[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 155 (Friday, October 23, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2622]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      SOLAR TECHNOLOGY ROADMAP ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                             HON. DAVID WU

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 22, 2009

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration of the bill (H.R. 3585) to 
     guide and provide for United States research, development, 
     and demonstration of solar energy technologies, and for other 
     purposes:

  Mr. WU. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of H.R. 3585, the Solar 
Technology Road-Map Act. I want to commend Chairman Gordon for his 
efforts to bring this bill to the floor, and Ms. Giffords for her 
continued leadership on solar technology.
  H.R. 3585 provides funding for solar technology research, development 
and demonstration activities. It also creates a committee to develop a 
road map that will assess the 
near-, mid- and long-term needs for solar research. This assessment 
will become the basis for future investments in solar energy by the 
Department of Energy.
  My district is a great example of the potential for solar energy. Not 
because of the amount of sun it receives, but because of the number of 
jobs it has created. Solar World, a solar panel manufacturer, has its 
U.S. headquarters located in Hillsboro, Oregon and employs 1,000 people 
building solar panels and produces enough PV panels to supply the 
entire North and South American markets. With our state's unemployment 
rate hovering above 11 percent, this company's investment in our state 
during these difficult times is welcome news. It is my hope that a 
continued investment in solar energy will result in thousands of more 
jobs in the coming years.
  We have been working to diversify our energy portfolio to create and 
develop renewable energy sources and reduce our dependence on foreign 
fossil fuels. This bill will create further research opportunities for 
solar technology and will create a plan that will guide our future 
investments in solar energy.
  This bill will help build upon the success of previous investments. 
It is about economic competitiveness and job creation as much as it is 
about clean renewable energy and less dependence on imported fuels. 
Again I thank Chairman Gordon and Ms. Giffords for their leadership.

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