Allen Unveils Energy Plan

Written by: Tegan R on Jul 31, 2008 3:55 PM EDT

Linked to campaigns: Thomas Allen for U.S. Senate

(Disclaimer: This is a Tom Allen campaign press release. I do not work for Allen's campaign, but I am an intern over at Democracy for America.)

BANGOR – Congressman and U.S. Senate nominee Tom Allen today unveiled his bold energy plan with immediate measures to help Mainers deal with soaring home heating costs and a sensible long-term strategy to drive down fuel costs while helping wean America from foreign oil. Allen also called for oil companies to drill for new sources on the millions of acres of land currently under lease.

“Gas prices, home heating oil prices, and diesel prices are skyrocketing,” Allen said. “As a result, our economy is weakening and Maine families are suffering. Congress needs to take immediate action to reduce energy prices, but we also need a long-term energy plan that will make our nation energy independent, address the problem of global climate change, and secure Maine families against high prices.

“We need an aggressive strategy, and I have one,” he added.

“The oil industry currently holds leases on more than 90 million acres of land, yet they are drilling on less than a third of this acreage. We need a sensible drilling strategy that forces Big Oil to start drilling on the other 68 million acres under lease to increase the supply of American oil in the marketplace,” Allen said. Those 68 million acres equal roughly three times the size of Maine.

Allen outlined his plan during a press conference at the home of Wayne and Sonia Maller in Bangor. With prices today well over $4 per gallon, the Mallers are seeking ways to weatherize their home and wonder how they will be able to afford to heat their home this winter. Allen’s plan will help with tax credits and low interest loans.

“Mainers struggled with record high costs of home heating oil last winter but this coming winter will be worse because heating oil costs have nearly doubled. My plan provides relief now with a refundable home heating oil tax credit and low interest loans to help middle income people pay their home heating bills,” Allen said.

“I will continue my work to crack down on speculation, which is driving up the cost of oil by as much as $1 per gallon. Speculators must be held accountable for reaping excess profits on the backs of hard-working Mainers,” he added.

Allen also called for an aggressive long-term energy policy that is smarter, cleaner and more efficient. His plan will also create new jobs in emerging technologies.

“Over the next two decades, America can lead the world in renewable energy and global climate change,” he said. “If we harness American ingenuity for energy independence, we can achieve our goals while making sure we don’t increase global warming or create other environmental problems. We can do far better than we’re doing now and have to be bold in our actions so that future generations aren’t held hostage by foreign oil.”

Achieving energy independence is central to Allen’s plan, which proposes increasing fuel economy standards to 55 miles per gallon by 2030 instead of the standard of 35 miles per gallon by 2020 recently set by Congress.  His plan also focuses on reversing global climate change by modernizing our electric grid and generating cleaner power.

Spurring innovation through investments in research and development will mean good new jobs right here in Maine, Allen said. “A modest investment in research and development for renewable energy can do for that industry what a similar federal investment did for the Internet and telecommunications industry,” he said.

Allen said such investments should be made in solar and wind power technologies, as well as cellulosic ethanol. Working with Maine’s wood products industry, scientists at the University of Maine are currently performing groundbreaking research on cellulosic ethanol from wood chips. “Additional federal investment in this type of technology can create many new jobs throughout Maine and provide us with home grown fuels,” he said

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