[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 133 (Wednesday, September 29, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1813]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




INTRODUCTION OF THE MARINE AND HYDROKINETIC RENEWABLE ENERGY PROMOTION 
                              ACT OF 2010

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JAY INSLEE

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 29, 2010

  Mr. INSLEE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Marine and 
Hydrokinetic Renewable Energy Promotion Act of 2010, a bill to promote 
the development of renewable energy from our oceans and rivers, using 
the tides, currents, waves and even the thermal properties of our 
oceans to generate electricity. I also want to acknowledge the work of 
Chairman Brian Baird, my friend and Washington state colleague, who 
joins me in introducing this important legislation.
  This bill will bolster research and development in marine renewable 
energy, to ensure the industry overcomes existing barriers to 
deployment so that our ocean and tidal currents can deliver power to 
homes and businesses in American communities. Improved federal research 
programs are key to meeting our long-term energy security and climate 
mitigation goals, and creating American jobs in the marine hydrokinetic 
industry.
  A study by University of Washington, Virginia Tech Advanced Research 
Institute, and Electric Power Research Institute that was published in 
HydroReview stated that marine renewable resources could yield 51,000 
MW of power--equivalent to 34 conventional coal-fired power plants. Yet 
at this time, our nation's commitment to this technology lags behind 
countries in Europe and Asia.
  In Washington state, the private sector, universities, research 
institutions and public utilities are already working to bring 
affordable, reliable and abundant electricity to major urban load 
centers located near Puget Sound. But these, and similar efforts across 
the country, need national support in order to truly realize the 
benefits of commercial-scale marine hydrokinetic projects in the United 
States.
  This bill will expand the renewable energy research and development 
program at the U.S. Department of Energy, so that Americans do not lose 
out on the global race to create and manufacture marine renewable 
energy technologies. To do so, the bill creates a competitive 
demonstration grant program to test technologies, devices and systems 
at a variety of scales to facilitate commercial application. The 
environmental research program established in this bill will also help 
us best monitor the environmental impacts of these projects, to help 
disseminate information on ways to identify and avoid any negative 
environmental impacts to protect our marine environment. Additionally, 
the bill will expand a Department of Energy research program to set up 
MHK test facilities in the United States, which are critical in our 
efforts to demonstrate a wide range of technologies, and evaluate the 
technical viability of each new and emerging type of technology at 
different scales.
  In closing, I also want to thank the expert staff on the Science and 
Technology Subcommittee on Energy and Environment for their extensive 
knowledge of this issue and hard work. I urge my colleagues to 
cosponsor this bill, and hope that we can work together to move it 
towards passage as soon as possible.

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