Watch Congressman Dold's speech (Congressman Dold comes to the microphone moments after Congressman Blumenauer finishes speaking. His remarks about the Arctic Refuge are about the midpoint of his speech.)

Yosemite HD from Project Yosemite on Vimeo.

Where could Republicans and Democrats find common ground on energy and get off the Bill Murray merry-go-round? Here are a few parcels of common ground:

Searching for post-Groundhog Day consensus (P.F. Lindner - iStockPhoto)

Energy Efficiency: Americans value the economic and environmental advantages of using energy more efficiently, i.e., getting more value for every dollar spent per unit of energy consumed. More efficient use of oil lowers our dangerous dependence on a volatile global oil market. More efficient use of fossil fuels in the electricity sector reduces pollution and makes businesses more competitive. A bipartisan bill pending in the Senate, sponsored by Ohio Republican Rob Portman and New Hampshire Democrat Jeanne Shaheen, would advance energy efficiency by, among other things, authorizing revolving loans for efficiency retrofits in manufacturing plants.

Natural Gas: Both sides largely agree that the natural gas boom is a good thing. A clean burning, versatile fuel, abundantly available within U.S. borders, has many advantages. Modern gas-fired power plants could replace antiquated coal plants that lack pollution controls. Gas-fired plants also could provide vital backup for variable renewable generation, generating power when winds die down and when solar plants go off line at night. The key to taking advantage of the gas opportunity is finding the right balance between encouraging development and enforcing production standards to protect water and public health.

Renewables: Despite the polarizing talk coming out of Washington, DC, developing renewable energy is popular with Americans across the political spectrum, as evidenced by a poll of Republican and Democratic voters released earlier this week by Colorado College. GOP and Dem governors appreciate the jobs and clean energy that renewables bring to their states, and have been pressing Congress to support renewable energy investments.

Tomorrow is February 3. It’s not too late for Congress to get the U.S. off the Groundhog Day merry-go-round on energy.

Colorado College released its Conservation in the West poll today. The polling firms Public Opinion Strategies (Republican) and FM3 (Democratic) surveyed 2,400 registered voters in Arizona, Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming.

El Malpais National Monument in New Mexico (NPS)

What did the pollsters find? Two-thirds of Western voters identify themselves as “conservationists.” Those numbers held whether people consider themselves Tea Party supporters or don’t, and regardless of which media they rely on for information about current events, whether it’s Fox News or the Daily Show.

Nearly 80 percent agreed that it’s not necessary to choose between a strong economy and protecting land and water. Those numbers largely held for Republicans, Democrats, independents, and Tea Party supporters.

Huge majorities, from 85 to 97 percent, view public lands as essential to their states’ economies.

More than 80 percent want their states to continue funding land, water, and wildlife protection, even as states face budget pressures.

By a 2 to 1 margin, voters perceive environmental regulations as health and property protections rather than economic burdens.

By a greater than 2 to 1 margin, voters don’t believe that suspending environmental laws within 100 miles of U.S. borders is necessary for securing the borders against illegal entry.

Majorities in all states–even in coal-rich Montana and Wyoming–prefer expanding renewable energy use to expanding fossil fuel extraction in order to meet America’s energy needs.

Substantial majorities in all six states support EPA’s updating of Clean Air Act standards.

The message is clear: regardless of where they sit on the political spectrum, Western voters value public lands, support clean air protection, and want to see expanded use of renewable energy.

The Antiquities Act is one of America’s lesser known conservation laws, but has proved to be a remarkably effective tool for protecting natural and historic treasures on America’s public lands and in marine waters under federal jurisdiction. Enacted in 1906, the law has been used by 15 presidents from both political parties to protect great American places, as majestic as the Grand Canyon and as historically important as Thomas Edison’s laboratory.

The Grand Canyon (Photo: NPS)

Whenever a president has invoked the Antiquities Act to protect public lands that some believe would be better used for extracting commodities or for other commercial uses, proposals pop up in Congress to weaken the law, usually by requiring congressional approval of monuments established by executive order. Passing such legislation would be shortsighted. The power of the Antiquities Act is that it gives presidents authority to move fast, to grant immediate protection to special places in the public domain that could be spoiled if hasty development decisions were made.

In nearly all cases, the decision to protect has stood the test of time. Who  today believes that Theodore Roosevelt was wrong to protect the Grand Canyon rather than let it be used for mineral extraction and hotel development?

The Antiquities Act has served America well. As the old saying goes, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

America must invest in cleaner energy that is made in America. Cleaner energy made in America is better for our economy, our security, our health, and our environment.

In measuring how “clean” energy is, we must consider all phases of its development – the mining and manufacturing of energy generation components are too often overlooked.

Nuclear power and natural gas relying on environmentally responsible extraction are cleaner energy sources – and America should invest in their development, including R&D, to insure reliable, affordable, cleaner energy.

Renewable energy products relying on environmentally responsible mining and manufacturing are cleaner energy sources and should be supported through R&D, direct investments, and tax credits.

We Insist on Cleaner Energy Made in America

America’s renewable energy industry has been undermined by mercantilist Chinese policies that undersell U.S. competitors and have resulted in three U.S.-based solar manufacturers closing. China’s supply chain, including its rare earth mines, is not environmentally responsible. U.S. taxpayer dollars should not support foreign-sourced energy products that are developed through anti-competitive policies and from environmentally irresponsible supply chains. Taxpayer dollars should support renewable energy made in America and employing American workers.

Let’s Invest in Cleaner Nuclear, Natural Gas, and Renewable Energy Made in America

Geysers geothermal power plant in California (NREL)

Geysers geothermal power plant in California (NREL)

There are good reasons to diversify our energy economy away from coal and oil.

Cleaner energy made in America is better for our health. Burning coal and oil results in unhealthy emissions of mercury, arsenic, particulate matter, and ozone precursors that have been linked to respiratory, cardiac, and other diseases. Public health alone is reason enough to invest in cleaner energy and to use energy as efficiently as possible.

Cleaner energy made in America is better for our national security. By developing our own domestically available, cleaner energy sources, like natural gas, nuclear, and renewable energy, we will be less dependent on OPEC and other unfriendly oil exporting regimes.

Cleaner energy made in America is better for our economy. The world is increasingly globalized, and more people are economically competing for scarce energy resources. The country that develops the cleanest, most economical, most independent sources of energy will have a permanent competitive advantage – it will have less pollution, more affordable energy, and more independence. America should be that country.

Cleaner. Here. Now.

We must continue investing in renewable energy that is made in America with American workers and developed from clean supply chains that rely on environmentally responsible mining and manufacturing. We cannot allow China to become the Saudi Arabia of renewable energy. We must stop using scarce taxpayer dollars to support Chinese renewable energy products that rely on irresponsible supply chains and mercantilist, anti-competitive Chinese government policies that breach trade agreements and destroy American jobs.

We know how to build the safest nuclear plants. We must revitalize our nuclear industry and advance nuclear technologies through R&D.

We are blessed with abundant natural gas resources. We must invest in and develop those resources to their fullest extent. Fracking must continue – with best practices, sound regulation, and responsible companies, America has the ability to produce vast amounts of natural gas for our electric generation, manufacturing, home heating, and transportation needs.

We must continue investing in emissions controls to make our fleet of coal plants cleaner and we must insist on environmentally responsible coal production methods. Since China and India are building hundreds of new coal plants, the United States should develop the clean technology they will need to minimize pollution from those plants – that means more American jobs and a cleaner, healthier environment for America and the world.

Cleaner. Here. Now. It’s the right energy path for America to take.

Stay tuned, and thank you for your patience!