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Energy Bill Gets Bad Review Doe Secretary Says Nation's Strategy is Not Working

Posted on: Tuesday, 11 October 2005, 00:00 CDT

By BILL MEDLEY, Courier & Press staff writer 464-7519 or medleyb@courierpress.com

The energy bill recently passed by Congress represents a "missed opportunity" to reduce the country's dependence on foreign sources of energy, a former U.S. energy secretary said Friday.

Federico Pena, who first served as Bill Clinton's transportation secretary before being named head of the Department of Energy, was in Evansville as part of his work with Toyota. Pena serves on a council aimed at helping the auto company improve its diversity efforts.

"I think our energy strategy is not working," Pena said when asked about the energy bill passed earlier this year. "We've got very little to show for it."

Pena said a successful energy policy would work to reduce the country's dependence on foreign sources of oil while encouraging the development of alternative fuels, such as bio-fuels and wind energy. He also said he was disappointed that auto efficiency guidelines have not been revised and improved.

As secretary of energy from 1997-98, Pena oversaw the Energy Star program, an effort by the DOE and the Environmental Protection Agency to encourage manufacturers to develop more energy-efficient appliances and other goods. The program identified products that passed efficiency standards and labeled them "Energy Star" compliant.

"I think that program has languished," Pena said. "We could reduce the usage of electricity with programs like that."

Pena also said he was worried about how low-income households would handle heating costs this winter. The Department of Energy recently said natural gas prices could be up to 71 percent higher this year.

"Even if you're middle class, to see that increase is going to be huge," he said. "We have a lot of work to do."

But political pressure seems to be mounting and might force Congress to take another look at how to ease the pinch for consumers, he added.

Pena also discussed his work with Toyota and how the company is striving to improve the number of minority suppliers, employees, dealerships and financial service firms that it works with.

"Toyota is making great progress in this area," Pena said.

He also pointed to a recent study by the Michigan-based Center for Automotive Research that found Toyota paid $14.4 billion in wages in the U.S. in 2003. He said Toyota's emphasis on funding future development is key to its success.

"This company may be based on a foreign land, but this is a real American company. These are real American jobs."

Source: Evansville Courier & Press

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