing and for his leadership on this issue. i look forward to working with him to get a strong bill through the committee, through both houses of the congress and to the my desire to win this fight and to help our chairman is why i've joined with senator tom udall to

1:43:33 to 1:43:53( Edit History Discussion )

Mark Udall: introduce this udall-udall r.e.s. bill that would require 25% of our electricity boost from renewable energy sources by 2025. an r.e.s. is important for many, many reasons. as demand more energy continues to grow in this country, we need to make sure we continue to have affordable and reliable electricity supplies.

1:43:54 to 1:44:14( Edit History Discussion )

Mark Udall: as we move to pducing more electricity and we have more competition, we must make sure that the consumers are protected. so it makes sense, it makes sense to put incentives in place to make sure less polluting and environmentally responsible sources of energy can find their way into the marketplace. and that's what a renewable

1:44:15 to 1:44:36( Edit History Discussion )

Mark Udall: electricity standard, or an r.e.s., would help to do. not the least, o bill would reduce air pollution from dirty fuel power plants that threaten public healthnd our climate. but t addressing two of the greatest challenges facing our country: national security and economic growth.

1:44:37 to 1:44:58( Edit History Discussion )

Mark Udall: with almost all of the new electricity generation during the last decade fueled by natural gas, cannot sustain our needs. just guta hold 58% of the world's as demand for power continues to

1:44:59 to 1:45:19( Edit History Discussion )

Mark Udall: grow, we should not be forced to rely on these unstable regions to sustain our economy, nor do we have to. the best way to increase our -- decrease our vulnerability is to diversify our energy portfolio. half the states in our great union have already figured this out and have made the commitment to producing a percentage of

1:45:20 to 1:45:41( Edit History Discussion )

Mark Udall: their electricity using renewable energy. but all of our states will benefit from a national standard which will lower natural gas costs nationwide, create new economies of scale and manufacturing and installation and offer greater predictability to long-term investors. by reducing th

1:45:42 to 1:46:02( Edit History Discussion )

Mark Udall: -- reducing the cost of new, clean technologies and making them available as r.e.s. would to, prices. this would spur billions of dollars in new capital investment and new tax revenues for local millions of dollars in new lease payments for farmers and rural

1:46:03 to 1:46:26( Edit History Discussion )

Mark Udall: landowners. and for thos of you not yet convinced of the r.e.s., i would ask them to look at what's a major wind turbine supplier determined r.e.s. has a factor

1:46:27 to 1:46:48( Edit History Discussion )

Mark Udall: in the colorado governor estimated that the solar component of the r.e.s. has brought 1,500 new jobs to colorado. some argued that a national r.e.s. would burden regions of the country at the expense of other regions.

1:46:49 to 1:47:10( Edit History Discussion )

Mark Udall: a natiol r.e.s. would create public benefits f why? the renewables is broad including biomass organic materials, plant from a crop's byproducts.

1:47:11 to 1:47:32( Edit History Discussion )

Mark Udall: gas pied waste and all it includes hydropo thermal and tidal, geothermal and distr every state has one or more of these resources. further the argument that the southeast would be disadvantaged

1:47:33 to 1:47:53( Edit History Discussion )

Mark Udall: by a national r.e.s., that the southeast has resources has been shown to be inaccurate. the southeast isne of the regions of the country that would see the most benefit from this proposal. accordinto the department of energy's energy information administration t that does best under a national

1:47:54 to 1:48:15( Edit History Discussion )

Mark Udall: r.e.s. is biomass. already, mr. president, 2.5 -- 2,500 megawatts come from the southeast and much of the waste from pulp and paper mills has to be used for using electricity. in summary a national renewable ectricity standard will reduce harmfu

1:48:16 to 1:48:37( Edit History Discussion )

Mark Udall: provide a sustainable energy supply now, create new investment and income and jobs in communities all over the country. that's why i look forward to working closely with my colleagues in the senate to assure the adoption of a national renewable electricity standard. thank you, mr. president, i

1:48:49 to 1:49:01( Edit History Discussion )

Mark Udall: yield the floor. a senator: i suggest the absence of a quorum. th objection. the clerk will call the roll.