Energy Program News

As the new home of Iowa PIRG's environmental work, Environment Iowa can be contacted regarding this news release.

DES MOINES—The Iowa Public Interest Research Group (Iowa PIRG) today congratulated Dave Loebsack, who will represent the 2nd District in the U.S. Congress next year, for supporting the New Energy Future platform to move America beyond fossil fuels and toward a cleaner energy future.

“Clean energy was not just good policy but also good politics,” said Nathaniel Baer, policy advocate for Iowa PIRG. “Americans want a new direction, and we look forward to working with Dave Loebsack to put American innovation to work to build a New Energy Future,” said Baer.

Tuesday’s returns demonstrate that the American people want Congress to take action now to move Americans toward a new, cleaner energy future.  Candidates across the country and across the political spectrum in the nation’s most competitive races endorsed the New Energy Future platform.  In the 50 key races targeted by the New Energy Future campaign, 38 major party candidates endorsed the New Energy Future platform, with at least 19 and as many as 22 candidates winning.

Iowa PIRG was joined by organizations across the country in calling on all Congressional candidates in the 2006 elections to deliver on the promise of a New Energy Future by committing to:

•     Reduce U.S. dependence on oil by saving one-third of the oil we use today by 2025;

•     Harness clean, renewable, homegrown energy sources for at least one quarter of all energy needs by 2025;

•     Save energy with high performance homes, buildings and appliances so that by 2025 we use 10 percent less energy than we do today; and

•     Invest in a New Energy Future by tripling research and development funding for the energy-saving and renewable technologies we need to achieve these goals.

New Energy Future organizers, activists, and volunteers worked to raise the profile of energy issues in 2nd District during the campaign, asking the candidates where they stood on energy issues and by collecting petition signatures.

Candidates endorsing the platform came from across the political spectrum, including progressive Democrats like California’s Lynn Woolsey and Maryland’s Ben Cardin, Republican conservatives like Pennsylvania’s Rick Santorum, Illinois’s Peter Roskam, and Georgia’s Mac Collins, and moderates of both parties like Georgia’s Sanford Bishop and Connecticut’s Chris Shays.  Endorsers likely to join the newly minted Democratic House majority leadership included Maryland’s Steny Hoyer and Pennsylvania’s John Murtha.

In several races both major party candidates endorsed the platform, including:

• Connecticut District 2: Rob Simmons and Joe Courtney
• Connecticut District 4: Chris Shays and Diane Farrell
• Illinois District 6: Tammy Duckworth and Peter Roskam
• Iowa District 2: Jim Leach and David Loebsack
• Minnesota District 1: Gil Gutknecht and Tim Walz
• New Jersey Senate: Robert Menendez and Tom Kean
• Pennsylvania 8: Mike Fitzpatrick and Patrick Murphy

“We will need bold leadership to solve our energy problems,” said Baer.  “By endorsing the New Energy Future platform, Dave Loebsack has shown his support for moving America in a new direction that puts our national security, our environment, the global climate and our children’s futures above Big Oil and other powerful interests” continued Baer.

“While we are disappointed that Iowa’s other elected Representatives chose not to endorse the New Energy Future platform during the campaign, we hope that in office they will join us in supporting policies to move America towards a New Energy Future,” said Baer.

More than 185 candidates in 39 states endorsed the New Energy Future platform. The full list of candidates who signed the New Energy Future goals is available at http://uspirg.org/NEF.html.