Domenici: Bitter cold shows need for energy bill

Washington (Nuclear News Flashes)--16Jan2004

The energy crisis gripping the Northeast underscores why the Senate should stop "pointless politicking and filibustering" and pass a comprehensive energy bill next month, one of the bill's leading advocates said Jan. 16. Sen. Pete Domenici (R-N.M.), who chairs the Energy & Natural Resources Committee, issued the statement as bitter cold raised the threat of rolling blackouts in the region. "The crisis in the Northeast right now means skyrocketing energy prices, hitting the elderly and poor the hardest," Domenici said. "Emergency electricity measures such as those being implement[ed] in the Northeast right now means burning more oil, burning more wood and firing up old diesel generators. It means fear and uncertainty for residents of the Northeast." The bill's emphasis on diversifying the country's energy supply, he said, would ensure regions are not dependent on gas and oil for heat and electricity. The Senate shelved the controversial, House-passed energy bill late last year, saying it would resume consideration this year.