Positions and Views of Joe Biden
on Energy, Gas, Oil & Autos
| Energy, Gas, Oil & Autos |
Positions and Views |
| Energy, a General Statement |
There is no question our oil dependence is threatening our national security. It helps fuel the fundamentalism we're fighting. Our oil dependence limits our options and our influence around the world, because oil rich countries pursuing policies we oppose can stand up to us, while oil dependent allies may be afraid to stand with us. If we don't change our policy, oil will further empower the countries that produce it, restrict our options, and undermine our economic and physical security.
After ending the war in Iraq, a comprehensive energy and climate change policy should be our top national security priority. More than any other factor our oil dependence limits our options and influence around the world, insures that the price of oil remains high, and fuels the fundamentalism we are fighting. To restore our place in the world we must become an energy and environmental leader.
Source: www.joebiden.com (11/30/2007) |
| Energy Independence from Foreign Oil |
Global competition over oil is going to intensify. The United States imports about 14 million of the 21 million barrels of oil we consume daily. We have less than 2 percent of the world's oil reserves. The extraordinary growth of China and India insures that demand in the world will outpace the discovery of new supplies. China alone is expected to add 120 million vehicles in the next 5 years. Unless we develop a realistic and effective energy policy our nation will become even more vulnerable to oil price increases, more dependent on oil imports and less able to pursue our national interests.
Source: www.joebiden.com (11/30/2007) |
| Gas Prices |
Senator Biden cosponsored and pushed legislation to combat inflated gas prices by both integrated oil companies and retailers. This measure would crack down on abuses by giving federal and state regulators new authority to prosecute price gouging in the wake of national energy emergencies, as well as put in place measures to ban price manipulation and enhance the transparency of our nation=s fuel markets.
Source: biden.senate.gov/issues (04/22/2008) |
| Oil Company Profits |
When a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing highlighted the unprecedented profits enjoyed by the oil industry - the highest by any business in history - at a time when consumers are saddled with high prices, Senator Biden confronted the executives of six major energy companies, and asked them if they needed any part of the billions in tax giveaways they got in the 2005 energy bill. When they acknowledged that they did not, he worked to repeal those special subsidies.
Source: biden.senate.gov/issues (04/22/2008) |
| Renewable Energy, Solar, Biomass and Wind |
Set a national renewable portfolio standard of 20 percent to require that at least 20 percent of the country's electricity comes from clean, renewable sources like wind, solar, biomass and geothermal -- just 2.3 percent of our power comes from these sources today.
Source: www.joebiden.com (11/30/2007) |
| Fuel Efficiency & Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) Standards |
Joe Biden wants to improve fuel efficiency by upgrading to a better system that combines protection for U.S. automobile manufacturing jobs with predictable increases in fuel efficiency standards for cars, SUVs, and light trucks. The new system would set fuel economy standards based on vehicle elements such as size and weight, with individualized fuel economy targets that increase by about one mile per gallon each year -- reaching a 40 mpg average by 2017.
Raise fuel economy standards so that the U.S. reaches a 40 mpg average by 2017 (the current average is 27.5 mpg) and cuts greenhouse gas emissions by more than a 100 million tons a year. Authorize NHTSA to develop an attribute-based fuel economy model to increase fuel economy for individual vehicle models by 4 percent per year increase - approximately 1 mile per gallon each year.
Source: www.joebiden.com (12/01/2007) |
| Coal |
Senator Biden supports incentives for research into carbon capture and sequestration technologies that will allow us to use coal cleanly.
Source: biden.senate.gov/issues (04/22/2008) |
| Energy Efficiency and Standards |
Require the federal government to purchase 10 percent renewable electricity by 2010 and 20 percent by the end of the next decade.
Increase federal building energy efficiency by requiring a 30 percent reduction in energy use over the next ten years.
Create the Flip-to-Save program to provide $50 million in funding to states to administer programs to educate consumers on efficient technology and distribute highly efficient compact florescent light bulbs which use a quarter of the energy of regular bulbs. If every family across the US replaces just one regular incandescent bulb with a CFL, we can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by nearly 7 million tons per year.
Expand the "Energy Star Program" to include standards for more appliances and commercial systems.
Support local updates to building codes to capture cost-effective energy efficiency opportunities in new residential/commercial construction
Increase incentives for energy efficient commercial buildings and manufacturing sector
Source: www.joebiden.com (12/01/2007) |
| Green Homes and Improvements |
Make Federal Buildings More Efficient. Senator Biden would increase federal building energy efficiency by requiring a 30 percent reduction in energy use over the next ten years.
Support Green Building Codes. Senator Biden would support local updates to building codes to capture cost-effective energy efficiency opportunities in new residential/commercial construction
Create Incentives To Go Green. Senator Biden supports increasing incentives for energy efficient commercial buildings and manufacturing sector
Source: biden.senate.gov/issues (04/22/2008) |
| Energy Research and Development |
Senator Biden supports more than $5 billion in new incentives for research into: alternative fuel and energy sources, renewable energy and carbon capture and sequestration technologies that will allow us to use coal cleanly.
Source: biden.senate.gov/issues (04/22/2008) |
| Renewable Fuels, Biofuels and Ethanol |
Joe Biden wants to increase the number of vehicles that can use ethanol and alternative fuel. He wrote legislation directing automakers to gradually increase the number of flexfuel vehicles -- those able to use both regular gasoline and blends of up to 85 percent ethanol (E85). His legislation also requires major oil companies to install E85 pumps at gas stations, and would boost the use of homegrown fuels in our national fuel supply by raising the renewable fuel standard benchmarks. Joe Biden also recognizes that renewable energy -- like wind, solar and geothermal --use energy more efficiently, and he supports using and developing these types of energy. Require all new cars to be flexible fuel vehicles by 2017 that can run on regular gas or home-grown fuel like ethanol. Currently just 5 million cars can do that -- every new car in America should be able to. Require big companies - those that operate more than 4,500 gas stations - to add alternative fuel pumps so that at least a quarter of all gas stations nationwide have them by 2017. Increase the amount of ethanol and biodiesel included in the nation's fuel supply by extending and increasing the renewable fuel standard. Currently the renewable fuel standard sets a benchmark of 7.5 billion gallons by 2012. (U.S. gasoline consumption is 140 billion gallons/year). Senator Biden would increase the benchmarks to: 10 billion gallons by 2010; 30 billion gallons by 2020; 60 billion gallons by 2030.
Source: www.joebiden.com (12/10/2007) |
| Domestic Energy Production |
Senator Biden would require the federal government to purchase 10 percent renewable electricity by 2010 and 20 percent by the end of the next decade.
Source: biden.senate.gov/issues (04/22/2008) |
| Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) |
Since his early days in the Senate, Senator Biden has championed funding for this vital program that has allowed low income families, disabled individuals and senior citizens living on fixed incomes to offset some of their high heating bills.
Source: biden.senate.gov/issues (04/22/2008) |
| Energy Efficient Government Buildings |
Senator Biden would increase federal building energy efficiency by requiring a 30 percent reduction in energy use over the next ten years.
Source: biden.senate.gov/issues (04/22/2008) |
| Gas & Oil, a General Statement |
The United States spent $325 billion on imported oil last year -- when the average price of a barrel of oil was $65 a barrel. This year, with oil prices at $90 - $100 a barrel, we will spend far more. Experts estimate that there is a $30 a barrel security premium because of instability in the Middle East. We pay more for gas because the price of oil now takes into consideration the extra risk -- that a new conflict in that part of the world will interrupt the supply of oil. This administration's saber rattling -- its policy of ratcheting up tension with Iran -- is counter productive and self-defeating. How the Untied States conducts its foreign policy directly impacts the prices we pay at the pump. And the profits go right into the coffers of the Iranian government and big oil. It's hard to think of a more self-defeating policy.
Source: www.joebiden.com (11/30/2007) |
| Auto Industry |
Only around 700 gas stations nationwide offer E85 to customers. Major oil companies (those that own 4,500 stations or more) should offer alternative refueling capability at 50 percent of stations they own by 2016. The Lugar-Harkin-Biden biofuel legislation would require large oil companies to install E85 pumps at their stations, increasing by five percent annually over the next 10 years.
Source: biden.senate.gov/issues (04/22/2008) |
| Hybrid & All Electric Cars |
The market for lithium ion batteries -- those needed for super-efficient plug-in hybrids which can get 100 mpg -- is dominated by foreign competitors like the Japanese, Koreans and Chinese. That is because these countries have invested hundreds of millions of dollars in developing and supporting the technology. Senator Biden believes the United States needs to make an equal investment in new technology like lithium ion batteries. He has proposed legislation that would double investment in the development of advanced lithium ion batteries needed for plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles -- increasing it from $42 million to $100 million a year for five years.
Source: biden.senate.gov/issues (04/22/2008) |
| Flexible Fuel Vehicles |
Biden has proposed legislation directing automakers to gradually increase the number of flex-fuel vehicles -- those able to use both regular gasoline and blends of up to 85 percent ethanol (E85). This bill also requires major oil companies to install E85 pumps at gas stations, and would boost the use of homegrown fuels in our national fuel supply by raising the renewable fuel standard benchmarks. Senator Biden is also a strong supporter of increasing use of renewable energy -- like wind, solar and geothermal -- and using energy more efficiently.
Senator Biden would require all cars marketed in the US be capable of running on E85/flex fuel by 2017 (cost estimated to be $100/car). Together with Senators Lugar and Harkin, Senator Biden has proposed legislation which directs automakers to gradually increase flex-fuel vehicle (FFV) production, increasing ten percentage-point increments annually, until nearly all vehicles sold in the U.S. are flex fuel vehicles within 10 years. At this rate half of all vehicles sold in the US would be flex fuel vehicles in five years. Currently, flex-fuel vehicles -- those able to use both regular gasoline and blends of up to 85 percent ethanol (E85) -- make up only about ten percent of vehicles on the road today (7 million).
Source: biden.senate.gov/issues (04/22/2008) |
| These are available issue topics for which there were no responses. |
| Oil Drilling |
| Oil and Gas Subsidies |
| Canadian Oil (Keystone) Pipeline |
| Nuclear Power |
| Shale Gas Development |
| Regulation of Energy Companies |
| Gulf Oil Spill |
| Offshore Oil Drilling Safety Standards |
| Solar Energy Investment Tax Credit Bill |
| Hydrogen Cell Fuel Initiative |
| Utility Deregulation |
| Natural Gas |
| Electricity Transmission Grid |
| Energy Bill |
| Department of Energy |
| Production Tax Credit |
| Strategic Energy Fund |
| Developing World Oil Demand |
| Wellhead Tax |
| Low Carbon Fuels |