To meet the energy challenges facing our nation, we need an energy policy that increases our domestic energy supply, invests in renewable and alternative energy sources and improves energy efficiency. Reducing energy consumption is vital to our economy. 

• We must develop an infrastructure for alternative vehicle refueling.
• We must encourage the development of community wind power generators through incentive credits. These generators might be a single turbine on a farm or a small cluster of turbines owned by local residents, but they are all a step towards energy independence through a clean, renewable resource.
• We must provide tax incentives for energy efficiency and tax credit for construction of energy efficient homes, appliances and equipment and for energy efficient commercial buildings.
• We should support research, market incentives, and tax credits for development and use of clean energy
•  Our nation needs a long-term energy supply that moves our country toward energy independence through greater use of alternative energy sources, but I also believe it is important to provide short-term relief to families struggling with high energy prices. With oil companies posting high profits, there are concerns about manipulation of the energy markets.

It is essential that the federal government encourage and increase access to alternative energy sources. Furthermore, alternative energy sources, such as wind energy, offer not only an environmentally-friendly alternative to traditional fossil fuels, but provide economic opportunity for our nation’s farmers and job opportunites for citizens in our district. This will not only create tens of thousands of new jobs but it will allow the US to be independent from unstable foreign energy suppliers and provide an environmentally sound way to meet our energy needs and reduce dangerous greenhouses gases.
We must encourage more energy-efficient building design policies by setting green building standards. We need to offer tax incentives for retrofits to manufacturing plants and rewarding companies that create the best emissions-cutting technology. We must apply minimum performance standards to appliances and other consumer goods. Phasing out the use of incandescent light bulbs in favor of new bulbs that require far less energy (this alone could eliminate up to 10% of the nation’s demand for electricity).
End tax subsidies for the oil industry, which reported profits last year of nearly $140 billion. This alone would save taxpayers $17 billion a year, end market distortions and make alternative energy more cost competitive.
We need programs nationwide that will support sustainable building technologies because buildings are such a huge consumer of electricity and natural gas. There's a lot that can be done and we need representatives in Congress who understand the need to address energy issues quickly and creatively.

The energy legislation process should allow states to choose which technologies best suit their needs and resources. California could harness the sun and surf, while Virginia could rely on wind, tidal and geothermal energy.

To make these green technologies a reality, we will need representatives that have not taken money from oil companies, and who believe in creating a strategic plan that moves the nation away from its dependence on oil.

Paid for and Authorized by Andrea Miller for Congress