Senate Energy Bill Contains Costly Climate Mistake
<?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = “urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags” />Washington, D.C., March 31, 2003—Americans could face higher energy prices and energy rationing if new Senate energy legislation becomes law. Troubling provisions would: create a White House climate czar and an expanded bureaucracy to promote global warming alarmism; require a counterproductive greenhouse gas emissions strategy and pointless annual reports; and grow a big business lobby for rationing by awarding early action credits.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = “urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office” />
“Although the energy committee staff’s draft bill is a big improvement in most respects over Senator Daschle’s anti-energy monstrosity of last year, the climate section looks like a Lieberman or Kerry campaign document. The Administration opposes the key provisions and so should every right-thinking Senator,” said Myron Ebell, Director of Global Warming Policy at CEI.
“Passage of these provisions would create the plan, institutions, and political support needed to implement Kyoto-style energy rationing policies. If members of Congress want to provide for a stable future of affordable energy for American consumers, the climate sections should be dropped when Chairman Pete Domenici (R-NM) marks up the bill in committee,” added Ebell.
Energy Experts Available for Interviews
Myron Ebell
Director of Global Warming Policy
Seen and Heard: CNN, The New York Times, Gannett News Service, Los Angeles Times.
Christopher C. Horner
Senior Fellow
Seen and Heard: The Washington Post, Bloomberg News, Oil Daily, The Washington Times.
Marlo Lewis, Ph.D.
Senior Fellow
Seen and Heard: Capital Report (CNBC), The Hill, Electricity Daily, Greenwire.
CEI is a non-profit, non-partisan public policy group dedicated to the principles of free enterprise and limited government. For more information about CEI, please visit our website at www.cei.org.