Pete Domenici: “we will soon vote this morning on final passage of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. I hope and expect that my colleagues…”

“we will soon vote this morning on final passage of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. I hope and expect that my colleagues will vote overwhelmingly to pass it for a number of reasons, but I want to concentrate on two of the most significant. First, this bill is a huge step forward in our quest to enact policies that will ultimately move us away from our dependence on foreign sources of energy. There are no quick fixes for the predicament we have created for ourselves over the past 50 years. But Senator Bingaman and I, of all people, are keenly aware of the promise that research and development of new technologies holds for our future energy independence. He and I have had the good fortune to witness the tremendous accomplishments of the scientists at Los Alamos and Sandia over the years. We know that partnerships in science and technology between the government and the private sector can spur significant advancements in technologies we need for our future--a future where we become more productive, more efficient, less dependent on foreign sources, and more protective of our environment in the process. We have provided in this bill the opportunities for those partnerships as well as other incentives for the private sector to make the advances we need to have for our energy future. Secondly, this is a bipartisan product that deserves broad support. Senator Bingaman and I have worked together on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee for over 20 years.…”