[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 18]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 24501]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          EARMARK DECLARATION

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. BRIAN P. BILBRAY

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, October 7, 2009

  Mr. BILBRAY. Madam Speaker, I would like to submit the following 
Earmark request:
  Requesting Member: Congressman Brian Bilbray
  Bill Number: Conference Report to H.R. 3183, FY 2010 Energy and Water 
Appropriations
  Account: EERE
  Legal Name of Requesting Entity: UC San Diego
  Address of Requesting Entity: 9500 Gilman Drive, San Diego CA 92093
  Description of Request: I received $750,000 for the San Diego Center 
for Algae Biotechnology (SD-CAB). SD-CAB is a consortium of renowned 
research institutions--including UC San Diego, The Scripps Research 
Institute, the Salk Institute, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, San 
Diego State University and other regional entities--that are 
collaborating with industry partners in a broad-scale research effort 
to develop advanced transportation fuels from algae. Scientists from 
these institutions established SD-CAB in an effort to make sustainable 
algae-based fuel production and carbon dioxide abatement a reality 
within the next 5 to 10 years. The primary goal of the center is to 
create a national facility capable of developing and implementing 
innovative research solutions for the commercialization of fuel 
production from algae. Algae biofuels have the potential to provide a 
secure and renewable source of transportation fuel that is at least 
carbon neutral, and does not compete for land or fresh water resources 
required to grow food supply crops.
  To further establish the SD-CAB as a national research resource for 
the sustainable development of algae-based biofuels, I made a project 
request intended to help develop the facilities necessary to the 
production and culturing of a variety of algae strains. These 
facilities would be both on campus at UCSD and at an off-site location 
where existing infrastructure can be readily upgraded, refurbished and 
leveraged for the SD-CAB research enterprise. A congressionally 
directed appropriation of $750,000 has been provided in the House FY 
2010 Energy and Water Development appropriations bill to help meet 
these needs.
  This advanced research project will provide an important training 
component for both students and faculty, in this critical emerging 
field of research. It will serve as a platform for continued 
collaboration with other universities and key industry partners. It is 
also a logical continuation of the San Diego region's leadership role 
at both the state and federal levels in developing and deploying viable 
alternative energy and transportation fuel solutions. Further, the 
cutting edge R&D into alternative transportation fuels derived from 
algae enabled by this project will be reflective of current related 
policy goals and funding priorities of both the federal government and 
the State of California.

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