[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 36 (Tuesday, March 4, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E296]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     THE INTERNATIONAL RENEWABLE ENERGY AGENCY (IRENA) ACT OF 2008

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                         HON. EDWARD J. MARKEY

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, March 4, 2008

  Mr. MARKEY. Madam Speaker, I am introducing the International 
Renewable Energy Agency Act today because our energy security, the 
health of our planet, and the strength of our economy have reached a 
critical juncture. As gasoline prices creep towards $4 per gallon, and 
emissions of heat-trapping gases continue to climb to dangerous levels, 
two things have become clear. First, a fundamental change is needed in 
the way we generate and use energy here at home. Secondly, the rest of 
the world must be also part of this new energy future. The legislation 
I am introducing today calls for the establishment of an International 
Renewable Energy Agency, IRENA, to address both of these challenges.
  This week, world leaders from government, civil society and private 
business are meeting as part of the Washington International Renewable 
Energy Conference, WIREC, of 2008 to discuss a major scale-up in the 
deployment of renewable energy technology around the world. This 
collaboration is a good start, but the urgency of global warming and 
our dependence on oil require that we take the lead in creating a 
permanent international agency to drive the development and deployment 
of renewable energy in all countries, including ours.
  Despite the enormous strides renewable energy and energy efficiency 
technologies have made over the last several years, hurdles remain to 
major and rapid scale-up on the level needed to meet the world's need 
for energy while also addressing global warming. IRENA will provide the 
institutional support needed to address the technological, financial, 
informational, and policy barriers that keep renewable energy and 
energy efficiency technologies from reaching their full potential.
  Renewable energy has the potential to reduce global warming pollution 
while also creating millions of ``green jobs,'' reducing our dependence 
on foreign sources of energy, and spurring the technological 
development that will fuel the global economy over the coming century.
  New investment in clean energy technology worldwide topped $148 
billion in 2007, an increase of 60 percent over 2006 and up from just 
$33 billion in 2004. However, about two thirds of this investment lies 
in just six countries. Over the next two decades, greenhouse gas 
emissions from developing countries are projected to grow at more than 
twice the rate of those in developed countries. Encouraging growth of 
renewable energy in developing countries reduces the extent and 
likelihood that these economies will follow a carbon-intensive, fossil 
energy development path. It also opens a valuable market for the clean 
energy companies that developed economies will rely on for growth over 
the coming century. The International Renewable Energy Agency will have 
the independence, credibility, and expertise necessary to assist 
governments at the national, state, and local level implement renewable 
energy policies and projects.
  Existing international energy agencies were formed to address narrow 
problems. The International Energy Agency, IEA: oil security and fuel 
supply disruptions. The International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA: 
nuclear proliferation and safety. With the aid of institutional 
support, these energy resources became foundations of modern economies. 
An international renewable energy agency is needed to support the 
unique problems facing renewable energy: marketplace failures, 
political inertia, and information gaps. To this end, IRENA will:
  Support governments in drafting policies and programs for the 
promotion of renewable energy and energy efficiency measures;
  Assist governments in conducting studies that analyze the potential 
of renewable energies and the appropriateness of different 
technologies;
  Provide long-term projections and scenarios based on existing data 
and policy in order to identify opportunities as well as gaps, 
barriers, and failures in markets and policies;
  Organize training programs, information campaigns, and courses for 
civil servants, scientists, businesses, and non-government 
organizations;
  Supply curriculum for schools and universities on relevant renewable 
energy topics;
  Work with financial institutions to support innovative financing 
mechanisms for renewable energy projects;
  Develop international norms and quality standards;
  Gather and disseminate data, statistics, and reports on renewable 
energy deployment, policy approaches, and technology development.
  The status quo is not working for America or the planet. The 
environmental, energy, and economic problems we are facing are largely 
due to a failed energy policy. An international renewable energy agency 
represents an opportunity for America to change its energy path and 
confront global warming while reestablishing its leadership role and 
reputation in the international community.

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