Rep. Accavitti offered the following resolution:

            House Resolution No. 121.

            A resolution to memorialize the Congress of the United States to encourage expansion of existing or the construction of new petroleum refineries in the United States to meet our increasing energy needs.

            Whereas, The price of petroleum products has been unpredictable. Between December 2006 and the end of February 2007, the price of crude oil fluctuated between 62 dollars a barrel and 50 dollars several times. Currently, the world crude oil price exceeds 66 dollars a barrel. Recently, oil futures leapt above 72 dollars a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange due to shrinking gasoline supplies and international tensions. Increased refinery capacity would buffer the United States from some of the more volatile price swings that occur during periods of global conflict and which are often outside of our national control; and

            Whereas, There has not been a new oil refinery built in the United States in nearly 30 years. Yet, in the intervening years, the total energy demand in the United States has grown by about 40 percent. According to the United States Energy Information Administration, the projected petroleum demand between 2003 and 2025 will increase by 30 percent. We must plan for our future energy needs by incorporating new petroleum refineries into the overall energy policy of the United States; and

            Whereas, Recent major investments in the Marathon Refinery located in the city of Detroit, Michigan's only refinery, will increase the output by about 28 percent, from 74,000 barrels per day to over 102,000 barrels per day. Marathon's investment of $300 million was made possible through the collaborative efforts of Marathon, the city of Detroit, and the state of Michigan. Marathon's commitment to Michigan and its collaboration with the city and state to create a renaissance zone encompassing the refinery illustrates the type of creative solutions that can be used to promote increased capacity or the construction of new refineries; and

            Whereas, Constructing new refineries or expanding current facilities would also create new jobs and increase gasoline, fuels, and distillate output–all vital components of strengthening our economy. Michigan is well placed to locate a new refinery due to our proximity with Canada, this country's largest source of imported petroleum. Moreover, Michigan's highly skilled labor force could adapt to employment in the refinery industry; now, therefore, be it

            Resolved by the House of Representatives, That we memorialize the Congress of the United States to establish a national energy policy that promotes the expansion of existing or construction of new petroleum refineries in the United States; and be it further

            Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the members of the Michigan congressional delegation, the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the United States Department of Energy, the American Petroleum Institute, and the American Petroleum Industries of Michigan.