[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 102 (Friday, June 22, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1399]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 
                                  2008

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                             HON. DAVE CAMP

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 20, 2007

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 2641) making 
     appropriations for energy and water development and related 
     agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2008, and 
     for other purposes:

  Mr. CAMP of Michigan. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of a 
project that deserves the support of every member of this House. The 
Great Lakes Energy Research Park, which is to be located in the heart 
of the district I represent, will be the first Integrated Gasification 
Combined-Cycle facility in the world to co-produce (1) over 728 Mw of 
electric power and (2) permanently sequester over 3.8 million tons per 
year of carbon dioxide which will ultimately recover over 180 million 
barrels of stranded oil. Let me repeat that--180 million barrels of 
stranded oil. I'm not talking about new drilling in environmentally 
sensitive areas and I'm not talking about opening up new wells. I am 
talking about finally tapping much needed resources that yesterday's 
technology simply could not drive out of the ground. Additionally, it 
is important to note that this bed of oil reserves is located in the 
geographic center of Michigan--not in the Great Lakes, and far from 
Hurricane Alley, where most of our crude wells lie. As we learned from 
Katrina, geographic diversity is as an important topic in the energy 
debate as is alternative energies. So, as we discuss utilizing new 
technologies, clean technologies to solve our dependence on foreign 
crude, we would be foolish to ignore the types of technology being put 
in place in Alma, Michigan.
  This project, however, is about much more than recovering stranded 
oil. This facility is designed in such a way to virtually utilize every 
byproduct of energy production. With this type of forward thinking it 
is no wonder that the project has received support from a wide variety 
of local community groups, institutions, citizens and organizations. 
Included among the list of proponents are the City of Alma, Michigan, 
Firstbank of Alma, Michigan, the Gratiot Medical Center, Alma College, 
the Gratiot County Board of Commissioners and the Gratiot Area Chamber 
of Commerce.
  Mr. Chairman, as American families and businesses grapple with rising 
energy costs, the Great Lakes Energy Research Park can be a part of the 
solution. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this unique 
effort to produce more energy here in America.

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