Rick Perry on Energy & Oil Republican Governor (TX)

More funding to develop domestic energy supplies.

• Whereas, our nation is lacking in the infrastructure necessary to drive our growing technology-based economy with reliable, high-quality, affordable energy supplies; deficient in efficiency improvements that enable the balance of supply and demand; and subject to the market volatility of some fuels;
• Whereas, in order to maintain the world’s strongest economy coupled with a clean environment, we need to support and develop policies and technologies that enable a diversity of domestic energy resources to be utilized throughout the region;
• Whereas, the United States’ electricity transmission grid is the most reliable in the world, but the increasing demand for electricity, the expanding competitive electricity market and related regulatory and jurisdictional issues create a challenge to maintaining national reliability of the transmission grid that was designed and constructed to serve local needs rather than to serve a rapidly growing national wholesale market;
• Resolved, that the Southern Governors’ Association urges Congress and the President to provide in any national energy policy:
  • adequate funding and incentives for further development of clean and efficient technologies and systems to provide an effective approach to increasing domestic energy supplies, improving the efficiency of energy use and enhancing the environment;
  • full funding for the State Energy Program (SEP) to expand development and deployment of technologies appropriate for each state and each region and to develop and maintain energy emergency response mechanisms, exercises and programs in the states and the region;
  • consolidated and efficient method for siting of electric transmission lines across multiple jurisdictions while maintaining the states’ primary authority and developed in close consultation with the nation’s governors.

Use federal funds for nuclear cleanup, with state input.

• Whereas, in order to protect the health, safety and welfare of our citizens by maintaining safe and clear strategies for the transportation, disposition and environmental clean-up of the nation’s nuclear materials, including nuclear weapons materials, at DOE nuclear energy and weapons complexes; now, therefore, be it
• Resolved, that the Southern Governors’ Association urges Congress and the President in any national energy policy:
  • provide full funding for all of DOE’s past and present commitments related to clean-up operations at DOE nuclear energy and weapons complexes and disposition plans for nuclear materials, including nuclear weapons materials;
  • provide full funding for all state public health and environmental sampling and analysis activities at DOE nuclear energy and weapons complexes;
  • and provide clear instruction to DOE that states’ rights must be respected and that plans regarding DOE sites for processing of DOE research and weapons waste must be made in consultation with the various states concluding in mutually agreeable terms.

Share offshore oil development revenue with states.

• Whereas, the coastal regions of the US are fragile environmentally and under intense pressure from onshore support activities for the development of the nation’s oil and natural gas resources on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS);
• Whereas, each year the federal government receives billions of dollars in revenues from the development of oil and natural gas resources on the OCS, a capital asset of this nation;
• Whereas, the federal government does not share directly with the coastal states a meaningful portion of the revenues from the OCS, but it does share 50 percent of the revenues with the state for the development of onshore federal mineral resources within the state’s borders;
• Whereas, states that host onshore activities in support of offshore OCS mineral development should receive a share of these revenues to offset the impacts of this development;
• Whereas,, at least a portion of the revenues from this capital asset of the nation should be:
  • reinvested in infrastructure and environmental restoration in the coastal region of this nation;
  • used to fund the state and federal portions of the Land and Water Conservation Fund;
  • used for the primary objective of increasing conservation programs for non-game wildlife species and for programs that support fish and wildlife -dependent recreation;
  • used for preventing declining species from falling into the categories of threatened or endangered;
  • used to preserve and restore our nation’s historic places and to rehabilitate critically needed recreation facilities in our country’s urban areas;
• Resolved, That the southern governors urge the US Congress to pass and the President to sign legislation sharing a meaningful portion of OCS mineral revenues with all states and territories for the purposes stated above.

Federal tax incentives for energy, with state decisions.

1. Western Governors find that states must continue to play a pivotal role in electric power decisions. Specifically:
   • The existing authority of states over retail electric power sales and transmissions must be retained.
   • Congress should allow states to create regional mechanisms to decide regional power issues.

1. We need to pursue a national energy policy that will result in a diverse energy portfolio:
   • New energy development: Enable exploration and development of promising domestic oil, gas, coal, geothermal or wind resources.
   • Coal: Implement R&D and tax incentives to promote the development and deployment of new technologies.
   • Renewables: Accelerate the development and deployment of promising renewable energy technologies through the extension and expansion of state and federal production tax credits.
   • Environmental Regulation: Review environmental and natural resource policies to ensure they are as efficient as possible.
   • Permitting Energy Facilities: Streamline state, tribal and federal processes for siting new generation, electric transmission and natural gas pipelines.
   • Energy Infrastructure: Support economic and environmentally sound energy infrastructure investments to transport energy to markets

1. Energy efficiency and conservation: At a minimum:
   • Encourage rate structures that give utilities and customers an incentive to reduce consumption.
   • Encourage long-term stability of government and utility conservation programs.
   • Review and improve the energy efficiency of building codes and appliance efficiency standards that recognize the unique conditions in the West (e.g., dry climates).
   • Support federal, state and tribal tax incentives to accelerate the introduction of new energy efficient technologies.