[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 188 (Monday, December 10, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2529-E2530]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              ENERGY INDEPENDENCE AND SECURITY ACT OF 2007

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. ROSA L. DeLAURO

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, December 6, 2007

  Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, we know what is possible for our Nation if 
we choose to move seriously and quickly down the path to energy 
independence. We know what this choice means.
  Energy independence means demanding more efficiency and smarter 
technology for our cars, homes, businesses and industry. Energy 
independence means investing in our communities and creating the 
resources and workforce necessary for expanding markets. It means 
developing new technologies that create new jobs through America's 
economic backbone: our innovation industries.
  If we want to make opportunity real for more Americans--if we want to 
keep our Nation strong even as our new economy continues to change--
there is no better way to do it than by investing in a new energy 
future.
  The Energy Independence and Security Act meets our obligations as a 
nation at every point along the spectrum: promoting renewable energy, 
growing our economy, creating new jobs, lowering energy prices, and 
beginning to address global warming.
  We are taking on an initiative more ambitious than ever, to be sure, 
but nothing less will secure our Nation's energy future.
  Of course, our energy challenges have never been more urgent--
threatening our environment, our economy, and our national security--
but we have been dealing with many of these issues for quite a while: 
As far back as 1925, Henry Ford touted ethanol as the fuel of the 
future.
  Well, more than eight decades later we still have some work to do 
when it comes to potential solutions like biofuels, especially in my 
region of the country. There are still no E85 fueling stations in 
Connecticut, and the first public biodiesel station in the State opened 
just last week.
  We must understand that despite some of the current drawbacks of 
corn-derived ethanol, biofuels are a critical first step--not so much a 
panacea or a solution, but a transition into a more sustainable process 
toward cellulosic ethanol.
  But the real question is: How do we respond? How do we in New England 
respond when access remains limited? And how do we as a Congress 
respond right now, as families and businesses across America struggle 
with skyrocketing gas prices and escalating home heating costs. Do we 
bury our head in the sand or do we aspire to achieve something great. 
If we give consumers and businesses the opportunity to be it part of a 
real transformation, our entire Nation will reap the benefits.
  It is already happening: Last year, I was very proud to help unveil 
the first large-scale biodiesel plant in my State, in the town of 
Bethlehem. Today, the BioPur Company is producing over 400,000 gallons 
of pure biodiesel annually and plans to double production within a year 
to meet the growing demand.
  Spurring that kind of change is why I came to the Congress, and I 
believe it is at the core of our mission on the Agriculture 
Appropriations Subcommittee which I chair.
  With this year's House Agriculture Appropriations spending bill we 
made significant new investment--$1.2 billion; a 215 percent increase 
over the president's request--to promote renewable energy, 
strengthening research and education to make biofuels a priority and 
moving us further down the path to energy independence.
  And we can do that again today by passing the Energy Independence and 
Security Act, providing a historic commitment to the homegrown biofuels 
that will fuel our cars and trucks: diversifying our energy crops from 
coast to coast with a robust increase in the renewable fuels standard; 
requiring 9 billion gallons of renewable fuels in 2008 and 
progressively increasing to a 36 billion gallon requirement by 2022; 
incentives to boost their production and increase the number of flex 
fuel and hybrid vehicles.

[[Page E2530]]

  And, of course, we are taking the long overdue step to increase 
vehicle efficiency standards to 35 miles per gallon by 2020--Providing 
the automobile industry the certainty it needs, while offering 
flexibility to automakers and ensuring that we keep American 
manufacturing jobs and continue domestic production of fuel efficient 
vehicles.
  The Union of Concerned Scientists, UCS, reports that these higher 
standards will cut oil imports by 1.1 million barrels per day in 2020. 
That is about half the amount we currently import from the entire 
Persian Gulf. If these standards had already been in place this year, 
the average driver would have used 160 fewer gallons of gas, and saved 
$500. But let's not look back, when we can move forward and embrace 
tomorrow's great challenges.
  This is an investment in the generations to come. But we also have it 
responsibility to working and middle class families today. A 2006 study 
from the National Renewable Energy Lab, NREL, identified the shortage 
of skills and training as a leading non-technical barrier to renewable 
energy and energy efficiency growth. The NREL study identified a number 
of critical unmet training needs, including lack of reliable 
installation, maintenance, and inspection services, the shortage of key 
technical and manufacturing skills, and failure of the educational 
system to provide adequate training in new technologies.
  That is why this bill authorizes $125 million to establish national 
and state job training programs in the renewable energy and energy 
efficiency fields, training a quality workforce for ``green'' collar 
jobs--such as solar panel manufacturer and green building construction 
worker.

  In Connecticut we have already seen the local job growth that comes 
with investment and innovation in biofuel and fuel cell technology. 
Now, for example, this bill provides an 8-year extension of a tax 
credit for investments in fuel-cell properties with a credit of $3,000 
per kilowatt capacity--expressed in the tax code as $1,500 per half 
kilowatt capacity--or 30 percent, whichever is less. Looking forward, 
we know that major investments in renewable energy could create 3 
million green jobs nationally over 10 years.
  And we are doing it responsibly. This legislation does not add to the 
deficit and all revenue offsets resulted from bipartisan negotiations.
  It is time to stop talking about energy independence and start moving 
toward it. The American people get that and they want us to act today. 
It is no wonder this bill has won the support and praise from such a 
broad coalition of environmental, business and labor organizations--
from farm groups to faith groups, from the United Auto Workers to the 
U.S. Conference of Mayors. For years, President Bush has talked about 
breaking our addiction to fossil fuel, State of the Union after State 
of the Union. But now that he actually has an opportunity to make good 
on that promise, it seems he would rather make a hollow political 
gesture with his veto pen.
  We deserve better. This bill represents a critical turning point and 
bold statement: On the path toward energy independence, the status quo 
is not an option. There is nothing America cannot achieve if we put our 
minds to it, harnessing our future to our own spirit of ingenuity and 
innovation.

                          ____________________