Energy Program News

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

HARTFORD—The Connecticut Public Interest Research Group (ConnPIRG) today launched a new campaign calling on congressional candidates to support policies to move America beyond oil and toward a cleaner energy future.

“There is no question that America has the know-how to reduce our dependence on oil and move toward a cleaner, more secure energy future,” said Virginia Robnett, ConnPIRG Field Associate. “We need leaders who support moving America in a new direction that puts our national security, our environment, our global climate, and our children’s futures above Big Oil and other powerful interests,” continued Robnett.

A growing number of state and national groups support the need for a New Energy Future, and have united behind the ConnPIRG platform to achieve it.

“Our federal government needs to catch up with states like Connecticut. We can show them how its done, but that’s no substitute for national action.” said Roger Smith, Clean Water Action Campaign Director.

Now, ConnPIRG is asking all congressional candidates to deliver on the promise of a New Energy Future by committing to support policies that help the U.S. achieve four key goals:

• 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.

ConnPIRG also released a report today showing the benefits of these policies to America’s environment, economy, and national security. ConnPIRG found that achieving these goals, by 2025 would enable the United States to:

• Save 10.8 million barrels of oil per day, equal to four-fifths of the amount of oil we currently import from all other nations in the world.
• Save 9.1 trillion cubic feet of natural gas per year, nearly twice as much as currently used in all of America’s homes.
• Save 900 million tons of coal per year, or about 80 percent of all the coal consumed in the United States in 2005.
• Save 1.7 billion megawatt-hours of electricity per year, 30 percent more than was used in all the households in America in 2005.

“The potential payback from these efforts is tremendous,” said Phelps “The result will be a cleaner, more sustainable foundation on which to build America’s economy for the 21st century”.

Over the next six weeks, ConnPIRG will work with State PIRGs and State Environment groups across the country to build support for the goals of the New Energy Future in more than 50 of the highest profile congressional races.