Energy & Gas Prices
The skyrocketing cost of gas is hurting families in Northwest Washington. High fuel costs are making it more difficult for families to pay their bills and for local businesses to thrive and create jobs. As a nation, our dependence on foreign oil and fossil fuels threatens our national security, economy, and environment.
In the 110th and the 111th Congress, we have taken action to address these challenges.
In the 110th Congress, we took action and passed:
- A landmark energy bill that invests in alternative fuels and makes cars and trucks more fuel-efficient, saving consumers as much as $22 billion at the pump in one year alone
- A Farm Bill that makes historic investments in biofuels made from crops other than grain
- "Tax extender" legislation that invests in renewable energy and energy efficiency and help create thousands of jobs
In the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, we took action to:
- Increase the Bonneville Power Administration's borrowing authority by $3.25 billion to help modernize Washington state's electricity grid, integrate wind power and other renewable energy sources and create jobs
- Help state and local governments become more energy efficient to save taxpayers money
- Extend and expand tax credits for renewable energy, and allow renewable energy producers who are being hit hard by the recession to take their tax credit in the form of a cash grant
- Help one million American families weatherize their homes, saving them hundreds of millions of dollars on their electricity bills each year
More must be done. The United States needs a comprehensive energy strategy to reduce prices at the pump and break our addiction to foreign oil. In Congress, I will work to ensure that any comprehensive energy reform legislation we pass makes sense for Washington state and the 2nd Congressional District. As your representative in Congress, I will continue working to invest the energy of our country in the energy of our future.
Click here for more information about Washington state policies and incentives for energy efficiency: http://www.dsireusa.org/incentives/index.cfm?re=1&ee=1&spv=0&st=0&srp=1&state=WA
