FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 8, 2009
CONTACT:
Brian Kennedy (202) 346-8826
Chris Tucker (202) 346-8825
IER Statement on Markey Energy Appointment
Washington, D.C. – Institute for Energy Research (IER) president Thomas J. Pyle issued the following statement today after news reports indicated that Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) will succeed Rep. Rick Boucher (D-Va.) as chairman of Energy and Commerce panel’s new subcommittee on Energy and the Environment:
“IER congratulates Representative Markey on his latest appointment, but also urges him to remember that the first objective of the ‘energy and commerce’ committee is to deliver the policies that enable our country to secure abundant, reliable and affordable energy. The second objective is to use that energy to power the commerce that makes possible our way of life. As we confront the grave new challenges of an economy in peril and a rising number of Americans out of work, the direction this panel takes will be more important than ever before.”
NOTE: In a news item that ran today on the website of E&E News (subs. req’d), Clean Air Watch’s Frank O’Donnell was quoted as suggesting that Markey “could play a crucial role” on the new energy and environment panel, “by being to Waxman’s left on the issue” – “the issue,” a reference to legislation aimed at punishing those who emit carbon.
The Institute for Energy Research (IER) is a not-for-profit public foundation that conducts intensive research and analysis on the functions, operations, and government regulation of global energy markets. Founded in 1989, IER is funded entirely by tax deductible contributions from individuals, foundations and corporations. No financial support is sought or accepted from government (taxpayers).
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www.InstituteforEnergyResearch.org
