May 17 2008
Barrett Introduces Energy Independence Bill
The Main Street USA Energy Security Act of 2008 would allow drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and increase domestic refining capabilities. It would allow the U.S. Department of the Interior to grant oil and natural gas leases, assist nuclear plants in expanding their domestic manufacturing base and enable the Department of Energy to enter agreements with up to six coal liquefaction projects.
The bill also provides an eight-year extension of the 30 percent business investment tax credit for solar energy and fuel cell projects and gives the Department of Energy another bioenergy research center.
Barrett says that enacting the legislation would be costly, but says it’s a necessary investment in the future.
It’s not a bad bill. The Federal Government needs to lift restrictions on drilling for oil in our own territory. It’s asinine that we are relying on enemy nations to provide us with our energy when we can drill in Alaska and off the Pacific and Gulf coasts. We also need to build more nuclear plants and use the vast resources of coal we have in the northeast.
This bill won’t pass, however. Most of the Democrats and some Republicans are beholden to the extreme environmental lobby. It’s amusing to listen to people blame Bush for gas prices when the fault partially lays in the hands of those currently controlling Congress.
