8th Dist. hopefuls sound off on energy

Rising gasoline and energy costs are a concern for both of the Democratic candidates seeking to represent Illinois' 8th Congressional District.

Incumbent Rep. Melissa Bean and challenger Randi Scheurer shared their feelings about this and other political issues in questionnaires for the Daily Herald.

Bean is a two-term congresswoman from Barrington. Scheurer is an anti-war activist from Lindenhurst.

Their answers to our question about energy costs follow. The responses may have been edited for grammar.

Q. Given rising oil prices and Middle East turmoil, what specific steps, if any, do you favor to accelerate research into and application of alternative energy sources? Which alternative sources do you think hold the most potential for producing large amounts of affordable energy?

Bean: With over half our nation's oil imported from overseas, it is imperative that the U.S. finally commits to developing a long-term energy policy to reduce our dependence on foreign oil.

I support additional safe drilling in the National Petroleum Reserve, which has more oil than the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and can be more rapidly developed, and have voted for natural gas exploration in the outer-continental shelf. However, it is imperative that we increase our investment in and incentives for conservation, renewable and alternative energy sources, and increasing domestic supply in a manner that is environmentally sound.

That is why I am a co-sponsor of H.R. 969, which would require utilities to provide 20 percent of our energy from renewable sources by 2020. I also supported the conference report of H.R. 6, the Energy Independence & Security Act, which will increase average fuel economy standards from 25 miles-per-gallon to 35 by 2020, the first such increase in 30 years. The bill also bolsters the renewable fuel standard to add billions of gallons of alternative fuels -- such as ethanol, biodiesel and cellulosic ethanol -- to our fuel supply to move our nation away from its dependence on foreign oil. Lastly, it provides billions in new funding for alternative fuel and renewable energy research, and incentives for states and local governments to become more energy efficient, and requires 15 percent of our electricity to come from renewable sources by 2020.

Scheurer: Today we should be going to Germany and other countries around the world successfully implementing alternative energy programs to learn what works in their country. (We should) use the Apollo space program as a guide to research and development, using talented scientists to develop alternative energy instead of nuclear weaponry and space defense. We have enough nuclear arms to blow up the world 100 times over if not more. (We should) stop using our scientists to develop bunkerbusting bombs. (We should) move from destruction to renewable energy -- then we will be the true leaders of the world.