Promotion of Alternative Fuels in Energy Legislation Is Necessary (Rep. John Shimkus)

On Thursday the House Energy and Commerce Committee, on which I serve, finished work on a so-called energy bill. The problem with this legislation is that there are no provisions that encourage or increase the supply of energy.

Unfortunately, our demand for electricity and fuel continues to rise. We see higher gasoline prices every time we fill up our cars, vans, and trucks. And our vehicles get bigger, which means lower gas mileage.

I supported two measures that not one Democrat voted for in committee. First, was an attempt to raise the CAFE standards or the mileage requirements for automobiles and small trucks. The Senate has included such a measure in their energy bill, yet the House Energy Committee refuses to do so. This proposal would have raised fuel economy standards to 35 miles per gallon for automobiles and 27.5 for light trucks by 2022.

The second amendment defeated by Democrats was my proposal to increase the use of alternative fuels to 35 billion gallons by 2025. Democratic members of our committee verbally promoted this themselves, yet refused to approve this amendment. I proposed including coal to liquid as an alternative fuel, as we must use our domestic resources to produce energy.

I hope that when this “energy” bill reaches the floor, we will be able to include this language in the final bill that passes the House.