Bill Pascrell: “we have had a couple of weeks now to digest the Bush administration energy plan. My stomach is as uneasy today as it was…”

“we have had a couple of weeks now to digest the Bush administration energy plan. My stomach is as uneasy today as it was when it was released. For starters, the administration seeks to reduce regulations to encourage more oil, gas and nuclear production, along with tax incentives to boost coal output. Mr. Speaker, the President says the Nation needs 1,300 to 1,900 new power plants over the next 20 years. That is one a week. The administration calls for 38,000 additional miles of natural gas pipelines, and 263,000 miles of distribution lines. Well, that certainly does not sound good to me. I would like to know where they plan on putting these thousands of facilities and all these miles of infrastructure. Mr. Speaker, imagine living in one's home for many years, only to find out one day that distant bureaucrats have decided to take that land in order to build pipelines; and they have the power, the power of eminent domain, and now they want the same thing. FERC wants to do the same thing with electrical lines as they have done with pipelines. Mr. Speaker, the Bush proposal would expand that authority to include land for electricity power lines. If this plan goes into effect, we will have to keep our eyes open for 100-foot towers, high-voltage electrical that may be going through backyards and parks and communities near you.”