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DES MOINES, Nov. 17, 2003 -- The House and Senate conference committee on the energy bill released its conference report Nov. 15.
The bill will include $16 billion in subsidies and tax breaks for the fossil fuel and nuclear industries while it contains little meaningful support for renewable energy, according to democratic presidential candidate Governor Howard Dean, M.D.
According to Dean, the bill contains 'goodies' for the corporate allies of the Bush administration and the GOP leadership including:
a. Providing Halliburton with an exemption from certain parts of the Safe Drinking Water Act requirements.
b. $800 million in subsidies and immunity from lawsuits for producers of the gasoline additive MTBE.
c. A reversal of long-standing US policy against the reprocessing of nuclear waste, thus creating an unnecessary new proliferation threat.
"The energy bill released by the Republican leadership today is a perfect example of crony capitalism at its worst � and is just another example of how our political system serves the interests of those who fund the election process. This bill is based on a policy written in the Vice President's office by corporate lobbyists, contributors and insiders like Ken Lay. There is little wonder that the biggest winners in this bill are companies like Halliburton. The biggest losers are the American people," said Dean.
"Our over-dependence on fossil fuels means that we continue to pump global warming causing greenhouse gasses into the air at an alarming rate; it means that we are letting other countries take the lead in renewable energy�an industry that will create millions of high paying jobs in the 21st century; most important, it means our oil money will continue to fund hatred and terror in the Middle East. We should be enriching the American heartland, not corporate interests and Saudi princes.
"President Bush's allies rejected meaningful support for renewable energy, despite urging by a bipartisan group of 53 Senators. Apparently, if it's not a priority for Enron, Halliburton or Lyondell, it's not a priority for George Bush, Dick Cheney or Tom DeLay. Incredibly, Republicans have designated nuclear energy as an "alternative" energy source, on par with wind and solar power, and lavished it with tax incentives to renew construction of nuclear plants. This will mean more nuclear waste that will have to be stored in our communities or transported through our towns."
The energy bill conference report is available in at the link below:
http://energy.senate.gov/legislation/energybill2003/energybill2003.cfm
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