Jim Risch, currently serving as Idaho's 28th Senator, holds a longstanding commitment to public service and a passion for good government. Known for "pragmatic decision-making," Risch is what his peers call a "no-nonsense, get-the-job-done leader" with more than four decades of experience in elected office. He has been recognized by the National Journal as the “Most Conservative” Senator in the United States Senate for two years in a row.
The energy policy we pursue as a nation influences our quality of life and how America competes in the global economy. As a member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, I am committed to developing an energy policy that provides clean, reliable and affordable energy for all Americans.
I support an aggressive expansion of nuclear power to meet our nation's future energy needs. It is safe, reliable and produces zero carbon dioxide. I also support expanding other clean sources of baseload power such as hydropower, geothermal, biomass, natural gas and clean coal; as well as further development into technologies that are not yet able to produce reliable and substantial quantities of clean power, such as solar and wind. I support expanded drilling for domestic oil to reduce America's dependence on foreign sources especially in the immediate future while we develop these other sources of energy.
I support a broad reaching energy policy that goes well beyond electricity. Skyrocketing oil and fuel prices, which slowed down our economy and harmed all Americans, were influenced by decisions made in Washington, DC to decrease the supply of domestic oil and gas resources. I support reversing that policy to increase exploration in areas where it is environmentally safe and make our country more energy secure.