A HOUSE RESOLUTION urging the united states congress to provide for a domestic energy policy that will ensure an adequate supply of natural gas while promoting economic and national security for the benefit of future generations of americans.
Whereas, high and volatile prices for natural gas are negatively affecting North Carolina's businesses and manufacturers, contributing to industrial plant closings, higher unemployment, and underemployment rates; and
Whereas, more than 60 million American consumers, including more than one million North Carolinians, have chosen to rely on natural gas, which is the most environmentally friendly fossil fuel, for safe, reliable heat and hot water; and
Whereas, wholesale natural gas prices have more than doubled over the last five years, creating an "energy tax" of more than $66 billion each year on America's natural gas consumers; and
Whereas, the natural gas imbalance is exacerbated by artificial restrictions in development and drilling and by governmental policies that increase demand for natural gas while impeding the development of a greater supply by discouraging domestic exploration and production; and
Whereas, national energy legislation is long overdue; and
Whereas, the most critical cornerstone of the legislation must be to encourage increased exploration and production efforts for domestic natural gas supplies; and
Whereas, utilizing sound environmental stewardship principles, new abundant natural gas frontiers can be developed to meet demand; Now, therefore,
Be it resolved by the House of Representatives:
SECTION 1.  The North Carolina House of Representatives urges the United States Congress to enact legislation in the 109th Congress providing for a domestic energy policy that will ensure an adequate supply of natural gas, including developing the appropriate infrastructure, and that will embrace a concerted national effort to promote greater energy efficiency, producing a political consensus that will open promising new areas for environmentally responsible natural gas production.
SECTION 2.  The Principal Clerk shall transmit certified copies of this resolution to the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the President of the United States Senate, and the members of the North Carolina Congressional Delegation.
SECTION 3.  This resolution is effective upon adoption.