[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 3]
[Senate]
[Page 3330]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   NATIONAL LABORATORIES PARTNERSHIP IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 2001--Resumed

  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will report the pending 
business.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 517) to authorize funding for the Department of 
     Energy to enhance its mission areas through technology 
     transfer and partnerships for fiscal years 2002 through 2006, 
     and for other purposes.

  Pending:

       Daschle/Bingaman further modified amendment No. 2917, in 
     the nature of a substitute.
       Feinstein amendment No. 2989 (to amendment No. 2917), to 
     provide regulatory oversight over energy trading markets.
       Kerry/McCain amendment No. 2999 (to amendment No. 2917), to 
     provide for increased average fuel economy standards for 
     passenger automobiles and light trucks.
       Dayton/Grassley amendment No. 3008 (to amendment No. 2917), 
     to require that Federal agencies use ethanol-blended gasoline 
     and biodiesel-blended diesel fuel in areas in which ethanol-
     blended gasoline and biodiesel-blended diesel fuel are 
     available.
       Bingaman amendment No. 3016 (to amendment No. 2917), to 
     clarify the provisions relating to the Renewable Portfolio 
     Standard.
       Lott amendment No. 3028 (to amendment No. 2917), to provide 
     for the fair treatment of Presidential judicial nominees.

  Mr. MURKOWSKI. Madam President, during this lull in the debate of the 
energy bill I would like to take a moment to thank the Senator from New 
Mexico and his staff for all of their hard work and cooperation on the 
Alaska gas pipeline title of this bill.
  Mr. BINGAMAN. I thank the Senator for those kind words. This is an 
important energy policy initiative for the nation. I thought we had a 
good beginning with the amendments that were offered and debated last 
week.
  Mr. MURKOWSKI. I agree, it was a good start. However, we still have a 
fair piece to go before we reach the end of this trail. If the Senator 
would recall during last week's debate I mentioned that there were a 
number of additional items that would need to be addressed before we 
completed our legislative effort on this important issue.
  These additional items include crafting language that sets procedures 
in place for allocating initial gas capacity of the pipeline and for 
any subsequent expansions that might be warranted based on new 
discoveries or additional needs in Lower 48 markets.
  Mr. BINGAMAN. Yes, I do recall the Senator's remarks and I am aware 
that there are several additional items that are being worked on at the 
staff level. I particularly hope we will be able to make some 
improvements that will assist in lowering the overall risk associated 
with this $20 billion project.
  These include enhancing the ability of the Pipeline Coordinator 
created in the gas pipeline title to keep the numerous Federal and 
State agencies that will be involved in this project working in a 
cooperative and coordinated fashion and providing for clear and 
expedited procedures for resolving legal challenges that might arise 
during permitting and construction of the pipeline. Streamlining the 
permitting process will help reduce the risks of delay and added costs 
to the project.
  Mr. MURKOWSKI. I do indeed understand what my friend from New Mexico 
is saying. This point is especially true when you recall that the oil 
and gas producers who hold the leases on the Prudhoe Bay gas have 
stated publicly that the project as it now stands is uneconomical. Any 
legislative language that adds risk or cost to the project will simply 
make it impossible to build the Alaska gas transportation system--and 
this will deny the American consumers with access to a dependable, 
long-term, and economic supply of domestic natural gas.
  Mr. BINGAMAN. I agree with the Senator from Alaska. We must be 
extremely careful in crafting language for inclusion in the gas title; 
poorly thought out concepts can add significant risk to this project.
  I suggest that we continue our cooperative efforts as we have in the 
past. I believe that by working together we can get this project built, 
and that will benefit both the people of Alaska and the entire gas 
consuming public across the United States.
  Mr. MURKOWSKI. I agree completely and I look forward to continuing 
our efforts. I particularly appreciate the Senator's understanding the 
need to allow Alaskans access to the North Slope gas reserves. As in 
the Nation, my State needs abundant and dependable gas supplies to fuel 
the growth of our economy over the next three decades.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Utah.
  Mr. BENNETT. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent I might be 
allowed to speak as in morning business for up to 7 minutes.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.

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