Sam Gibbons: “due to recent current events, I do not think anyone can deny nor can anyone argue that this country needs more energy.…”

“due to recent current events, I do not think anyone can deny nor can anyone argue that this country needs more energy. Every estimate I have seen points to a sharp rise in our Nation's energy demands over the next 20 years. The demand for electricity, for example, is expected to rise 45 percent, according to the DOE, and the demand for natural gas will be even greater. It is expected to rise 62 percent by the year 2020. Now, everyone knows that conservation can take the edge off that demand, and, in fact, the Republican energy package offers a framework for energy conservation that we have long needed. But, as Californians know quite well, even the best conservation efforts will not solve this problem. They are experiencing about a 15 percent gain in that demand due to conservation. That still leaves us about 40 to 50 percent short, and, without new energy supplies, more businesses, more hospitals, and more homes are going to go dark unnecessarily. We need to produce more energy. Therefore, I encourage my colleagues to support H.R. 2436 the Energy Security Act, which provides a multifaceted energy package.”