As legislation requiring utilities to get 15 percent of their power needs from renewable energy sources by 2020 works its way through Congress, Pat Waak, Chair of the Colorado Democratic Party, called on Bob Schaffer to tell Coloradans where he stands – on the side of the oil and gas lobby opposed to this legislation or with American families who will reap tremendous savings on there energy bills.

The legislation mirrors the enormously successful Amendment 37 passed by Colorado voters in 2004. Colorado voters were the first in the nation to pass a Renewable Electricity Standard (RES) also known as Amendment 37. Bob Schaffer opposed Amendment 37.

“U.S. Senate candidate Bob Schaffer, an oil industry executive, has taken no position on the issue of renewable energy,” said Pat Waak. “Coloradans want to know if Bob supports a federal renewable electricity standard or is he so beholden to oil and gas interests that he opposes giving families a break on their electrical bills?”

Bob Schaffer was one of only 15 members of the U.S. House to vote against authorizing a partnership program between the Environmental Protection Agency and the private sector to conduct consumer education and outreach on renewable and alternative energy.

“Bob Schaffer voted for the largest tax give-away in oil industry history, giving them a $33.5 billion – that’s billion with a “b” – in tax breaks resulting in record profits for their industry,” said Waak.

The bill also opened up the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska to oil and gas exploration and stripped the U.S. Forest Service Supervisors of the authority to block drilling in national forests, opening up huge areas to oil exploration in the Rocky Mountains.

“Bob Schaffer, why don’t you support lower energy bills for Colorado families and protecting our Colorado way of life?” asked Waak.