Senator John Warner’s response

What timing, Senator Warner wrote back this morning. His response and some of this thoughts regarding energy in the state of Virginia are listed in his response below. He certainly seems to differ from my previous responses such as his openness to drilling off of the coast of Virginia as well as expanding our use of the Alaskan reserves.

July 29, 2008

Dear Mr. Ingram:

Thank you for contacting me regarding energy issues. I always appreciate hearing from my fellow Virginians.

As Congress has debated energy legislation for the last few years, my major goals for any comprehensive energy package have been to: (1) expand domestic production; (2) reduce dependence on foreign oil; (3) promote new technology; (4) enhance conservation and efficiency; (5) encourage alternative and renewable fuels; and (6) do these things while continuing to grow the economy.

Therefore I was pleased to see the passage of The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (H.R.6). This legislation, an omnibus bill that incorporated many previously introduced pieces of energy-related legislation, passed the Senate in early December and was signed into law by the President on December 19th, 2007. This legislation will increase the use of alternative and renewable fuels, promote energy efficiency and conservation, and increase fuel economy in cars and trucks to 35 miles per gallon by 2020. This legislation represents an important step forward in reducing America’s dependence on foreign sources of energy.

While this legislation addressed many conservation and efficiency issues, I also believe the United States must encourage domestic oil and gas production. Therefore, in recent years I have championed efforts to allow for the exploration and extraction of natural gas off the coast of Virginia. Moreover, I have consistently supported measures that seek to expand domestic production of oil and gas in the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska. Coupled with conservation, higher automobile fuel economy standards, and greater use of alternative and renewable fuels, using our own domestic resources will allow for lower gas prices and less dependence on foreign sources of oil and gas.

Lastly, please know that I believe the United States must continue to pursue clean energy solutions, including the expanded use of nuclear power, the development of clean coal technology, and a greater reliance on alternative and renewable energies. If the United States is to wean itself off of foreign oil and gas, combat global warming, and grow its economy, these clean energy technologies must be a part of the solution.

Again, thank you for your comments. I firmly believe improving America’s energy security is absolutely essential for our nation’s national security.

With kind regards, I am

Sincerely,

John W. Warner
United States Senator

Involved

Let politicians know your opinion.

I recently wrote to my House Representative, Jim Moran regarding off-shore drilling. I feel strongly about this topic and I actually wrote to other politicians including:

VA Governor, Tim Kaine
VA Senator, Jim Webb
VA Senator, John Warner
US President, George Bush

McCain cites the oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico after recent hurricane activity (e.g., Katrina) as proof the technology used on oil platforms means oil will not harm the US costal waters and shores. A critical piece of information that has been missing from much of the media and both presidential candidates is that oil did spill into the ocean and typically always does.

In fact, The Minerals Management Service, an organization within the Department of the Interior, reported 113 oil platforms were destroyed. An excerpt from the MMS Katrina press release follows:

“MMS also is releasing the following tally of hurricane-related oil/condensate/chemical spills in Federal offshore OCS waters as reported to MMS and the National Response Center. Six spills of 1,000 barrels or greater were reported; the largest of these was 3,625 barrels of condensate reported by the Gulf South Pipeline Company in the Eugene Island Block 51 area. A total of 146 spills of 1 barrel or greater have been reported in the Federal OCS waters; 37 of these were 50 barrels or greater. No shoreline or wildlife impacts were noted from these spills.” Link: [Full Press Release]

To date, 7/28/08, Jim Moran and Jim Webb have responded; their responses are below. I appreciated Jim Moran’s response and although Jim Webb’s didn’t hit on all of the points I wrote to him about, he at least discussed one topic.