Ralph Hall: “I, of course, am pleased to support H.R. 2884, which has been pointed out to be an Energy Policy and Conservation Act…”

“I, of course, am pleased to support H.R. 2884, which has been pointed out to be an Energy Policy and Conservation Act and gives the Department of Energy some authority to continue operating the Strategic Petroleum Reserve that we call SPR. Given current tensions in the Middle East, it is not surprising to me that Congress feels that they must enact legislation to give the President authority to draw down and deploy the SPR. This bill authorizes some other provisions that the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Markey) has pointed out that are very good. Actually, the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Markey) has problems in the North and the East with heating oil, and I certainly subscribe to those. He and I have tried to work together to come up with a solution to where we would be fair with those that produced energy and fair with those who desperately need it in the North and East. We are still working on that, but this bill authorizes a northeast heating oil reserve and permits DOE to fill SPR with stripper wells in Texas and in other areas when the prices fall below $15 a barrel.”