New Energy Future News

WASHINGTON, DC—The U.S. Public Interest Research Group (U.S. PIRG) today launched a new campaign calling on congressional candidates to support policies to move America beyond oil and toward a cleaner energy future.

“There is no question that America has the know-how to reduce our dependence on oil and move toward a cleaner, more secure energy future,” said U.S. PIRG Legislative Director Anna Aurilio. “We need leaders who support moving America in a new direction that puts our national security, our environment, our global climate, and our children’s futures ahead of Big Oil and other powerful interests,” continued Aurilio.

“Our energy predicament requires a conservative response,” said Republicans for Environmental Protection Government Affairs Director David Jenkins. “There is nothing conservative about wasting energy or allowing our nation to be dangerously over dependent on oil. True conservatives in Congress should be willing to step forward and embrace energy policies based on the traditional conservative values of conservation, stewardship and prudence.”

U.S. PIRG is asking all congressional candidates to deliver on the promise of a New Energy Future by committing to support policies that help the U.S. achieve four key goals:

• Reduce U.S. dependence on oil by saving one-third of the oil we use today by 2025;
• Harness clean, renewable, homegrown energy sources for at least one quarter of all energy needs by 2025;
• Save energy with high performance homes, buildings and appliances so that by 2025 we use 10 percent less energy than we currently use; and
• Invest in a New Energy Future by tripling research and development funding for the energy-saving and renewable technologies we need to achieve these goals.

U.S. PIRG also released a report today showing the benefits of these policies to America’s environment, economy, and national security. U.S. PIRG found that achieving these goals by 2025 would enable the United States to:

• Save 10.8 million barrels of oil per day, equal to four-fifths of the amount of oil we currently import from all other nations in the world.
• Save 9.1 trillion cubic feet of natural gas per year, nearly twice as much as currently used in all of America’s homes.
• Save 900 million tons of coal per year, or about 80 percent of all the coal consumed in the United States in 2005.
• Save 1.7 billion megawatt-hours of electricity per year, 30 percent more than was used in all the households in America in 2005.

United Steelworkers President Leo W. Gerard said that Congressional action on A New Energy Future “can spark nothing less than a revolution in domestic job growth and build the foundation of a sustainable economy for our children and generations to come.”

“AFSCME members understand the importance of energy efficiency and real energy solutions,” said American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Director of Legislation Charles Loveless. “We applaud U.S. PIRG and their efforts to advance a New Energy Future for America.”

U.S. PIRG today called on candidates across the country to support the goals of a New Energy Future. Over the next six weeks, U.S. PIRG will work with more than 50 organizers from state PIRGs and state environment group partners across the country to build support for the goals of the New Energy Future in 35 of the highest profile congressional races.

“By supporting these goals, candidates can help make the promise of a New Energy Future a reality,” concluded U.S. PIRG’s Aurilio.