Lisa Murkowski: “I rise to enlighten my colleagues about renewables because we are going to be spending a good deal of time on the issue…”

“I rise to enlighten my colleagues about renewables because we are going to be spending a good deal of time on the issue of renewables. Senator Jeffords has called for an increase to the underlying bill. I want to make sure everybody knows that we didn't suddenly find renewables. Renewables have been around for a long time. Some Members aren't too sure of where we have been on renewables. Some are of the opinion that we haven't spent much money, time, or attention. Let me try and turn that around because we have spent $6.4 billion on renewables in the past 5 years. That money has been well spent. We are going to continue to spend money on renewables. We spent $1.5 billion in direct research and development for renewables; $500 million for solar; $330 million for biomass; $150 million for wind; $100 million for hydrogen; and nearly $5 billion in tax incentives; $2.6 billion in reduced excise taxes for alcohol fuels, ethanol. So it is not that we have been asleep in this process. The problem we have is that nonhydro renewables make up less than 4 percent of our total energy needs and less than 2 percent of our electric consumption.”