Rep Hovey Floats Prospective Energy Initiatives

Republican state lawmaker DebraLee Hovey, who represents one voting district in Newtown as well as all of neighboring Monroe, pledged September 23 to introduce several initiatives to address energy issues if reelected. Rep Hovey is seeking her fourth term representing the 112th District.

She is being challenged by Democrat Michelle Mount, a Monroe attorney.

Rep Hovey said she will continue to advocate for capping the state gross receipts tax on gasoline. The gross receipts tax is a “hidden tax on a tax” that is based on the wholesale price of gasoline.

During a special legislative session held in August, Rep Hovey voted in favor of capping the gross receipts tax, an initiative that was defeated largely along party lines.

“This year, we’ve seen record increases in gasoline prices that have hurt every family and small business in the state,” said Rep Hovey. “There are few ways to affect the price of gas at the state level but clearly we’ve failed to use one of them to help people. I will continue to advocate for a cap on this hidden tax.”

In 2005, the state Department of Public Utility Control ruled in response to a request from Rep Hovey that biodiesel fuel is a renewable energy source (a Class 1 renewable energy source). The fuel is derived from a variety of energy sources, including soybean oil, canola oil, sunflower oil, cottonseed oil, animal fats, and used cooking oil.

The ruling classifies biodiesel as a clean fuel alternative and encourages power plants, trucking companies and bus lines to substitute it for conventional diesel.

Rep Hovey noted the state must continue to seek alternative energy sources. To that end, she pledged to introduce legislation to exempt all alternative source energy endeavors from state taxes.

This would mean no sales tax on the final product, no sales taxes on equipment required to produce alternative energy, no corporate and no income tax for noncorporation business owners, said Rep Hovey.

“If the state is going to seriously promote alternative energy sources, then we have to do a lot more than talk about it,” said Rep Hovey. “Providing effective incentives for producing alternative energy products and utilizing them here would be a big step in the right direction. I look forward to working with my colleagues from both political parties to move such initiatives forward in the 2009 session.”

In addition, Rep Hovey pledged to introduce legislation to promote fuel cell use in Connecticut. Under the proposed full cell program the state would contract with a Connecticut business to:

*Convert certain state buildings from traditional energy sources to fuel cell power;

*Mass produce transit buses powered by fuel cells;

*Begin transitioning to fuel cells at Bradley International Airport to make Bradley the first “hydrogen-powered green international airport” in the world; and

*Establish two or three hydrogen refueling hubs in the state.

“Investing in fuel cell technology is a smart move for Connecticut,” said Rep Hovey. “It offers tremendous potential for lowering our dependence of traditional energy sources and our state can be a leader in its promotion.”