Bill Text: HI SCR89 | 2010 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Congress; Renewable Energy
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 16-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-02-18 - (S) Referred to ENE/TIA. [SCR89 Detail]
Download: Hawaii-2010-SCR89-Introduced.html
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THE SENATE |
S.C.R. NO. |
89 |
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TWENTY-FIFTH LEGISLATURE, 2010 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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SENATE CONCURRENT
RESOLUTION
Requesting the United States Congress to pass legislation that promotes jobs and innovative energy development, heightens national energy and economic security, positions the United States to be an international leader in the field of clean energy, and addresses the consequences of climate change without preempting states' rights to control emissions and to promote renewable energy.
WHEREAS, the United States currently spends approximately $1,000,000,000 a day to import oil, and by 2030, the United States Department of Energy estimates, that without comprehensive clean energy legislation, the country's reliance on foreign oil could cost $8,500,000,000,000; and
WHEREAS, under the United States' current energy policy, American wealth is being transferred to nations that are rich with oil; however, many of those nations are politically unstable or unfriendly to the United States; and
WHEREAS, the effects of climate change increases political and social instability in poorer regions of the world, thus presenting potential security challenges for the United States; and
WHEREAS, clean energy jobs are growing at a rate of two hundred fifty per cent faster than the rest of the economy; and
WHEREAS, the United States Energy Information Administration projects clean energy job growth of up to two million new jobs resulting from comprehensive clean energy legislation; and
WHEREAS, without comprehensive clean energy legislation, America will face significant global competition for clean energy development that could weaken the United States economy and threaten American innovation; and
WHEREAS, thousands of businesses have joined together to call for comprehensive federal clean energy legislation including, among others, members of the United States Climate Action Group and the Clean Economy Network; and
WHEREAS, over the past two decades, in the absence of comprehensive federal clean energy legislation, the states have become the true "laboratories of democracy" by advancing clean energy policies; and
WHEREAS, many states have adopted renewable energy standards and goals that require a significant percentage of a state's electricity to be generated from non-fossil fuel renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, wave, hydropower, biomass, and biofuels, which have led to significant job growth in the clean energy sector of the national economy; and
WHEREAS, in 2008, Hawaii adopted the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative which supports and encourages the rapid development of renewable energy; and
WHEREAS, wave energy is a potent and readily available form of clean energy for Hawaii that has an immense amount of power potential to supply clean, emission-free, baseload electricity; and
WHEREAS, the generation of electricity through the use of renewable energy presents opportunities to promote energy self-sufficiency, create jobs and economic benefits, preserve natural resources, and improve the environment; and
WHEREAS, the United States' dependence on fossil fuels weakens the nation's economy, threatens its national security, and creates negative impacts on the environment; and
WHEREAS, high oil prices reduce the purchasing power of American consumers, spur inflation, and boost the prices of basic goods and services; and
WHEREAS, studies show that a majority of voters see climate change as a real, immediate, and serious threat; believe that efforts to reduce greenhouse gases will create jobs; favor action to reduce carbon emissions; and support the key elements of the American Clean Energy and Security Act; and
WHEREAS, a national statutory framework for clean energy will provide a predictable regulatory framework that will spur innovation and discovery in the clean energy sector; and
WHEREAS, in the absence of congressional action, the Environmental Protection Agency has announced its intention to regulate greenhouse gas emissions through administrative rules rather than legislation; and
WHEREAS, the United States House of Representatives passed the American Clean Energy and Security Act on June 26, 2009, on a bipartisan vote, and bipartisan members of the United States Senate are currently considering and drafting the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act; and
WHEREAS, Congress has the historic opportunity to enact comprehensive clean energy jobs and climate legislation that will strengthen our national security, create clean energy jobs, and reduce pollution; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-fifth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2010, the House of Representatives concurring, that the United States Congress is urged to pass comprehensive clean energy, jobs, and climate change legislation; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the United States Congress is urged to include in legislation:
(1) A unified framework for reducing greenhouse gas emissions;
(2) Protection for low and moderate income Americans from increased energy costs;
(3) Substantial investments in energy efficiency; and
(4) Support for alternative sources of energy including wind, solar, wave, hydroelectricity, and bio-fuels; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the United States Congress is urged to pass national clean energy and climate change legislation that does not preempt state legislative efforts to control carbon emissions and to advance clean energy innovations; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, and the members of Hawaii's congressional delegation.
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OFFERED BY: |
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Congress; Renewable Energy
