Ethridge votes for alternate fuel research


Washington, D.C. —- U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge (D-Lillington) voted today for landmark bipartisan legislation to put the nation on a path towards energy independence.

The Energy Independence and Security Act will reduce dependence on foreign oil, strengthen national security, lower energy costs, grow the economy and create new jobs.

“With the price of gas sky rocketing in North Carolina, Congress has passed legislation to take bold steps to reduce our dependence on foreign oil and grow an energy independent future here in America,” said Etheridge. “The answer to our energy crisis is growing in our fields. North Carolina is rich in natural resources like soybeans that can be used to create biofuels, and this legislation will provide the investments to turn that vision into a reality.”

The act will reduce dependence on foreign oil by increasing vehicle efficiency to 35 miles per gallon by 2020. This change will save American families between $700 and $1000 a year at the gas pump and reduce oil consumption by 1.1 million barrels a day. The bill will also save consumers money by improving energy efficiency on a wide range of appliances, lighting, products and buildings.

The bill invests in rural communities and creates new jobs by increasing biofuel production and research. The legislation increases the renewable fuels standard, the amount of renewable fuels produced and used in motor vehicles. The bill will invest in research and development of new bioenergy sources and will promote investment in renewable fuels infrastructure. North Carolina has been a leader in biofuels research and production and stands to benefit from the bill’s provisions.

Etheridge has been a leader in Congress of efforts to expand domestic production of biofuels. As the Chair of the Rural Working Group, Etheridge introduced legislation in 2006 containing many of the same goals as The Energy Independence and Security Act. Etheridge also held a summit in Raleigh in April 2006 to examine how North Carolina can be in the forefront of the biofuels industry.