Political Quotes

“I come to speak in support of the Shaheen- Portman bill, otherwise known as the Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act. As I like to put it, it saves money and saves energy. Keep it simple. It comes at an important time, and it is no surprise that as someone from Alaska, I care about oil and gas issues, energy issues, energy efficiency. This is a bill that is important to talk about but also hopefully to pass and move to the House to take up. Conservation makes sense. It saves money and makes people more comfortable in their homes and workplaces and also is good for the economy and environment. It is particularly important to Alaska. Alaska's per capita energy costs are the highest in the Nation. We have long and cold winters, limited infrastructure in rural parts of the State, and we spend more on energy than anywhere else. So we have the most to gain from energy efficiency improvements. In Alaska, energy costs affect every aspect of life. Energy costs are driving people away from the traditional homes in rural Alaska. It is getting too expensive to heat even the smallest of homes. The cost of fuel to run your boat or snow machine for subsistence hunting and fishing is sky-high. In Fairbanks, AK, filling your fuel tank to heat your home could easily cost you $1,900, and that may only last half of the winter. Electric heat isn't much better.…”