[StBernard] Word from Washington: 5 Ways to Lower Gas Prices

[Westley Annis]

Earlier this week, I was pleased to hear the President announce he was
lifting the executive ban on offshore drilling in most coastal waters.  Like
many Louisianians, I believe we need to utilize all our natural resources
and support expanding offshore drilling. I have introduced legislation in
the past to lift the Congressional moratorium on offshore drilling, and I
will continue to urge my colleagues in Congress to support ending the ban.
Louisiana has been supplying our nation with energy for decades and it's
time other states contributed their share.

Everyone is feeling the pain of sky-high gas prices right now.  In rural
parts of the country like south Louisiana, having to drive long distances to
work, school or for errands is a fact of life, not a choice.  As a result,
rural families and businesses are especially feeling the pain of
out-of-control gas prices.  

We need an energy policy that puts America on the path toward greater energy
independence.  We need to invest in renewable energy, new technologies,
greater efficiency, and more domestic production, while cracking down on
energy speculators that are artificially inflating the price of oil and
natural gas.

Increase Domestic Energy Production
Greater energy independence will lower energy prices, create new American
jobs, and help reduce our dependence on foreign oil, thereby reducing our
exposure to crises in the Middle East and other oil-producing countries.
Even as we increase our use of green fuels, fossil fuels will always be
needed to some degree.  We can't pretend that we can ever completely stop
using oil, natural gas, and coal. 

In 2006, I was an original co-sponsor of legislation to end the federal
moratorium on offshore drilling on America's outer-continental shelf.  I
will continue to urge my colleagues in Congress to lift the moratorium on
offshore drilling and expand our access to oil and natural gas reserves on
America's outer continental shelf.  

Invest in Clean, Renewable Energy
We must also invest in renewable energy sources like wind power, solar
power, hydropower, and biofuels. Without biofuels, gas prices could be up to
15% higher than they are now.  Last year, I voted for renewable fuels
legislation that will increase production of American-made biofuels.  This
law will increase the amount of renewable fuels produced and used in our
country to 36 billion gallons by 2022.  This would represent more than 25%
of the gasoline that we use in our country today.  

This year, I voted for the new Farm Bill, which will boost the use of new
technologies to produce homegrown biofuels made from biomass and crop
byproducts other than ethanol.  The new Farm Bill provides more than $1
billion for new technologies and to expand the supply of biofuels made from
biomass and crop byproducts which are not food sources.  The bill also
provides new support to farmers who grow energy crops, and to entrepreneurs
who build refineries to convert biomass into fuel.

Recently, a company in New Iberia was awarded a $4 million loan from the
U.S. Department of Agriculture to finance start-up costs for a new biofuels
production facility in St. Mary Parish. The federal loan was awarded to
Sustainable Fuels, L.L.C., and will be used to finance machinery and
equipment for the new biofuels facility that will create 15 new jobs in the
region.  The new facility will produce an estimated five million gallons of
biodiesel annually from waste vegetable oil, brown grease, and soy oil.  

As gas prices continue to rise, Americans are looking more and more to
alternative fuels to reign in energy costs and make our nation less
dependent on foreign oil. Biofuels will help increase our country's energy
independence while creating new jobs for our workers and opportunities for
our small businesses.  This loan to Sustainable Fuels will enable a
locally-owned business to jump in to the growing biofuels industry, and is
just the beginning of a promising new economic opportunity for south
Louisiana.


Spur innovation and new technologies
We must continue to develop technology that will reduce our future
dependence on foreign oil, improve energy efficiency, reduce greenhouse gas
emissions, and help our country lead the way with new energy research
initiatives.  Last year, the America Competes Act (H.R. 2272) was signed
into law, which established the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Energy
(ARPA-E) that will sponsor creative, out-of-the-box energy research.

Based on the successful DARPA research model at the Defense Department that
was responsible for such breakthroughs such as stealth technology and the
Internet, ARPA-E is a new way to develop ground-breaking, science-based
energy solutions that can be deployed in the marketplace.  ARPA-E would
sponsor projects that would encourage America's universities, business
communities, and the national labs to pursue high-risk, high-reward research
that neither they nor the Department of Energy would pursue on their own.

Boost energy efficiency and reduce consumption when possible
We need to also focus on boosting energy efficiency and reducing consumption
when possible. One way to make this possible is by increasing gas mileage
for our cars and trucks.  In 2007, I voted for the first increase in vehicle
fuel efficiency standards in 32 years.  The Energy Independence and Security
Act will make cars and trucks more efficient -- to 35 miles per gallon by
2020 - and promote the use of more affordable American biofuels.  The new
fuel economy standards will reduce our oil consumption by 1 million barrels
per day in 2020 (one-half of current U.S. imports from the Middle East) and
will save American families $700 to $1,000 per year at the pump.

Stop price manipulation that is driving up oil prices
Finally, we need to stop price manipulation that is driving up oil prices.
At $140-a-barrel oil, it's clear that there's more going on than just the
normal law of supply and demand.  Commodities traders who are routing their
trades through a foreign exchange are gaming the system and all of us
filling up at the pump are losing out. American families and small
businesses are footing the bill for the get-rich-quick game these
commodities traders are playing.  

I have introduced a bill that will work to stop price manipulation and
speculation in the energy sector, bringing some measure of relief to
consumers.  My bill would give a federal agency the authority to detect,
prevent and punish price manipulators and speculators who trade U.S. crude
oil on foreign commodity exchanges.  It would bring some common sense
regulation to energy futures trading that would prevent excessive
speculation, pulling inflated oil and gas prices back down to earth.

In closing, I want to mention again how honored I am to represent the people
of south Louisiana in Congress. My door is always open for constituents who
want to voice their opinions on the many issues facing south Louisiana and
the country.

Regards,

Charlie Melancon