[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 156 (Tuesday, October 16, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2148-E2149]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          25 BY '25 RESOLUTION

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                            HON. JERRY MORAN

                               of kansas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, October 15, 2007

  Mr. MORAN of Kansas. Madam Speaker, today the House of 
Representatives is considering an important piece of legislation. House 
Concurrent Resolution 25 expresses Congress's support for a goal that 
is an essential component in our attempt to achieve energy 
independence. That goal is to produce 25 percent of our Nation's energy 
needs from renewable resources by the year 2025. I support the goal 
enumerated in this concurrent resolution because it is not a blanket 
endorsement of any particular renewable. Instead, it is inclusive and 
accommodates all forms of renewable energy including all forms of 
biofuel and wind, solar, geothermal, and hydro energy.
  In addition, House Concurrent Resolution 25 does not proclaim 
renewable resources are the sole solution to this United States energy 
crisis. Rather, it sets an ambitious, yet achievable goal for the 
renewable resources sector, while recognizing that in the next 20 years 
renewable resources will not be the only method necessary to meet our 
energy needs. The flexible, multifaceted nature of this concurrent 
resolution is the model for which this Nation should build its future 
energy policy.
  The United States must look to alternative energy sources to meet our 
Nation's energy needs. In recent years, oil imports have soared. We now 
import approximately 60 percent of the oil used in this country. Some 
of these imports come from countries that have populations hostile to 
the United States and its citizens. The consequence of our reliance on 
imports of oil from volatile regions is that a portion of the money we 
spend to supply our energy needs may actually go to fund terrorist 
groups that wish to do us harm. Supplanting foreign oil imports with 
home-grown renewable

[[Page E2149]]

energy not only keeps economic activity in the United States, but is a 
vital component of national security.

  As I previously stated, the 25 x '25 vision is an inclusive goal that 
strives to be responsible in its mission. The resolution does not 
endorse actions that will skew the marketplace. It calls for solutions 
that are ``practical'' and ``cost effective.'' The goal is not endorsed 
to the detriment of existing demands on our renewable resources. House 
Concurrent Resolution 25 states that in attaining the 25 percent 
benchmark, the Nation should ``continue to produce safe, abundant, and 
affordable food, feed, and fiber.''
  The resolution also advocates for an implementation strategy that is 
``practical'' and ``cost effective.'' Congress should heed this advice. 
It must seek to accomplish the goal of House Concurrent Resolution 25, 
but it should not adopt policies that are enacted at the expense of one 
renewable resource over another or at the expense of preexisting 
domestic energy sources. We must find comprehensive solutions to our 
energy needs.
  In the United States today we are seeing great progress in expanding 
the scope of renewable energy. One recent development that I believe 
will help us accomplish the goal of 25 x '25 is the conception of the 
cellulosic ethanol industry, an ethanol industry that utilizes non-
grain based plant products to produce ethanol. In my home State of 
Kansas, it was recently announced that construction of one of the 
Nation's first industrial-sized cellulosic ethanol plants will begin in 
Hugoton, KS. I am proud that this monumental step in the biofuel 
industry is occurring in Kansas and I hope that this technology can 
continue to develop over time.
  Although development of the cellulosic ethanol industry is a great 
achievement, we must realize that ethanol is not the only component 
needed to accomplish the 25 x '25 vision. Often overlooked are the 
contributions of wind and solar energy. To accomplish the goal of 25 x 
'25, it will take the contributions of all the Nation's citizens. Wind 
and solar projects may not only need to be welcomed into our 
communities but in some instances literally into our backyards. 
Emerging technologies are making small-scale wind and solar power a 
reality.

  Also, lost in the debate is the need to conserve energy. The 25 x '25 
goal is more easily achieved if we control our accelerated quest for 
more energy. If we can find an economical and technological means of 
increasing fuel economy in the cars and trucks we manufacture, it will 
be easier for biofuels like ethanol and biodiesel to capture a greater 
share of an existing market.
  Finally, while I am an arduous supporter of renewable energy, we must 
not overlook traditional domestically produced energy sources. Congress 
must not punish existing and still feasible forms of domestic energy in 
its attempt to grow the renewable market. Although not directly 
implicated by the 25 x '25 goal, efficient development of renewable 
energy markets cannot proceed without existing forms of energy. For 
example, nitrogen fertilizer is a key component producing the corn from 
which ethanol is made. Most nitrogen fertilizer utilized in the United 
States is produced using natural gas.
  The vision embodied by House Concurrent Resolution 25 is a goal that 
Congress should support and the American people should work to achieve. 
Utilizing renewable resources in a responsible fashion is good for the 
environment, good for U.S. workers, and helps move the Nation toward 
energy independence.

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