Since the explosion of BP's Deepwater Horizon offshore oil rig earlier this year, as much as 185 million gallons of oil have spilled into the Gulf of Mexico. The ongoing oil spill is by far the largest disaster of its kind in U.S. history – now more than sixteen times the size of the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill – and reinforces the urgency of breaking America's addiction to oil, and of making oil drilling and exploration safer.  Alexi has introduced a comprehensive plan to transition America away from dirty fuels and toward a clean energy economy that runs on renewable energy and provides good-paying jobs that can't be outsourced.

Create the market to spur clean energy and reduce global warming pollution

Alexi supports efforts to create a comprehensive, market-based system that puts a price on global warming pollution and spurs investment in renewable energy and new clean energy jobs.  This transition can occur with minimal cost to consumers, and help make America more competitive in today’s global economy.

Energy producers want to invest in clean energy sources but face government and market signals that fluctuate from year to year.  Alexi would push to provide a stable market signal to American renewable energy companies by making the production and investment tax credits for renewable energy permanent.

Illinois has been a national leader in creating a stable market for renewables by passing a Renewable Energy Standard that mandates 10 percent of energy produced in the state must be from renewable sources by 2015, and 25 percent by 2025.  Alexi would push for a national Renewable Energy Standard that meets the Illinois standard.

Implement safeguards to prevent another spill

President Obama ordered the Department of the Interior to conduct a prompt assessment of the BP oil disaster and issue recommendations on how oil and gas exploration and production should be improved to prevent future spills. Alexi supports immediate action on the Interior Department recommendations issued in its “Increased Safety Measures for Energy Development on the Outer Continental Shelf” report, including enhanced inspections of blow-out preventers, new safety features on blow-out preventers and stronger management requirements for offshore rigs.

Internal investigations have revealed that Minerals and Management Service (MMS) officials granted hundreds of drilling permits before environmental reviews were conducted, allowed oil companies to fill out their own safety inspection forms and accepted gifts from oil company lobbyists. Alexi has advocated to split the MMS into two agencies – one to inspect oil rigs and enforce safety and another to oversee leases for drilling and collect royalties – removing the conflict of interest and incentives for corruption.

We must protect our coastal areas from future disasters. Alexi supports a six-month moratorium on new offshore oil drilling permits.  When the period expires, he will push for the federal government to establish new, permanent protection zones for the most fragile sections of our coast and enable states to veto new offshore drilling permits in their waters.

Ensure BP pays for cleanup

BP has said that it will pay for the costs of “all legitimate claims” of the spill. However the unreasonably low liability cap could enable BP to evade paying for long-term damages. Alexi supports removing the liability cap so that oil companies are liable for the full amount of damage they cause.

BP has a responsibility to pay for containing and cleaning up the spill. We should hold them to that promise. Exxon fought legitimate payment claims for years after the Exxon Valdez oil spill. Alexi supports requiring BP to place its first quarter 2010 profits of $20 billion into an escrow fund to ensure prompt reimbursement of clean-up costs and compensation to the residents and businesses harmed by the disaster.

Reduce our demand for oil

Alexi will support legislation that reduces our oil consumption and shifts us towards a responsible, pragmatic 21st century energy policy. He will continue his unwavering commitment to promoting energy efficiency in the transportation sector and enhancing domestic supplies of energy. Alexi supports the establishment of an oil reduction target of 7 million barrels per day by 2030, nearly wiping out the anticipated demand for foreign oil.

From 2001 to 2009 the five largest oil companies made $867 billion in profits and yet they receive tax breaks worth billions of dollars annually. Alexi supports ending unnecessary subsidies to big oil companies. Eliminating these unneeded tax deductions, preferences and credits would save the federal government $45 billion over the next 10 years.

Alexi supports efforts to increase fuel efficiency standards to help reduce dependence on oil. The Obama administration has set new fuel efficiency standards for cars and light-duty trucks and the first-ever standards for medium- and heavy-trucks. Alexi supports incentivizing the production of vehicles that significantly exceed fuel economy standards.

As new cleaner sources of energy are brought to scale, the United States should consider a per barrel fee on imported oil to help reduce foreign oil use.  A fee of less than 4 percent would raise nearly $10 billion annually to invest in clean energy technology and pay down our debt.

Help business create the jobs of tomorrow

Studies have shown that manufacturing jobs created by renewable energy – specifically wind and solar in the case of one study – have had an approximately 80 percent overlap with where jobs have been lost due to outsourcing.

Congress should make every effort to capitalize on American ingenuity. Alexi believes that with the right incentives for businesses to invest in clean energy, we can create good paying jobs that cannot be outsourced.

Illinois is home to more than 2,000 companies that have created more than 28,000 “clean energy jobs”, like building wind turbines, weatherizing homes, manufacturing highly efficient lighting fixtures, and producing energy from waste.

The road to America’s energy independence runs right through the prairies of Illinois. As small farms struggle to compete in a global economy, we must encourage farm-based energy programs that can create more clean energy and new income for rural Illinoisans.  Wind power, advanced biofuels, solar power, geothermal and new energy crops can create clean energy for the region and sustainable revenue streams for America's farmers, ranchers and rural small businesses.