WASHINGTON – Saying the legislation falls far short of addressing our country’s energy needs and high gas prices while doing nothing to promote West Virginia coal, Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) today voted against the so-called “New Direction for Energy Independence, National Security, and Consumer Protection Act” (H.R. 3221).

“There is a saying in West Virginia that ‘coal keeps the lights on.’  Unfortunately, this legislation effectively turns out the lights on our country’s energy supply,” Capito said.

Capito expressed concern that the House was considering legislation that restricts access to American energy supplies at a time when American families continue to suffer from high prices gas and utility prices. 

“West Virginians are paying extremely high prices at the pump, yet this legislation does nothing to increase supply in order to bring those prices down,” Capito said.   

“It is important to our economy, to family budgets and to job-creating businesses across the country that we increase our supply of domestically produced energy of all types,” Capito said.  “That includes energy from renewable sources, but it should also include traditional energy sources like clean coal and natural gas.”

In particular, Capito regretted the legislation’s exclusion of coal.

“This bill does nothing for coal to liquid fuels,” she said.  “Our country has a 240 year supply of coal.  Coal provides over half our nation’s electricity and over 95 percent of the power in West Virginia.  Yet, where is coal in this bill?”

The congresswoman also noted the harm the legislation could do to West Virginia chemical industry jobs by reducing access to domestic natural gas reserves, causing the cost of natural gas to rise.  The legislation cuts off nine trillion cubic feet of natural gas from the Colorado Roan Plateau.  The U.S. Bureau of Land Management estimates the Roan Plateau holds enough natural gas to heat four million homes for twenty years.

Capito added, “It simply defies logic that there are those who will on one hand condemn the high cost of energy while on the other hand refusing to act on clean coal legislation while also cutting off access to domestic oil and natural gas.”

Click here to watch Rep. Capito speak on the House floor in opposition to this legislation.

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