Victor Fazio: “I have served with them on this subcommittee for 16 years. During that time, I have been a great advocate of renewable…”

“I have served with them on this subcommittee for 16 years. During that time, I have been a great advocate of renewable energy, but this bill is $2 billion less than the President's budget. It is $1.5 billion less than last year spent in this area of spending... I stand here today for the first time in opposition to my chairman and ranking member on this matter, because I believe we have taken an inordinately deep cut in renewable spending. A 43-percent cut simply is out of whack with all of the other proposals that have been made to reduce spending. We have simply asked too much of an area that is on the upturn. It is a growing area for exports, an important area of small business in this country. These are proven performers, technological trend setters. We are not where we were 20 years ago where this is merely an ideological issue. Today renewable energy is part of the energy grid. Utilities across this country are adopting these as low cost alternatives.”