[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 6]
[Senate]
[Page 7520]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                RECOGNIZING THE GAS TECHNOLOGY INSTITUTE

 Mr. KIRK. Mr. President, I would like to honor the Gas 
Technology Institute, GTI, and its dedicated employees as they 
celebrate their 75th anniversary. Headquartered in Des Plaines, IL, GTI 
is a leading nonprofit research development organization in my home 
State, working diligently to address key global energy and 
environmental challenges.
  A proven leader over the past three-quarters of a century, GTI 
continues to develop high-impact technologies, unlocking the economic 
potential of domestic energy resources, while reducing the 
environmental footprint of fossil fuels. Founded as the Institute of 
Gas Technology in 1941, the institute worked closely with the Illinois 
Institute of Technology to train graduate engineers to lead the 
development of the gas industry. As national focus shifted to gas 
research and development in the 1970s, the Gas Research Institute took 
shape to focus on natural gas supply, transportation, distribution, and 
utilization. In 2000, these two renowned programs united under the GTI 
umbrella where they continue to build off of past successes as a 
premier research, development, and training organization serving the 
global natural gas and energy markets.
  GTI's most profound successes are known across the globe. From 
catalyzing the U.S. shale gas revolution through innovative research 
and development in the 1980s and 1990s, to helping to put the first 
hydrogen fuel cell bus on the road in 2006, to its 65 patents on high-
efficiency, low-NOX burners and systems, GTI has a strong 
industry reputation for innovation and conducting the work necessary to 
ensure our domestic supplies are utilized to their full potential while 
national and global priorities continue to shift. Our Nation continues 
to benefit from GTI's expertise in developing gas distribution 
technologies and reducing energy delivery costs, as well as innovations 
in the detection, quantification, and mitigation of methane emissions 
from the natural gas sector. Its current efforts with the hydraulic 
fracturing test site will continue this tradition, improving air and 
water quality by increasing environmentally sustainable extraction 
methods.
  I congratulate and commend GTI for their continued commitment to 
providing technology-based solutions that expand U.S. energy production 
and foster economic growth, while also minimizing impacts to the 
environment. GTI's efforts in the past, present, and future are key to 
boosting American competitiveness, and I look forward to celebrating 
future milestones.

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