[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 177 (Wednesday, December 2, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2864]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               ENERGY AND WATER RESEARCH INTEGRATION ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. SHEILA JACKSON-LEE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 1, 2009

  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise before you today in 
support of H.R. 3598, ``Energy and Water Research Integration Act''. I 
would like thank my colleague, Rep. Bart Gordon, for introducing this 
important legislation.
  I support this legislation because our country faces immense 
challenges with increased demand on our energy and water resources. It 
is for that reason that this bill is a critical component of our 
country's energy strategy. According to the Department of Energy's 
National Energy Technology Laboratory, the thermoelectric power sector 
accounts for 39 percent of total freshwater withdrawal in the United 
States, and 3.3 percent of total freshwater consumption.
  Not only do we need vast quantities of water for energy production, 
but we also need energy to transport and treat water. Water resource 
problems are intensifying across all regions of the country. As demand 
for water continues to rise and supplies dwindle, it has become 
increasingly apparent that the federal government should create a 
comprehensive strategy for energy-water research and development of new 
technologies to ensure sustainable water and energy supplies.
  This legislation takes the first steps toward tackling these problems 
by directing the Secretary of Energy, in carrying out energy research, 
development, and demonstration programs of the Department of Energy 
(DOE), to: seek to advance energy and energy efficiency technologies 
and practices that would minimize freshwater withdrawal and 
consumption, increase water use efficiency, and utilize nontraditional 
water sources with efforts to improve the quality of that water; 
consider the effects climate change may have on water supplies and 
quality for energy generation and fuel production; and improve 
understanding of the energy required to provide water supplies and the 
water required to provide reliable energy supplies throughout the 
United States.
  It further requires the Secretary to incorporate specified 
considerations, including: new advanced cooling technologies for energy 
generation and fuel production technologies; innovative water reuse, 
recovery, and treatment in energy generation and fuel production; and 
reduction of water resource impacts of fossil fuel resource 
development.
  Finally, this bill directs the Secretary, in coordination with other 
relevant federal agencies, to establish an Energy-Water Architecture 
Council to promote and enable improved energy and water resource data 
collection, reporting, and technological innovation.
  This Council would be required to: adopt data collection and 
communication standards and protocols for the energy required to 
provide water supplies and the water required to provide reliable 
energy supplies; make improvements to federal water use data to 
increase understanding of trends in power plant water use; integrate 
existing monitoring networks to provide nationally uniform water and 
energy use and infrastructure data; and conduct an annual technical 
workshop to facilitate information exchange among experts on 
technologies that encourage the conservation and efficient use of water 
energy.
  With these first steps, our country will be far better informed about 
the challenges wrought by increasing demands for water and energy, and 
so will be better able to face them.

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