Congressman Hodes is working towards an affordable energy plan for the 21st century
“By decreasing fossil fuel consumption and developing renewable energy, we can create clean energy jobs in New Hampshire and across the country, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and improve our public health and environment,.” – Congressman Paul Hodes
Supporting an energy plan for the future:
Congressman Hodes supports a comprehensive approach to our energy policy that provides incentives for investment in wind and solar technologies and moves us away from the failed policies of the past that gave millions away to Big Oil companies. We have been dependent on foreign oil for far too long, and we must continue to work for a bipartisan approach toward securing America’s energy future.
Providing biomass tax credits:
Congressman Hodes introduced the American Renewable Biomass Heating Act to assist families in purchasing biomass heating and hot water equipment. This legislation extends and expands existing renewable energy tax credits to provide families with a real incentive to switch to renewable biomass heat and save on energy bills.
Biomass is a clean, renewable form of energy that is plentiful throughout New Hampshire. It will help create new industry and jobs throughout New Hampshire and it will help reduce energy costs for Granite Staters while protecting our environment.
In 2007, Congressman Hodes introduced legislation to establish the first ever tax credit for families to install biomass heating systems. On January 1, 2009, a residential tax credit became law to help more families afford biomass stoves. Biomass is broadly defined in the credit to include plant-based fuels that can be found in every region of the United States. A recent MIT study suggests that heating homes with biomass results in a 75% reduction of carbon emissions compared to using heating oil.
The American Renewable Biomass Heating Act would expand the existing tax credit to include biomass stoves, furnaces and boilers. It would also extend the credit through 2013, and increase the maximum amount of the credit to $6,000, to compensate for the initial costs of installing biomass heating equipment.
Providing oversight for climate change legislation:
Congressman Paul Hodes introduced legislation that would create an oversight panel to ensure that revenue generated by any proposed greenhouse gas cap and trade legislation is used toward growing a clean-energy economy, including creating jobs and keeping energy costs low for working families.
The proposed cap and trade program would limit the amount of greenhouse gas that large scale companies can emit. Under the proposal, the company would have an "emissions allowance" for every ton of carbon dioxide it releases into the atmosphere. These allowances would set an enforceable limit, or cap, on the amount of greenhouse gas pollution that the company is allowed to emit.
More efficient companies, who emit less than their allowance, would be able to sell their extra permits to companies that are not able to make reductions as easily. This would create a system that guarantees a set level of overall reductions, while rewarding the most efficient companies and ensuring that the cap can be met at the lowest possible cost to the economy.
As we work to combat global warming by crafting comprehensive legislation, we must ensure that revenue generated from the program is being spent toward helping people and small businesses in a 21st century energy economy. This oversight panel would ensure that taxpayer dollars are not wasted, and that we are investing toward green collar jobs and keeping costs low for families.
Helping American schools run on biomass:
Congressman Hodes helped to author a provision in legislation creating energy efficient schools that would allow schools to use biomass to power and heat their buildings. Equipping schools to use biomass, combined with other energy saving technologies could create over 130,000 new jobs across the country.
To create a 21st century energy policy, we must make changes in how we power our buildings in both the private and public sector. This important provision will help our schools become part of the 21st century solution by using a clean energy source that is plentiful throughout New Hampshire.
