Energy

High gas prices have been devastating to Nebraskans. The price of coal, natural gas, and electricity are also rising dramatically. Scott Kleeb believes we must take aggressive action now to provide relief from these high costs, but we must also take long term steps to make America more energy efficient, sensibly increase domestic energy production, and transform our economy from one based on fossil fuels to one based on clean, domestic, renewable energy. Scott knows that such a transition is necessary for our national security and Nebraska's economic growth.

RELIEVE THE PAIN AT THE PUMP

Scott Kleeb understands how difficult it has been for Nebraskans to cope with skyrocketing gas prices and how frustrating it is for Washington to give us rhetoric. Our energy crisis is too important to allow partisan politics to stand in the way of real solutions. Scott was encouraged by the so-called “Gang of 10” energy plan offered by Senator Ben Nelson and others, which seeks to find a compromise on some of the most difficult hurdles in the energy debate. Scott knows that it is only with the understanding there is no silver bullet to end this crisis that we can solve our energy crisis.

Remove barriers to drilling. Scott Kleeb believes we must examine every option to bring about relief at the pump. That’s why Scott wants to look at all available drilling options to see what will bring relief, such as requiring the Mineral Management Service to hold lease sales every year for exploration in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska, land specifically set aside for future drilling.

Break our addiction on foreign oil. For too long, we’ve embraced policies that have deepened our addiction to foreign oil. The numbers are staggering: the United States imports 62 percent of the oil we consume and has a 20-million-barrel-a-day oil habit costing $1.4 billion each day. We spend about $41 million every hour on foreign oil. Like most other difficult issues, Washington has failed to make the tough decisions and now hard-working Americans are paying the price. Scott Kleeb believes we must finally break our addiction to oil - a measure that will make us safer and put money into Nebraska’s economy.

Increase production of oil. In addition to opening new lands for drilling, we must press oil companies to increase production so that we have real barrels of oil that can help save Americans money, not just paper barrels that boost the oil industry’s bottom line. Scott Kleeb will work to:

Force oil companies to “use it or lose it.” Right now, oil companies are sitting on 68 million acres already leased from the federal government for oil and natural gas exploration but are not producing any fuel. Scott Kleeb believes oil companies should produce on these leases or make way for other companies that will. Only by providing incentives to companies to be diligent in their pursuit of oil can we ensure increased production.
Compel oil companies to invest their own resources in drilling exploration. For the past 20 years, oil companies have been under-investing in drilling; instead of using record profits to buy back their stock, oil companies should be spending that money on equipment to actually drill more.
Impose a ban on exporting newly discovered oil and natural gas in the United States to foreign countries.

Clamp down on speculation in the oil markets. The fundamental supply and demand picture for oil is not that different than it was a few years ago, yet prices have doubled. This rise in price has coincided with the increased participation of speculators in the oil markets and the emergence of new electronic and overseas markets that are exempt from U.S. regulation. Some experts have testified before Congress that more than half of the recent rise in prices is due to excess speculation in the market. Scott Kleeb believes it is time for Congress to reform oil markets by making sure that:

The Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has the power and resources it needs to effectively regulate markets.
Loopholes are closed so energy markets cannot be manipulated as we saw with Enron and the natural gas market.
Limits are set on how much of the market can be owned by any one participant, and the government has the tools it needs to determine if someone is attempting to move the market.

Provide additional short term relief. Scott Kleeb understands that we can’t wait for long-term solutions to lower gas prices. In addition to cracking down on speculation, which should immediately have an effect on oil prices, Scott has called for:

Releasing oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. The Strategic Petroleum Reserve holds 700 million barrels of oil to be released in case of an energy crisis. Scott Kleeb believes we are in such a crisis and supports selling 70 million barrels of valuable light, sweet crude from the reserve over six months and replacing that oil with less valuable heavy crude. This additional 400,000 barrels per day of oil supply will drive down gas prices but would still maintain our energy security in case of a supply disruption. The plan could also generate up to $840 million in revenues.
Increasing funding for LIHEAP, so that the millions of Americans who will face soaring energy costs this winter can have the financial help they need.

Retrofit legacy car fleet and gas stations to be E85 compatible. Domestic car makers have pledged to make half of all cars made in 2012 E85 compatible. While this is a good first step, we must help owners of legacy cars to access this fuel option. That’s why Scott Kleeb supports offering a tax rebate to anyone who converts a legacy car to be E85 compatible, and tax incentives to gas-station owners to retrofit gas stations to safely hold and sell ethanol. In addition, Scott supports tax incentives to allow owners of older cars and trucks to replace valves and hoses to enable them to run high concentrations of biodiesel.

Investing in other energy options. Scott Kleeb knows that our national energy plan will encompass many different types of power. That’s why Scott supports investing in nuclear and hydropower.

INVESTING IN NEBRASKA

Scott Kleeb believes the time has come to get serious about our energy future. This means investing in clean, domestic, renewable technologies, which can harness the tremendous natural resources we have right here in Nebraska. This Administration has outsourced the country’s federal energy policy to oil companies. Not only was this misguided move bad for our national security, it was bad for Americans who are now struggling to make ends meet because of soaring gas prices. That’s why Scott believes we must:

Invest in and develop ethanol. Unlike fossil fuel sources, such as oil and natural gas, ethanol is a renewable fuel that grows right here in the United States. Already, virtually all cars on America’s roads today can run on 10 percent ethanol, and millions of our cars can run on E85. The promise of this burgeoning technology puts Nebraska at the forefront of this industry.

Nebraska is leading the way. Nebraska is the second-largest ethanol producer in the country and has 22 plants producing almost 2 billion gallons of ethanol per year. These ethanol plants have brought more than $1.4 billion in capital investment to the state and provide jobs for approximately 1,000 Nebraskans. Scott Kleeb knows that this is just the beginning of what ethanol production can do for Nebraska’s economy.
Corn-based ethanol. Since Nebraska’s first corn-based ethanol plant opened in 1985, the ethanol industry has created a new market for nearly one-third of Nebraska’s corn production, created new jobs in rural communities around the state, and provided a new revenue stream for Nebraska. Today, ethanol production, a market that barely existed 25 years ago, is the third largest use of Nebraska corn—consuming more than 500 million bushels of Nebraska’s corn harvest annually. Ethanol has not only been good to the environment; it’s been good to Nebraska’s farmers.
Cellulosic-based ethanol. Cellulosic technology, an advanced biofuel that is refined from non-food sources, like wood chips, switchgrass, or agricultural waste, is the next wave of ethanol production. Already, one of Nebraska’s 22 ethanol plants is developing cellulosic-based ethanol, and another is on its way. Scott Kleeb is committed to working with industry leaders and legislators to commercialize this industry.

Harness Nebraska’s wind potential. According to national experts, Nebraska is 6th in the country in wind potential, yet we are 21st in production of wind energy. While Nebraska is operating several wind farms now, Scott Kleeb believes we must do more and strive to get 20 percent of our nation’s electricity from wind by 2020. If Nebraska does its part to reach this goal, the state could receive approximately $13 billion in new capital investments, $8.9 billion in economic development, and 30,000 new jobs. In Scott’s view, we can’t afford not to develop the state’s wind capacity.

Realize solar’s promise. It has been estimated that using current technologies a solar plant taking up just 92 square miles could provide enough electricity for all of the country’s needs. Advancements in research and development are rapidly reducing the cost of solar energy. This presents great opportunities for Nebraska, particularly in the western part of the state. Scott Kleeb supports increasing research and development of solar energy so we can continue to find clean, affordable energy sources right here in Nebraska.

Develop clean coal technology. Coal continues to be a key source of energy for Nebraskans. While committing to moving to cleaner energy sources, Scott Kleeb believes we must continue to invest in clean coal research and development.

Provide tax credits and continue subsidies. Scott Kleeb supports tax credits and subsidies that support companies that invest in renewable technologies like ethanol, wind, solar, and plug-in hybrids. Not only is this good for the environment, it’s good for Nebraska’s economy.

SUPPORT CLEAN ENERGY INITIATIVES

Scott Kleeb will work to give tax incentives to those companies that keep jobs here in the United States, as well as those that embrace the shift to renewable technologies. To do that, Scott will support:

Blue- to green-collar job transitions. Scott Kleeb understands that committing to energy that is generated in America means committing to jobs that will stay in America. That’s why Scott supports:

Investing in training programs to help workers and industries move from traditional manufacturing jobs to clean technology development and production.
Modernizing and refitting manufacturing centers to house clean technology development in the future.

Increasing clean energy transportation. More must be done to continue to transition our transportation system from one run on oil to one run on electricity and biofuels. This will help American families by lowering fuel costs and putting more money in their pockets. Scott Kleeb supports increased tax incentives to help families transition to cleaner technologies, such as hybrids.

Investing in a national ethanol infrastructure. Scott Kleeb will advocate for increased incentives for the installation of E85 pumps and for the construction of infrastructure to transport ethanol around the nation.

Building a national grid to enable rural wind to power the nation. Scott Kleeb knows that we need to build a national grid so the electricity generated from Nebraskan wind farms can be sold to America's cities. He supports funding renewable energy transmission corridors to make this a reality and to bring tremendous economic opportunities to Nebraska.

Increasing green-building tax incentives. As we continue to build and grow, we must increase incentives for businesses and homeowners to use green-building technologies. That’s why Scott Kleeb supports tax incentives for those retrofitting existing structures or building new homes and corporate buildings that incorporate LEED-approved building standards.

GET REAL ABOUT GLOBAL WARMING

The science is clear - we are facing a climate crisis that is real, that is happening now, and could have devastating consequences without bold action. Scott Kleeb believes it is time to stop questioning sound science and start focusing on how to implement the type of change needed not only to reduce our carbon footprint, but to ensure that our children and grandchildren will have a brighter future. Scott is committed to getting real about addressing global warming and climate change, and will work to:

Support sound science. An effective government follows evidence, not ideology. If we do not allow our scientists to review and analyze the data they find without imposing partisan politics, we cheat ourselves, our kids, and our futures. Yet the Bush administration has sought - time and time again - to alter sound scientific findings to pursue political ends. Scott Kleeb will fight to ensure that scientific findings are not edited with a political pen.

Cut our emissions. Scott Kleeb knows that we must make great strides to significantly cut our greenhouse gas emissions in order to turn the tide on climate change. Scott believes that any measure to address global warming must use science-based targets, not political ones. That’s why Scott supports efforts to cut emissions 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050. Scott advocates for a market-based cap-and-trade system to assure we meet benchmarks but gives businesses the flexibility they need to get there.

Allow farmers to participate in carbon offset programs. A former ranch hand, Scott Kleeb knows that our farmers already do their part to use the land in ways that feed the country and better the environment. Scott believes that, as part of our cap-and-trade system, our farmers should have the opportunity to participate in carbon offset programs, which analysts contend could generate $200 billion annually in revenues. Currently, with only voluntary carbon markets in place, Nebraskan farmers make more than $200,000 per year from selling carbon offset credits. Not only is it good for the environment, it is good for Nebraska’s bottom line.

Support the Renewable Electricity Standard. Scott Kleeb knows that moving to a renewable energy economy is critical for our national security, our economic growth, and our environment. That’s why Scott supports implementing a Renewable Electricity Standard that will set a goal of producing 20 percent of the country’s electricity supply from renewable sources by 2020.

Protect the Renewable Fuel Standard. As part of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, Congress set a Renewable Fuel Standard requiring that our nation’s fuel supply include biofuels. This year, nine billion gallons of biofuels are being added into the market. While we must be vigilant to prevent unintended consequences to our environment or the food supply, Scott Kleeb is committed to protecting the Renewable Fuel Standard.