Jeanne Shaheen: “I rise today to introduce legislation that will help grow the U.S. manufacturing base in alternative energy…”

“I rise today to introduce legislation that will help grow the U.S. manufacturing base in alternative energy technologies, create jobs and help get our country running on clean energy. We have known for decades that our Nation's dependence on foreign oil undermines our economic and national security. According to the Department of Energy, New Hampshire households are some of the most petroleum dependent in the country due to our reliance on heating oil to provide heat. Almost 60 percent of homes in New Hampshire use oil for heating purposes. Many New Hampshire businesses-- large and small--are also dependent on heating oil. In fact, thermal energy, or heat, accounts for roughly 30 percent of total U.S. energy consumption. Thermal energy is used every day by homes, businesses and industrial facilities across the country for a variety of needs--most commonly for space heating, heating water and industrial processes that require heat. We need to move away from our dependence on fossil fuels and I am convinced that biomass, used effectively and sustainably, can help to do that by, in part, meeting our country's thermal energy needs.”