Rehberg’s Answer to Our Energy Woes

July 24, 2008 in 2008 Election, Democrats, Denny Rehberg, Energy, Max Baucus, Montana, Regressives, Republicans

by jhwygirl

Standing in front of a solar panel, Montana’s congressman, Representative “I-sleep-on-my-couch” Rehberg announced his plan for America’s Energy Independence.

Rehberg has proudly supporting 7 bills:

HR 3089 which builds more oil refineries and “making available more homegrown energy through environmentally sensitive exploration of the Arctic Energy Slope and America’s Deep-Sea Energy Reserves”;

HR 2279 which streamlines refinery application processes and “requiring the President to open at least three closed military installations for the purpose of siting new and reliable American refineries.”;

HR 2208, which promotes coal-to-liquid by authorizing the Secretary of Energy to enter into loan agreements for these projects. Yep – you read that rights – loan agreements for the federal government. And just who are those loans going to come from? China?;

HR 5656 which pushes forward alternative fuels acquisitions by the federal government in oil shale, tar sands, and coal-to-liquid (who knew coal and oil were alternative fuels? Not me….);

HR 2493 which reduces the price of gasoline by removing fuel blend requirements and onerous government mandates if they contribute to unaffordable gas prices;

HR 6107 which opens the Arctic Energy Slope to environmentally sensitive American energy exploration, and creates a “alternative energy trust fund” from .01% of the revenues. With coal and oil shale being alternative fuels, I don’t know if I buy it – and, yes folks, he’s championing “environmentally sensitive American energy exploration.”; and finally,

HR 6108 is titled “Deep Oceans Energy Resources Act of 2008,” and I think you know what that means: Drill. Drill. Drill. Yipee Ki Yay!

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Contrast all Rehberg’s gobbly-gook to Senator Max Baucus’ S.3125, introduced June 12 and titled the “Energy Independence and Tax Relief Act of 2008.”

Max’s bill – read twice already and now sitting in the Finance Committee – does the following:

Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend various provisions relating to energy production and conservation and to individual and business-related activities;

Extends through 2009 the tax credit for producing electricity from wind facilities and through 2011 for closed and open-loop biomass, geothermal, small irrigation, hydropower, landfill gas, and trash combustion facilities. Includes marine and hydrokinetic renewable energy as a renewable resource for purposes of such tax credit;

Extends through 2014: (1) the energy tax credits for solar energy, fuel cell, and microturbine property; and (2) the residential energy efficient property tax credit. Allows a new investment tax credit for combined heat and power system property;

Allows a tax credit for new qualified plug-in electric drive motor vehicles;

Extends through 2013 the tax deduction for energy efficient commercial building expenditures;

Extends through 2010 the tax credit for energy efficient appliances;

…and so it goes.

Now, to be fair – he’s got an inclusion which “allows tax credits for investment in advanced coal electricity and coal gasification projects,” but he’s also got this one, which “extends through 2018 the temporary increase in coal excise taxes, but sets forth special rules for refunds of coal excise taxes to certain producers or exporters.”

So someone please explain to me how Rehberg can stand there and make his announcement in front of a solar panel while endorsing offshore drilling, Artic drilling and coal-to-liquid, in every which way you can possibly imagine – especially in the context of our Good Senator Baucus’ bill – which is essentially a renumeration of stuff that he has been advocating for years?

Sure does make him look silly now, doesn’t it?