Positions and Views of Mark Dayton
on Energy, Gas, Oil & Autos
| Currently Elected Governor & Lt Governor, Minnesota |
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Mark Dayton's positions and views on the issues:
Links are only provided where we have information. The first link is a
report of all issues and questions made available to the candidates.
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List of Issues | Biographical | Reasons & Objectives
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| Energy, Gas, Oil & Autos |
Positions and Views |
| Energy, a General Statement |
Mark persists in his campaign for a national energy policy that would emphasize the importance of renewable fuels and renewable energy. He has introduced and cosponsored legislation to promote the increased use of ethanol, biodiesel, solar power, and wind power. With Iowa Senator Tom Harkin, Mark introduced a bill that would create incentives for farmers to invest in wind energy on their farm. He also supports a strong Renewable Portfolio Standard for electricity -- a flexible, market-driven policy that can ensure that the public benefits from renewable energy. Mark believes that the expansion of renewable fuel markets will benefit the environment, lead to less reliance on foreign oil, and help boost market prices as the demand increases for the agricultural products used in these fuels. He strongly supports increasing the miles-per-gallon standards for all vehicles to reduce our dependence on foreign oil and decrease emissions of carbon dioxide that are released into the air.
Source: Candidate Website (10/02/2004) |
| Renewable Energy, Solar, Biomass and Wind |
Mark has long supported the development of renewable fuels, such as ethanol and biodiesel. The domestic production of renewable fuels would reduce our nation's dependence on oil exports. As former CIA Director James Woolsey noted in recent testimony before the Senate Committee on Agriculture, reduced dependency on foreign oil would allow the United States to formulate its international policies on principles such as expanding democracy, rather than securing access to foreign fuel. American consumers would also be freed from staggering fuel prices, which result from a trend of rising demand for oil coupled with shrinking supplies. Renewable fuels also are cleaner and better for the environment than oil. In addition, a U.S. renewable fuels industry would present major economic opportunities for American farmers and rural communities in the form of increased demand for products such as corn and soybeans. Escalated biodiesel production will especially benefit Minnesota by boosting prices for soybeans, Minnesota's largest cash crop.
Mark supports initiatives to educate the public about the benefits of renewable fuels, a critical step toward encouraging the production and use of the alternative fuel. The 2002 Farm Bill included an amendment offered by Mark authorizing $5 million through 2007 to educate the public about the benefits of using biodiesel.
In addition, Mark continues to support legislation designed to increase the use of renewable fuels. For example, Mark offered an amendment, which received bipartisan support, to last year's Energy Bill, to increase use of renewable fuels by requiring that greater amounts of ethanol and biodiesel be used in the 600,000 vehicles in the federal fleet. Mark is continuing his role as a leading voice in promoting the country's use of renewable fuels as the current Congress debates a new Energy Bill. In fact, Mark supports a number of initiatives that would be included in a new Energy Bill, such as:
A Renewable Fuels Sta [Response was truncated to maximum response length of 2000 characters.]
Source: Candidate Website (10/02/2004) |
| These are available issue topics for which there were no responses. |
| Energy Independence from Foreign Oil |
| Oil Drilling |
| Gas Prices |
| Oil and Gas Subsidies |
| Oil Company Profits |
| Canadian Oil (Keystone) Pipeline |
| Nuclear Power |
| Fuel Efficiency & Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) Standards |
| Coal |
| Shale Gas Development |
| Regulation of Energy Companies |
| Gulf Oil Spill |
| Offshore Oil Drilling Safety Standards |
| Energy Efficiency and Standards |
| Green Homes and Improvements |
| Energy Research and Development |
| Renewable Fuels, Biofuels and Ethanol |
| Solar Energy Investment Tax Credit Bill |
| Hydrogen Cell Fuel Initiative |
| Utility Deregulation |
| Natural Gas |
| Electricity Transmission Grid |
| Energy Bill |
| Department of Energy |
| Domestic Energy Production |
| Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) |
| Production Tax Credit |
| Strategic Energy Fund |
| Energy Efficient Government Buildings |
| Gas & Oil, a General Statement |
| Developing World Oil Demand |
| Wellhead Tax |
| Low Carbon Fuels |
| Auto Industry |
| Hybrid & All Electric Cars |
| Flexible Fuel Vehicles |