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Wednesday, July 27, 2005
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
JULY 26, 2005
4:08 PM
CONTACT: Union of Concerned Scientists
Eric Young 202-331-5439
Alden Meyer 202-223-6133


National Energy Bill a Dirty and Dangerous Failure
House and Senate Should Reject Legislation

WASHINGTON - July 26 - The Union of Concerned Scientists today urged Congress to
reject an energy bill that ignores our oil dependence, fails to promote
renewable energy,
disregards global warming, and even raises the risk of nuclear terrorism.

"For the third time in four years, Congress is on the brink of passing an energy
bill that
will pollute our air and water while costing the average consumer more money,"
said Alden
Meyer, Director of Strategy and Policy for the Union of Concerned Scientists.
"This bill does
virtually nothing to relieve the twin energy burdens on energy consumers -- high
gasoline
prices and high home energy costs - and adds insult to injury by jeopardizing
the security
of every American."

The House conferees ignored overwhelming evidence that renewable energy will
save
consumers money and stripped the renewable electricity standard (also known as a
renewable portfolio standard) from the final bill. The renewable standard, which
passed
the Senate with bi-partisan support, would have required major electric
companies to
gradually increase sales of electricity from wind, solar, and other renewable
sources from
two percent today to about 10 percent by 2020.

"The energy bill funnels billions of dollars in taxpayer money to polluting
industries while
ignoring practical solutions to global warming such as a renewable electricity
standard,
which would create jobs, spur economic development and save consumers money,"
said
Meyer. "The legislation also includes a provision that will harm U.S. energy
security by
increasing our oil dependence. The proposed extension of the "dual-fuel vehicle"
loophole
in the energy bill will increase our gasoline consumption by 10 billion gallons
through
2015, increasing oil demand in 2014 alone by nearly 130,000 barrels per day.* At
the
same time, the energy bill ignores conventional technology that could increase
fuel
economy, generate hundreds of thousands of new jobs, and save consumers billions
at the
pump."

The small bright spot for vehicles policy is a radically pared down tax credit
package for
hybrids and other advanced technology vehicles.

One of the most startling aspects of the bill is a provision that would severely
weaken
export controls on highly enriched uranium, the key ingredient in the most basic
nuclear
weapons. If terrorists were to acquire about 100 pounds of this material they
could
fashion a crude but devastating nuclear explosive in short order.

"At a time when the threat of nuclear terrorism is growing, Congress should not
make it
easier for highly enriched uranium to fall into the wrong hands," said Dr. Ed
Lyman, a
senior scientist in UCS's Global Security Program. "This reckless provision is
reason
enough to reject the energy bill."


* This loophole allows automakers to receive credit toward meeting fuel economy
standards by selling vehicles that have the capability of running on alternative
fuel but
almost always run on gasoline.