House Passes Science Committee Energy Legislation, National Science Week Recognition
(Washington, DC) Today, the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed two pieces of energy legislation shepherded by the House Committee on Science and Technology.
Bills focusing on energy storage technologies and industrial energy efficiency research and development cleared the House today under suspension.
H.R. 3776, the Energy Storage Technology Advancement Act of 2007 provides for research, development, and demonstration programs to accelerate the development of advanced energy storage systems for vehicular, stationary, and electricity transmission and distribution applications, and support the ability of the United States to remain globally competitive in this field.
The bill was authored by full Committee Chairman Bart Gordon (D-TN).
“To truly transform the way we manage our energy use we must do more than make incremental improvements to current technologies,” said Chairman Gordon. “Our economic and environmental security lies in our ability to deploy the next generation energy technologies. Advances in energy storage are vital to diversifying our energy supplies and transforming our transportation sector.”
Today, electricity is generated as it is used, with very little being stored for later use. But, demand for electric power varies greatly throughout the day and throughout the year. Therefore, the electricity supply system must be sized to generate and transmit enough electricity to meet a short-lived peak demand.
Energy storage technologies would provide a means to stockpile energy for later use, and consequently reduce the need to generate more power during times of peak electricity demand.
The expanded use of energy storage would also help to avoid capital intensive upgrades of transmission and distribution facilities, as well as reduce the need to run certain generation plants that may have higher operating costs and/or have a poor emissions profile. Energy storage also can improve electricity reliability and energy security by providing an alternate power source during outages or emergencies.
Enhanced federal research and development of advanced energy storage technologies also offers the opportunity for integration of renewable energy supplies into the electric grid, making renewables a more attractive and reliable investment.
Energy storage technologies may also revolutionize the transportation sector by allowing for widespread introduction of more electric-drive vehicles. Switching vehicles’ primary energy source from petroleum-based fuels to electric batteries reduces reliance on foreign supplies of conventional fuels. Additionally, several recent studies have shown that, regardless of its source, electricity used as a vehicle fuel reduces greenhouse gas emissions. To expand the use of electricity in the vehicles sector batteries must be smaller, lighter, more powerful, higher energy and cheaper - all of which require considerable research and development. Achieving these needed breakthroughs will require meaningful federal support and public-private partnerships with a range of stakeholders.
However, significant challenges remain in developing these technologies and establishing a viable domestic supply chain. H.R. 3776 authorizes the Department of Energy to conduct research and development programs on energy storage technologies, and expands this research to the demonstration of promising storage technologies and the manufacturing methods to allow for their production in the U.S.
Among the groups supporting H.R. 3776 are the Edison Electric Institute, American Electric Power, the Electric Drive Transportation Association, Johnson Controls, and Southern California Edison.
The House passed H.R. 3775, the Industrial Energy Efficiency Research and Development Act of 2007.
The bill, authored by Subcommittee Chairman Nick Lampson (D-TX), authorizes and supports research, development, demonstration, and commercial application of new industrial processes and technologies that will optimize energy efficiency, environmental performance, and economic competitiveness of energy intensive industries. It also enhances ongoing efforts through better coordination of interdepartmental research, and expands Industrial Assessment Centers programs at universities to promote student training and adoption of energy efficient technologies and practices by small and medium-sized industries.
“While the U.S. industrial sector has become much more energy efficient over the past 30 years, there are still ample opportunities to achieve efficiency gains through advanced technologies,” said Rep. Lampson. “Without a sustained commitment by the private and public sectors to invest in R&D the ability to close the gap between U.S. energy supply and demand will be greatly limited. This legislation is needed to ensure continued gains in industrial energy efficiency and environmental performance through research and development.”
An expanding economy paired with a growing population has created a rapidly growing demand for energy, making energy conservation a key national goal. In the U.S. industry is responsible for more than one-third of all energy consumed, the large majority of which is consumed by heavy manufacturing industries such as chemical, glass and metals production, mining, petroleum refining, and forest and paper products. These industries require very large amounts of energy per unit of production, making them particularly susceptible to high energy prices. These and other energy-intensive industries are ideal candidates on which to focus federal R&D efforts and apply new technologies to increase efficiency, raise productivity, reduce wastes, and trim costs.
The Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s (EERE) Industrial Technologies Program (ITP) at the Department of Energy (DOE), works to improve the energy intensity of U.S. industry through coordinated public-private research and development projects, and dissemination of innovative energy efficiency technologies and practices. The ITP invests in high-risk, high-value cost-shared R&D projects to reduce industrial energy use and process waste streams, while stimulating productivity and growth.
The Industrial Technologies Program claims numerous successes, and is considered one of the most effective DOE programs at transferring technologies, with over 170 technologies reaching the commercial market. An estimated 13,000 U.S. manufacturing plants have been improved through the ITP technology delivery effort. Nearly 5 quadrillion Btu of energy (equal to approximately $23 billion) of energy savings are attributed to the program since its inception, with 366 trillion Btu saved in 2004 alone.
The budget for Industrial Technologies Program has decreased dramatically in recent years. The Fiscal Year 2007 budget request for Industrial Technologies was $45.6 million, an $11.3 million reduction from the Fiscal Year 2006 Appropriation. By comparison, appropriated levels as recently as Fiscal Year 2000 were as high as $175 million. These funding levels reflect a dramatic shift in priorities away from industrial efficiency R&D. H.R. 3775 works to restore this program and ensure continued gains in industrial energy efficiency and environmental performance through collaborative research and development.
This bill has been endorsed by the National Association of Manufacturers, the Industrial Energy Consumers of America and the Association of Materials Manufacturing Excellence.
H.Res. 751, Supporting the Goals and Ideals of National Science Week was a third bill under Committee jurisdiction passed by the House today. The bill was offered by Rep. Silvestre Reyes (D-TX).
This year’s theme for National Chemistry week, `The Many Faces of Chemistry,’ emphasizes the importance of cultivating a diverse domestic workforce. The resolution points out that our nation must do more to maximize the potential of our home-grown talent in fields such as science and engineering. By encouraging women, minorities and other under-represented groups to pursue technology careers, our nation will retain an educated populace to create the innovations of tomorrow.
Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX), a Member of the Committee commented, “Congressman Reyes and I have worked with colleagues on the House Diversity and Innovation Caucus to call greater attention to providing equal opportunities in the sciences. With women and minorities still sorely under-represented in science, engineering and technology careers, I am pleased to see that National Chemistry Week is focused on increasing their participation in these fields. To remain competitive, our nation must encourage students from every background and neighborhood in this nation to get an education and excel in a science or engineering career.”
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