[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 70 (Tuesday, June 6, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1020-E1021]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2007

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                            HON. JAY INSLEE

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 24, 2006

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 5427), 
     making appropriations for energy and water development for 
     the fiscal year ending September 30, 2007, and for other 
     purposes:

  Mr. INSLEE. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to bring your attention to a 
technology that will revolutionize our electricity resources. This 
Congress has recognized that energy challenges need to be explored 
through alternative, renewable and clean energy sources to enable a 
diverse national energy resource plan. However, the rhetoric of 
supporting alternate fuels hasn't been met with the policies enacted by 
the House of Representatives. The Energy and Water Appropriations Act 
of Fiscal Year 2007 fails to recognize an area of energy exploration 
that other nations are well-ahead of us in tapping--ocean wave energy.
  There is an increasing need for reliable, non-polluting sources of 
economic electrical power throughout the world. The Electrical Power 
Research Institute, EPRI, has carried out a comprehensive economic 
study of wave generation and has concluded that the economics of wave 
generation are at least as favorable as for wind generation, EPRI study

[[Page E1021]]

shows that tidal is as favorable as wind and that wave would be as 
favorable if the same resources for wind had been invested which has 
now achieved economic competitiveness and is undergoing extensive 
worldwide growth.
  It is estimated that if 0.2 percent of the oceans' untapped energy 
could be harnessed, it could provide power sufficient for the entire 
world.
  Wave Energy has several advantages over other forms of renewable 
energy such as wind and solar including higher energy densities, 
enabling devices to extract more power from a smaller volume at much 
lower costs (e.g., the density of water is about 1000 times that of 
air).
  The availability of wave energy is in the 80-90 percent range, 
whereas wind availability is in the 30-45 percent range depending on 
location. Wave energy is also more predictable, with energy forecast 
times of greater than 10 hours, thus enabling more straightforward and 
reliable integration into the electric utility grid to provide reliable 
power.
  Unfortunately, these developments have once again been ignored by 
Congress. While the FY 07 Energy and Water appropriations bill provides 
just over $24 billion for the Department of Energy, it fails to provide 
any funding for the ocean energy program.
  Ocean wave energy extraction technology is currently in the 
preliminary stages of development, at the same stage that wind turbines 
were approximately 15-20 years ago. Several technologies are being 
developed, and yet no clear superior engineering solution has been 
established. I urge my fellow colleagues to understand to recognize any 
opportunity to support this new endeavor and make the United States a 
leader in tapping into this alternative, renewable energy source.
  I am very pleased that this bill fully funds the American 
Competitiveness Initiative which would strengthen basic research by 
increasing funding for the DOE Office of Science, for a total of $4 
billion. In addition, the bill supports the Advance Energy initiative 
by increasing funding for a variety of clean energy technologies, 
including biomass, hydrogen, solar, wind and clean coal. However, 
again, it includes no funding or support for ocean wave energy.
  The new Energy Policy Act of 2005 adopted into law recognized for the 
first time the value of wave power to the US economy. Ocean energy 
research and development was authorized by this Congress. It should be 
supported and funded by this Congress.

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