7/14/2008 - JUST THE FACTS: Energy Plans of Tom Allen and Susan Collins
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday, July 14, 2008
CONTACT: Rebecca Pollard, 207-772-4353
Tom Allen recently introduced his comprehensive plan to address America's energy crisis. His plan includes an innovative set of short- and long-term solutions to give Mainers-and all Americans-immediate relief, while also establishing a 21st Century energy plan based on obtaining energy independence, fighting global climate change, and relieving the economic pressures facing families and small businesses.
Tom Allen's plan is a sharp contrast to the policies advocated by his U.S. Senate opponent, Susan Collins, in an examination of her voting record-despite what she's calling for now that she's in a close re-election race.
We would not be in the energy crisis we are in today had Republicans like Susan Collins and George Bush been willing to plan ahead to meet our nation's energy needs by investing in renewable energy and the infrastructure that requires. Instead, they have voted against efforts to promote renewable fuels while encouraging big oil and gas companies to bilk American consumers by providing them with billions in tax breaks at the same time they were making record profits.
Take a look at how the Allen and Collins plans differ:
Highlights of Tom Allen's short-term energy plan:
A Sensible Drilling Strategy: Oil companies hold more than 90 million acres of leases in the U.S. but do not use 68 million of those acres - an amount of land over three times the size of Maine. Tom Allen's plan would put pressure on oil companies to drill on the leases that they already hold to increase supplies of domestic oil.
Refundable Home Heating Oil Tax Credit: Tom Allen's plan will create a refundable home heating oil tax credit of $1,000 ($2,000 for joint returns) for people who use heating oil as the primary source of energy for heating their primary residence.
Low- Interest Loans to Purchase Home Heating Oil: Tom Allen's plan will create a low interest home heating oil loan program that will allow individuals making up to $100,000 a year to borrow up to $5,000 to pay for home heating oil at a 1 percent interest rate. The loan will be paid back over two years.
Also: Full Funding for LIHEAP, Low-Interest Loans for Home Weatherization, Multiple Efforts to Crack Down on Speculation and Corporate Greed (Closing the Enron Loophole, Passing the PUMP ACT to Prevent Price Manipulation, Ending Price Gouging, Holding OPEC Accountable, and Calling for Investigations); Pass the Small Business Fuel Cost Relief Act, Roll Back Tax Breaks for Big Oil:
Highlights of Tom Allen's long-term energy plan
Increase Fuel Economy Standards: Tom Allen proposes increasing fuel economy standards to 55 miles per gallon by 2030, which would save nearly 3 billion barrels of oil per year.
Cellulosic Ethanol: Maine can be a leader in the creation of cellulosic ethanol. The Maine wood products industry and scientists at the University of Maine are performing ground breaking research on cellulosic ethanol from wood chips - a potential alternative to gasoline that is low-carbon and does not impact the food supply. Additional federal investment in this type of technology can create many new jobs throughout Maine and provide us with home-grown fuels.
Permanent Tax Credits For Renewable Energy: Tom Allen's plan makes permanent the Renewable Production Tax Credit, which provides needed capital to wind, solar, geothermal, and tidal energy projects. Currently, this tax credit expires every two years, which limits its usefulness for business planning.
Research and Development: Tom Allen proposes to invest $10 billion per year for the next 12 years in energy research and development. Of this amount, 25 percent will be used by federal research programs, while the remaining 75 percent will be granted to universities and non-profits on a competitive basis.
Venture Capital: Tom Allen proposes to create a revolving loan fund for energy venture capital so that businesses large and small can have support for the development and commercialization of new technologies. The fund would be administered similar to the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund, which is run through the Treasury Department. The revolving loan fund would be a public-private partnership that would provide seed money for new technology with the goal of generating private capital.
Modernize Our Electric Grid: Tom Allen's plan proposes a targeted research and development effort into distributed generation and Smart Grid technology to further modernize our electric grid and more efficiently deliver power.
Also: Solar Power Research and Development Investment, Wind Power Built by American Workers, Investments in Next Generation Technology Such as Plug-in Hybrids, Mandates for Renewable Energy Levels of 25 percent by 2020, Creation of an "E-8" Organization of the World's Greatest Energy Consuming Nations, and a Low Carbon Fuel Standard.
CLICK HERE TO READ TOM ALLEN'S FULL ENERGY PLAN.
Susan Collins' Energy Plan
Susan Collins' energy plan sets a national goal of energy independence by 2020. In Susan Collins' floor speech on April 22, 2008, she said: "Mr. President, in these times of high energy prices, we must rally around a national effort to achieve energy independence. We should establish a bold goal of energy independence by the year 2020. It is vital to our economic, environmental and national security."
Yet when Susan Collins wasn't facing a tough re-election, she joined Republicans to kill an amendment that set a similar national goal to reduce America's dependence on foreign oil by 2025 [Vote 140, 6/16/05]. The bill merely set goals for reducing dependence on foreign oil rather than implementing a hard requirement, yet Susan Collins still voted against the amendment. Conversely, Senator Snowe supported this move towards energy independence.
Senator Collins' energy plan will "curtail tax breaks for major oil companies and direct funds to consumers and alternative energy." In Susan Collins' floor speech on April 22, 2008, she said we need to "curtail tax breaks for major oil companies and direct funds to consumers and alternative energy."
Yet when Susan Collins wasn't facing a tough re-election, she voted TWICE for the disastrous 2005 Cheney Energy Bill that gave $14 billion to Big Oil during times of record profits [Vote 212, 7/29/05; Vote 213, 7/29/05]. The final version of the bill failed to reduce our nation's dependence on oil or provide relief to consumers, and added billions of dollars in irresponsible subsidies for coal, oil and nuclear power. The League of Conservation Voters called the Energy Bill the "most anti-environment bill signed into law in recent memory." [LCV Scorecard 2005, www.lcv.org]
Senator Collins' energy plan will "repeal unnecessary tax breaks for big oil."In Susan Collins' floor speech on April 22, 2008, she said: "With net profits of a single oil company reaching almost 10 billion dollars in a single quarter, we should not expect taxpayers struggling to pay their bills to continue to subsidize the oil and gas industry. Congress should repeal unnecessary tax breaks for big oil companies and use the billions of dollars instead to fund the remaining proposals in my 10-Point Energy Plan."
Yet when Susan Collins wasn't facing a tough re-election, she and Senate Republicans voted against an effort to curb the record-making profits of Big Oil while Mainers were struggling to pay for fuel. Collins even opposed a windfall profits tax on oil companies that redirected the funds to struggling American consumers. In 2005, Collins voted against an amendment that would impose a temporary windfall profit tax on crude oil and rebate the tax collected back to the American consumer. [S2020, Vote 331, 11/17/05; Vote 341, 11/17/05]
Collins' energy plan would invest in renewable fuels. In Susan Collins' floor speech on April 22, 2008, she talked about the need to "invest in cellulosic ethanol and renewable fuels," and "promote tidal, geothermal, solar and wind energy."
Yet when Susan Collins wasn't facing a tough re-election, she rejected efforts to invest in renewable energy technologies. In 2001, Susan Collins and Senate Republicans rejected an amendment to establish tax credits for investments in renewable energy technologies [Vote 125, 5/21/01]. Collins voted against these incentives even as our country must increase our energy efficiency to be less dependent on foreign oil.
Susan Collins' energy plan would improve fuel efficiency and gas alternatives.In Susan Collins' floor speech on April 22, 2008, she emphasized the need to improve vehicle efficiency and alternatives to gasoline.
Yet when Collins wasn't facing a tough re-election, she voted for the Energy Bill that did not have conservation Measures for Higher Mileage Vehicles. In July 2005, according to the Portland Press Herald, "But the bill also didn't call for conservation measures such as higher mileage for light trucks such as sport-utility vehicles and minivans. So the only limit on motoring those gas guzzlers onto the open road will be the costliness of the pit stops...The Senate voted 74-26, with Snowe and Collins, both Republicans, in favor." [Portland Press Herald, 7/31/05]
When Susan Collins wasn't facing a tough re-election, she voted to delay the renewable fuels mandate. In 2002, Collins voted for an effort to delay the renewable fuel mandate, which would require an increasing amount of renewable fuel, including ethanol and biodiesel, to be blended into motor vehicle fuel sold in the United States. [Vote 88, 4/25/02]
When Susan Collins wasn't facing a tough re-election, she voted against renewable fuel requirements. In April 2004, Collins voted against requiring that gasoline sold or introduced into the United States contain renewable fuel in specific amounts, beginning with 3.1 billion gallons in 2005 and increasing each year to 5 billion gallons in 2012. [S 150, 4/29/04, #73]
