US Must Become Energy Self-Sufficient (Rep. Marsha Blackburn)

While renewable energy can play a part to help the United States become energy self sufficient, nuclear and coal must also be a part of the plan.

My home state of Tennessee is heavily investing in biofuels and in nuclear power to meet future energy and transportation needs. And Governors Spitzer and Napolitano also agree that nuclear power and biofuels can help increase energy security for America. We also all agree that the federal government should not be pre-empting state plans for renewable energy standards.

We differ, however, on the effects of reducing investment in the use of coal for electrical power generation and gasification of coal for transportation fuels. We also disagreed in the need to mandate renewable energy portfolio standards that have significant drawbacks on land use, reliability, costs, economic investment, and elsewhere.

Solely focusing on renewable energy will not help America achieve energy independence. Concentrating investment only in renewable energy shifts needed economic capital away from efforts to solve present day problems such as diseases, malnutrition, and water sanitation.

While the technology continues to advance renewable energy, it not yet cost effective, and nationwide RPS mandates will result in reduced household income and losses of million of jobs.