TITLA ANNOUNCES PLAN FOR AFFORDABLE ENERGY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 8, 2008
Contact: Randy Camacho (602) 738-0452

GLOBE – Congressional candidate Mary Kim Titla today announced a multi-faceted approach to reduce energy prices for families in America. "America’s energy crisis will not be solved in one fell swoop," said Titla, "but there are actions the Democratic Congress must consider to relieve the terrible burden from consumers in this recession."

In addition to investing in alternative energy research and development plus an Energy Strategy that provides long-term incentives for American companies, Titla urges Congress to explore the following solutions:

Easing Refining Restrictions
Oil refineries are currently running at an estimated 85 percent capacity. They are currently required to produce more than 40 blends of gasoline to meet clean air requirements in different regions of our country. Adopting a national clean air requirement would reduce the number of blends and would streamline refinery production.

Requiring Greater Disclosure to Limit Oil Speculation
When the Commodities Futures Trading Commission recently announced that it would require greater disclosure, oil prices dropped by nearly $9 per barrel. Why? Simply put, speculation in the oil market is driving up the price of oil. We must explore solutions like increasing the minimum amount of money required to enter oil investment contracts. We must also require more disclosure of trading positions held in overseas and electronic markets.

Lifting the Ethanol Tariff
Ethanol is a required component in gasoline. Countries like Brazil make ethanol from sugar cane, which contains more energy than U.S. corn-based ethanol. Yet it is currently subjected to a 54-cent per gallon tariff, which is designed to protect the domestic ethanol industry from foreign competition. Subsidizing our domestic ethanol industry has limited the availability of corn in the food market and has driven up the cost of food by nearly 30 percent. Though ethanol makes up less than 10 percent of our nation’s gasoline supply, lifting the ethanol tariff would increase the supply of corn and ethanol in our markets, causing more competition and a drop in both food and gas prices.

Opening the Strategic Petroleum Reserve
Giant salt caverns along the Gulf of Mexico are home to over 700 million barrels of oil, which make up our Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Releasing oil from the reserve would increase the supply of oil in the markets. We must send a strong message that America is not going to tolerate hoarding oil while families go hungry.

Promoting Patriotism
Simply put, if we find ways to conserve energy like slowing down while we drive and making sure our cars are properly maintained it will not only save us money but it will reduce demand for oil. While we are adjusting our lives in order to conserve energy, America must begin weaning itself off of fossil fuels and begin ushering a new age of alternative fuels that will not only be good for our pocketbooks but will reduce our global carbon footprint and liberate us from foreign oil dependency in the process.

To learn more about Mary Kim Titla’s campaign, go to http://www.gomarykim.com.

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