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Honey / Period 2 Senator Johnson

S.W._____

A BILL
To provide incentives to the states, to prohibit the burning of fossil fuels and replace that energy source with
alternative energy.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE
This act may be cited as the Alternative Energy Act of 2015.
SECTION 2. FINDINGS
Congress hereby finds and declares that,
1) Carbon emissions from fossil fuels are the main factor behind the rise in atmospheric concentrations and global
temperatures.
2) The primary cause of global warming is human activity, most significantly the burning of fossil fuels to drive
cars, generate electricity, and operate our homes and businesses.
3) Fossil fuels are finite resources and they can also irreparably harm the environment.
4) As of today, fossil fuels are being extracted at an exorbitant rate to meet the gap between supply and demand
and it is estimated that they will be finished in next 30-40 years.
5) These impacts of burning fossil fuels include global warming, air quality deterioration, oil spills, and acid rain.
6) During the electricity-generation process, burning fossil fuels produce heat energy which is released into water
that is used as a coolant. Heated water once returned to rivers or lakes can upset the aquatic ecosystem.
7) Natural processes that absorb CO2 cannot keep up with the massive amount of CO2 released from fossil fuels.
As the ocean absorbs carbon dioxide, it becomes more acidic. This combined with increasing ocean temperatures,
diminishes its ability to continue absorbing CO2. As a result, more CO2 remains in the atmosphere.
8) Global warming is forecast to inflict a variety of other costs, including declining rainfalls and rising
temperatures that will combine to cause large and extended drought conditions.
9) For every dollar that an American household spends each year, about 10 cents is likely to go toward the
purchase of energy, with most of that money spent on fossil fuels.
10) As opposed to renewable energy sources such as wind and solar, it takes millions of years before the formation
of fossil fuels takes place in any noteworthy quantities.
11) Increased demand means increased prices in every sector of the world economy.
12) Fast-moving water can provide a vast and constantly replenished energy resource supply.
13) Replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy has been found to reduce premature mortality and lost workdays,
and it reduces overall healthcare costs
SECTION 3. STATUTORY LANGUAGE
A) Burning of fossil fuels in power plants shall hereby be minimized to fifty percent of their current rate. Power
plants built after the bill goes into effect will be required to only use alternative energy sources. Wind energy, solar
energy, hydroelectric energy, biomass energy, and geothermal energy shall substitute fossil fuels as the primary
energy source.
B) This law shall be enforced and upheld by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of
Energy. Funding for the construction of additional windmills and solar panels shall come from the Department of
Energy state energy programs through competitive grants.
C) This law will go into effect January 1, 2016. Power plants that fail to reduce their current rate of the burning of
fossil fuels by January 1, 2019 will be fined ten percent of their annual gross income until the requirements are
met.