[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 172 (Tuesday, December 21, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2226]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 FINAL STAFF REPORT OF THE SELECT COMMITTEE ON ENERGY INDEPENDENCE AND 
                             GLOBAL WARMING

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. EDWARD J. MARKEY

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 21, 2010

  Mr. MARKEY of Massachusetts. Madam Speaker, I hereby submit to the 
Congressional Record the executive summary of the Final Staff Report 
from the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming on 
the committee's activities in the 110th Congress. A full copy of the 
Select Committee's Final Staff Report for the 110th Congress can be 
found at globalwarming.house.gov.

               Final Staff Report for the 111th Congress


                                SUMMARY

       We are at a watershed moment in the history of energy 
     production--and the choices we make at this juncture will 
     determine the fate of our planet and the national security 
     and economic future of the United States. Between now and 
     2030, roughly $26 trillion will be invested in energy 
     infrastructure worldwide. Clean energy will likely make up an 
     increasing share of this investment with every passing year. 
     The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that $5.7 
     trillion will be invested in renewable electricity generation 
     alone between 2010 and 2035. This new infrastructure is long-
     lived and costly, and the decisions made in the next decade 
     will set the course of the global and U.S. energy system--and 
     of the global climate--for the next century and beyond. This 
     transition also presents an unprecedented opportunity for 
     economic growth and job creation in the clean energy 
     technology sector. Other countries are taking the lead in 
     clean energy and the United States must act now if it is to 
     remain competitive in this rapidly developing global market.
       Global climate change presents one of the gravest threats 
     to our planet's health, and to America's economy, its 
     national security, and its public health. Scientists warn 
     that we may be approaching a tipping point, after which it 
     will become increasingly difficult, or perhaps impossible, to 
     halt global warming and its catastrophic effects. The United 
     States confronts this issue at the same time it faces a 
     deepening energy crisis--characterized by skyrocketing 
     prices, high dependence on foreign oil, and continued--
     reliance on high-carbon fuels that worsen the climate crisis.
       The Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global 
     Warming was created by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi in 
     2007 to examine and make recommendations on the interrelated 
     issues of energy independence, national security, America's 
     economic future and global warming.
       During its four years, the Select Committee held 80 
     hearings and briefings, conducted investigations, led fact 
     finding trips with Congressional members, and contributed to 
     the most active four years in energy and climate policy 
     development and debate in the United States Congress.
       As a result of the Select Committee's work in raising the 
     profile of energy and climate issues, and spurring increased 
     debate, the House of Representatives passed several pieces of 
     legislation that will reduce our nation's consumption of 
     foreign oil, increase energy efficiency, and create new jobs 
     in the clean energy sector.
       In 2007, the first year of the Select Committee, the House 
     passed the Energy Independence and Security Act, which 
     included fuel economy provisions co-authored by Rep. Edward 
     J. Markey, Chairman of the Select Committee. The bill also 
     increased America's use of advanced biofuels, and updated 
     energy efficiency standards for appliances and lighting 
     systems.
       The Select Committee also was instrumental in pushing for 
     increased investment in clean energy technologies. The 
     American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 invested $90 
     billion in clean energy, which jump-started new domestic 
     industries like advanced electric batteries, boosted 
     household energy efficiency, and helped key renewable energy 
     sectors like wind and solar avoid collapse during the 
     recession.
       In June of 2009, the House passed the Waxman-Markey 
     American Clean Energy and Security Act, the first passage of 
     a comprehensive energy and climate bill in the history of the 
     U.S. Congress. The bill set ambitious carbon reduction 
     targets, which were used by U.S. negotiators to craft the 
     Copenhagen Accord. It also created a roadmap to create clean 
     energy jobs and the next generation of clean energy 
     technologies.
       These legislative achievements happened as historic events 
     indicated that swift action was needed to address a strained 
     energy system and a dangerously destabilized climate. The 
     years 2007-2010 are all in the top ten warmest years on 
     record, according to NASA. Oil and gasoline prices peaked to 
     record levels in 2007 and are on the rise again as the 
     country emerges from the recession.
       As the Select Committee ends its tenure of progress, it is 
     clear that there is much left to be done to stabilize our 
     global climate, and spur the development of clean energy 
     technology and jobs here in America.
       This report summarizes the results and findings of the 
     Select Committee's hearings and investigations, highlights 
     legislative accomplishments that flow from the information it 
     has developed and makes recommendations for steps moving 
     forward. We begin with a discussion of the key issue of 
     energy independence.

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