[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 19 (Thursday, February 28, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1340-S1341]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    UNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUEST--S. 94

  Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, I notice my colleague from Wyoming is in 
the Chamber. I did give notice that I was going to propound a unanimous 
consent request, and if he is in the Chamber for the purpose of 
representing the minority, I will propound that unanimous request at 
this point in time.
  I spoke yesterday about the subject of the wind energy production tax 
credit, which expired at the end of last year. The expiration occurred 
because it became embroiled in the back and forth over the economic 
recovery package and the stimulus plan. The fact is, the Congress ended 
its year and its work without having extended the tax extenders--there 
are some half dozen of them--one of which is the tax credit for wind 
energy.
  In my judgment, it is just fundamentally wrong for us not to take the 
action we need to take right now to extend that production tax credit 
for wind energy.
  I had a conference in Grand Forks, ND, last week when the Senate was 
not in session. The conference was on wind energy. Over 700 people 
showed up. There is great interest in this from all over the country. 
North Dakota is No. 1 in wind energy potential. The new technology wind 
turbines are remarkable. To be able to take energy from the wind, put 
it in a transmission line and move it around the country is remarkable.
  There are plans on the books right now. A CEO from one of the largest 
companies came to see me 3 weeks ago. He said: I have plans for 150 
megawatts, 150 one-megawatt towers. It is going to cost $130 million to 
$150 million. The plans are done. He said: They are ready; I have the 
money. That is already developed. But it had to be put on the shelf 
until Congress extends the production tax credit.
  We do not seem to think it is urgent. I believe it is urgent.

  My colleague, Senator Reid, asked he be remembered on this issue 
because he supports this. He has companies in Nevada with plans on the 
shelf. They are ready to go, but they are held up. The same is true in 
many other States in the country.
  For that reason, I ask unanimous consent that the Finance Committee 
be discharged from further consideration of S. 94, a bill to extend tax 
credits for wind energy; that the Senate proceed to its immediate 
consideration; that the bill be read a third time and passed; and that 
the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Mr. THOMAS. Mr. President, I object.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.
  Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, I understood there would be an objection. 
I want to demonstrate again--and I hope I can do this in the coming 
days--there are many Republicans and Democrats serving in the Senate 
who know we ought to pass this bill, who want to get this done. We need 
to find a way to make this happen. This is urgent. Yet we are sort of 
at a parade rest on a range of areas.
  We can talk about who is at fault. I do not intend to do that. I am 
much more interested in trying to get this started than I am in trying 
to figure out why it stalled. Let's see if we can work together to 
accomplish this goal. We know it needs doing. We are going to turn to 
the energy bill next. We know having this production tax credit 
extended is important. It ought to be done now, not later.
  Mr. President, I understand my colleague from Wyoming was required to 
object to this. I will not go beyond that except to say I hope he joins 
me and others as we find a way to extend these tax credits and that we 
do so soon.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Wyoming.
  Mr. THOMAS. Mr. President, I, too, am supportive of wind energy and 
the alternatives, of course, but we have been waiting--talk about 
waiting, we have been waiting for months to get to an energy bill, 
which has been objected to and held up by the folks on the other side 
of the aisle. We are finally going to get to it, and certainly this 
issue ought to be part of an overall energy policy, not a stand-alone 
bill.
  So hopefully next week we will have a chance to get to energy. I do 
not think there is anything more important before this Congress than to 
have an energy policy in this country. We have talked about it now for 
months. I am on the Energy Committee, as well as the Finance Committee. 
We have talked about energy for a very long time. We did not have a 
chance to put it together in the committee but, rather, the majority 
leader took it away from the committee and brought it to the floor.
  So now we find ourselves in a very difficult position by putting 
together a very complex bill, but hopefully starting in the next day or 
two we will have an opportunity to do that. I hope my friend from North 
Dakota will have an opportunity to talk about wind energy and the 
opportunities to do something with it at that time. It seems to me that 
is the appropriate time to do it.

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