Arkansas' 4th District Congressman Mike Ross has helped pass an energy bill in Washington.

The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday approved H.R. 6899, the Comprehensive American Energy Security & Consumer Protection Act, representing the largest expansion of domestic drilling in our nation’s history, as well as one of the largest investments in alternative and renewable energy.

This historic piece of bipartisan energy legislation will help bring down energy prices, invest in renewable energy sources to create American jobs, expand domestic drilling and increase our security by freeing America from the grip of foreign oil.

“I was pleased to play a key role in bringing together both parties to pass the largest expansion of domestic drilling in our nation’s history, as well as one of the largest investments in alternative and renewable energy,” said U.S. Representative Mike Ross (AR-04). “It is time for Republicans and Democrats to come together and enact energy legislation that addresses this intensifying crisis – and the Comprehensive American Energy Security & Consumer Protection Act is a great first step.”

The Comprehensive American Energy Security & Consumer Protection Act contained many of the provisions that were in Ross’s comprehensive energy bill – the American Made Energy Act of 2008. These provisions include: increased domestic drilling, tax credits for biodiesel, solar energy and fuel cell property; tax credits for energy efficiency and the production of electricity from renewable resources; new credits for clean renewable energy bonds and credits that encourage the production of plug-in hybrid motor vehicles and cellulosic biofuels.
 
The Comprehensive American Energy Security & Consumer Protection Act takes steps to immediately bring down the price at the pump by temporarily releasing nearly ten percent of the oil from the government’s stockpile – the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR). This legislation also invests in wind, solar, natural gas and other 21st century energy sources to create millions of jobs and lessen our dependence on foreign oil. It will also roll back tax breaks for big oil companies in a time of record oil company profits and require oil companies to pay royalties already owed to taxpayers.
 
As a member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Ross has long advocated the expansion of domestic drilling, and this legislation includes the largest opening of offshore drilling in the nation’s history for oil and natural gas development – 319 million acres along the eastern and western coasts of the United States. This Act also expands the power of the states permitting offshore drilling in waters between 50 and 100 miles off the shore if the state chooses to enact a law to do so.

“Today, the world consumes 1,000 barrels of oil per second and projections indicate that demand will increase by 70 percent by 2030. By 2015, 100 million more cars will be on our world’s roads,” said Ross. “I urge my colleagues in the Senate and President Bush to support this bi-partisan legislation before this crisis deepens.”

The Comprehensive American Energy Security & Consumer Protection Act will now be sent to the Senate for consideration and then President Bush for approval or veto.