SHAHEEN: NATIONAL ENERGY POLICY NEEDED TO MAINTAIN AMERICA’S EDGE IN GLOBAL ECONOMY

(Hanover, NH) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) visited Dartmouth College today to speak as part of the college’s “Leading Voices in Politics and Policy” summer lecture series and emphasize the importance of establishing a national energy policy. Shaheen outlined the economic growth possible by moving toward a clean energy economy that creates jobs and reduces our dependence on foreign oil.

“A clean energy economy will create good American jobs, with good wages,” said Shaheen, a member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. “It will help create a safe and secure America that relies less on expensive foreign oil from unstable regions of the world, and instead taps into the American ingenuity that created the middle class of this country.”

Shaheen recently introduced bipartisan energy efficiency legislation, the Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act of 2011, which would save money and promote job growth by instituting a national energy efficiency strategy. The bill was passed by the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources in July and has garnered support from a wide range of businesses, trade associations, and efficiency advocates.

Shaheen praised the energy initiatives that Dartmouth has taken to limit its energy output and shrink its environmental footprint. In 2008, the college announced its goal to reduce campus greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent from 2005 levels by 2030. As part of this effort, Dartmouth is working to better utilize energy efficiency and has committed to using LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) green building guidelines on all major construction projects.