Chairwoman Johnson’s Opening Statement for Hearing on Fossil Energy R&D
(Washington, DC) – Today, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology’s Subcommittee on Energy is holding a hearing titled, “Fossil Energy Research: Enabling our Clean Energy Future.”
Chairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson’s (D-TX) opening statement for the record is below.
Good afternoon and thank you, Chairman Lamb, for holding today’s hearing on the Department of Energy’s efforts to mitigate the environmental impacts of fossil fuels used in the power sector as well as in manufacturing processes.
Historically, fossil fuels have served as the primary sources of U.S. energy as they provide reliable power at low costs. My home state of Texas has played an important role in the fossil fuel industry as the leading producer of crude oil and natural gas in the U.S. However, as our nation’s priorities have evolved, we are now focused not only on using energy sources that provide low cost, dispatchable energy, but also ensuring that these are clean sources of energy.
That’s why we must strengthen our investment in the Department of Energy’s Office of Fossil Energy, which supports research to address the environmental impacts of fossil fuels. This includes the development of technologies such as carbon capture, carbon storage, and methane leak detection and mitigation. Last Congress, I was proud to support the bipartisan Fossil Energy Research and Development Act of 2018, which reauthorizes and expands these important research activities. I look forward to discussing our proposed updates to that legislation during today’s hearing.
While fossil fuels play an important role in power generation, they are also an important resource for the manufacturing sector, which is responsible for the third highest level of carbon emissions economy-wide. Manufacturers rely on the combustion of fossil fuels to provide high-temperature heat needed for a variety of processes, including the production of cement and glass. Technologies already being developed, like carbon capture, will play an important role in reducing industrial emissions, but we need to develop a variety of technologies that reflect the diversity of our nation’s manufacturing sector, from traditional sectors like automobile manufacturing, to more innovative sectors like sustainable building materials.
That is why I am pleased that this hearing will also consider another proposed bill today, the Industrial Decarbonization Technology Development Act of 2019, which would authorize a cross-agency research initiative led by the Department of Energy to reduce emissions from long-distance transportation and manufacturing. Investing in research to reduce emissions from these important economic sectors is essential to meeting our climate change mitigation goals.
I am looking forward to hearing from our distinguished group of witnesses today on the research investments we need to make to make the transition towards a clean energy economy. Thank you for being here today.
With that, I yield back.
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