[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 109 (Monday, July 20, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1852]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




LETTER FROM THE SUSTAINABLE ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT COALITION RE: ENERGY 
                       AND WATER APPROPS OF 2010

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. RUSS CARNAHAN

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, July 20, 2009

  Mr. CARNAHAN. Madam Speaker, I submit the following letter:

                                Congress of the United States,

                                    Washington, DC, July 15, 2009.
     Hon. David R. Obey,
     Chairman, Committee on Appropriations, Rayburn House Office 
         Building, U.S. Capitol, Washington, DC.
     Hon. Ed Pastor,
     Acting Chairman, Subcommittee on Energy and Water 
         Development, Rayburn House Office Building, U.S. Capitol, 
         Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Obey and Acting Chairman Pastor: As members 
     of the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC), 
     we thank and commend you for your continuing leadership in 
     making the investments in clean energy and energy efficiency 
     technologies that are essential for a transition to a 
     cleaner, more prosperous and independent American energy 
     future.
       As a Coalition we believe firmly in the advancement of the 
     technologies that will provide cleaner, more economically and 
     environmentally sustainable energy to every segment of our 
     economy. Further, as members of SEEC we have fought 
     continuously for investments in research and development of 
     renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies that will 
     spawn a new American clean energy economy that will create 
     jobs, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and arrest the 
     progression of global climate change.
       In a meeting on June 16th, 2009, Secretary of Energy Steven 
     Chu expressed to our members his desire for a new American 
     energy future. As a part of his visionary plan to bring this 
     future to reality, the Secretary called for the creation of 
     eight ``Energy Innovation Hubs'' for the advanced research 
     and development of the energy technologies that will allow 
     America to lead the world in a twenty-first century energy 
     economy.
       Under the Energy and Water Appropriations, Fiscal Year 2010 
     legislation, funding has been allocated for the Department of 
     Energy to establish one Energy Innovation Hub. According to 
     the Department of Energy, this Hub would be chartered for the 
     research and development of ``Fuels from Sunlight'' 
     technologies. While we stand with the Secretary of Energy in 
     supporting the research and development of game-changing, 
     twenty-first century fuel technologies, we would like to 
     express support for the establishment of a second Energy 
     Innovation Hub--using existing funding appropriated to the 
     Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy--for the 
     research and development of ``Energy Efficient Building 
     Systems''.
       The creation of an Energy Innovation Hub to research and 
     develop advancements in increasing the energy efficiency of 
     buildings is a high priority for the Secretary and the 
     Department of Energy. As a nation, our built environment 
     accounts for 40 percent of our carbon dioxide emissions, and 
     consumes 70 percent of the electricity from our electric 
     grid. A lack of energy efficiency contributes to higher 
     energy prices and greater greenhouse gas emissions for homes 
     and for businesses in every state. Greater and more 
     widespread energy efficiency in buildings would result in 
     lower energy prices, less greenhouse gas emissions, and less 
     wasted use of our energy resources. Therefore, we would like 
     to work with the Committee on Appropriations, the 
     Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, and the 
     Department of Energy to realize the creation of an Energy 
     Innovation Hub to research and develop Energy Efficient 
     Building Systems.
           Sincerely,
            The Members of the Sustainable Energy and Environment 
                                                        Coalition,
         Russ Carnahan, Jared Polis, Jay Inslee, Paul Hodes, Paul 
           Tonko, Tammy Baldwin, Martin Heinrich, Betsy Markey, 
           Donna Christensen, Peter Welch, Bruce Braley, Mike 
           Honda, Jim McDermott, Ben Ray Lujan, Jim Himes, David 
           Loebsack, Members of Congress.

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