[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 188 Introduced in House (IH)]

103d CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 188

 Expressing the sense of the Congress that a dramatic new direction in 
  Federal Government energy research, development, demonstration, and 
   commercialization funding priorities should be adopted to improve 
   environmental protection, create new jobs, enhance United States 
             competitiveness, and reduce the trade deficit.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           November 22, 1993

 Mr. Sharp (for himself, Mr. Swett, Mrs. Morella, Ms. Lambert, and Mr. 
  Boehlert) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 
referred jointly to the Committees on Energy and Commerce and Science, 
                         Space, and Technology

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
 Expressing the sense of the Congress that a dramatic new direction in 
  Federal Government energy research, development, demonstration, and 
   commercialization funding priorities should be adopted to improve 
   environmental protection, create new jobs, enhance United States 
             competitiveness, and reduce the trade deficit.

Whereas increased investment in energy efficiency and renewable energy resources 
        means economic growth, expansion of international export markets, and 
        the creation of new jobs in the United States;
Whereas increased investment in energy efficiency and renewable energy resources 
        will help protect the environment, improve public health, and save 
        consumers money;
Whereas the President has committed the United States to reducing emissions of 
        greenhouse gases to their 1990 levels by the year 2000 and to continuing 
        the trend of reduced emissions thereafter;
Whereas investments in energy efficiency and renewable energy resources over the 
        next 20 years can create a net increase of more than 1,000,000 jobs 
        while decreasing total energy use per unit of economic output by 30 
        percent;
Whereas United States energy intensity, as measured in terms of energy use per 
        unit of Gross National Product, decreased by 26 percent from 1973 to 
        1986, but since 1986 has only minimally decreased;
Whereas the annual global market for United States energy-efficient equipment 
        and services is estimated to be between $8,000,000,000 and 
        $18,000,000,000;
Whereas renewable energy technology exports are an annual multibillion dollar 
        emerging market, with Latin America alone a $1,000,000,000 market 
        annually, which offers significant benefits to American renewable energy 
        technology industries;
Whereas electricity generated by many renewable energy resources has already 
        achieved technical feasibility and cost competitiveness in a variety of 
        domestic and international markets;
Whereas the $4,000,000,000 Federal investment in State and local efficiency 
        programs over the past 12 years has reduced United States total energy 
        consumption by approximately 5 percent, according to the Department of 
        Energy, which represents energy savings of over $25,000,000,000;
Whereas net oil imports, at a cost of $45,000,000,000 in 1992 alone, represented 
        53 percent of the total United States merchandise trade deficit, and the 
        Department of Energy projects that net oil imports will cost the United 
        States $94,000,000,000 annually by the end of the decade;
Whereas studies have shown that with significant investments in renewable energy 
        research and development and commercialization initiatives, renewable 
        energy technologies could account for up to half of United States energy 
        supplies by 2030;
Whereas Federal funding for energy efficiency research and State assistance 
        programs declined by over 50 percent from $1,320,000,000 in 1980 to 
        $579,000,000 in 1993 (with both such amounts adjusted to 1993 dollars); 
        and
Whereas Federal funding for renewable energy research, development, and 
        demonstration declined nearly 80 percent from $1,290,000,000 in 1980 to 
        $203,000,000 in 1993 (with both such amounts adjusted to 1993 dollars): 
        Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That the national policy of the United States for the future should 
be--
            (1) to increase energy efficiency and reduce energy use per 
        unit of Gross Domestic Product by at least 30 percent by the 
        year 2010, to replicate the progress made since 1973;
            (2) to ensure that by 2010, renewable energy technologies 
        (wind, solar, hydropower, biomass, and geothermal) account for 
        at least 20 percent of the overall national energy mix; and
            (3) to achieve these goals by adopting a national strategy 
        which changes priorities within the Department of Energy's 
        overall budget, by fiscal year 1996, to shift $1,000,000,000 
        from the Department of Energy's overall budget for conventional 
        energy and other programs to spending on efficiency, 
        conservation, and renewable energy programs, consistent with 
        the aim of lowering the Federal deficit.

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