Murkowski: Clean Energy Deployment Administration Needs Offsets
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today expressed support for creating a Clean Energy Deployment Administration (CEDA) to encourage development of new energy technologies, but made clear that the cost of the program would need to be offset by spending reductions elsewhere in the federal budget.
“This debate should be about how to make better use of all of our resources, including the revenues that result from energy production,” Murkowski said. “Despite the high initial costs of creating a Clean Energy Deployment Administration, I continue to believe that it’s a smarter, more efficient way for the federal government to promote clean energy technologies.”
Legislation creating CEDA was voted out of the Energy Committee on a bipartisan basis last Congress. The proposal would address the persistent lack of available financing for clean energy projects. CEDA allows the opportunity to re-use its funding over time to back private lending for clean energy projects, instead of only offering one-time payments in the form of grants or tax credits as previous programs have done.
“It is my view that we must find an acceptable offset for CEDA,” Murkowski said. “An offset will not only help CEDA become a reality; it will also help us hold the line on new spending and ensure we do not add to our national debt.”
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