Harry Reid: “faced with uncertainties in electricity energy markets, turmoil in the Mideast, the need to cut back on the fossil fuel…”

“faced with uncertainties in electricity energy markets, turmoil in the Mideast, the need to cut back on the fossil fuel emissions linked to global warming, air pollution that contributes to high rates of asthma and fills even our national parks with smog, the United States must diversify its energy supply by promoting the growth of renewable energy. Since 1999, Las Vegas electricity rates have increased by 60 percent. In the same period, natural gas prices across Nevada have doubled. We need to change the energy equation. We need to diversify the Nation's energy supply to reduce volatility and ensure a stable supply of electricity. We must harness the brilliance of the sun, the strength of the wind, and the heat of the Earth to provide clean, renewable energy for our nation. I rise today to introduce a bill with Senators Smith, Snowe, Cantwell, Harkin, Liberman, Feinstein, Jeffords, and Wyden expands the existing Section 45 production tax credit for renewable energy resources to cover all renewable energy resources. Our legislation accomplishes this by adding geothermal, incremental geothermal, solar, open-loop biomass, incremental hydropower, landfill gas, and animal waste to the list of renewable energy resources that would quality for a production tax credit. Our legislation also makes the production tax credit permanent to signal America's long-term commitment to renewable energy resources.”