Al Franken: “I rise to voice my support for the passage of the Energy Policy Modernization Act. I am pleased the Senate is…”

“I rise to voice my support for the passage of the Energy Policy Modernization Act. I am pleased the Senate is considering and on the verge of passing legislation to update our Nation's energy policy. I thank Chairwoman Murkowski, Ranking Member Cantwell, and their staffs for their hard work in getting this bill to the floor of the Senate. The Energy Policy Modernization Act is a good bill, but it is not a perfect bill. It is a compromised piece of legislation, and it does contain provisions I do not support, such as expediting the export of liquid natural gas, which I am concerned could raise domestic energy prices and harm steelworkers in northern Minnesota, but there are also a number of important provisions I do support. Congress has not passed a comprehensive energy bill since 2007, and a lot has changed in the energy sector since then. I believe comprehensive energy legislation needs to promote innovation, deploy clean energy technology, reduce greenhouse gases, and create good- paying jobs. The energy efficiency title of this bill will help produce electricity use, save consumers money, and increase our competitiveness through commonsense measures such as updating building codes. The bill permanently reauthorizes the Land and Water Conservation Fund to ensure that we preserve our natural resources for generations to come. It also invests billions of dollars in science and innovation through the reauthorization of ARPA-E and the DOE Office of Science.…”