[House Report 111-344]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
111th Congress Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
1st Session 111-344
======================================================================
ENERGY AND WATER RESEARCH INTEGRATION ACT
_______
December 1, 2009.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the
State of the Union and ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Gordon of Tennessee, from the Committee on Science and Technology,
submitted the following
R E P O R T
together with
ADDITIONAL VIEWS
[To accompany H.R. 3598]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Science and Technology, to whom was referred
the bill (H.R. 3598) to ensure consideration of water intensity
in the Department of Energy's energy research, development, and
demonstration programs to help guarantee efficient, reliable,
and sustainable delivery of energy and water resources, having
considered the same, report favorably thereon with an amendment
and recommend that the bill as amended do pass.
CONTENTS
Page
I. Bill............................................................2
II. Purpose of the Bill.............................................3
III. Background and Need for the Legislation.........................3
IV. Summary of Hearings.............................................6
V. Committee Actions...............................................8
VI. Summary of Major Provisions of the Bill.........................9
VII. Section-by-Section Analysis....................................10
VIII. Committee Views................................................11
IX. Cost Estimate..................................................13
X. Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate......................13
XI. Compliance with Public Law 104-4...............................14
XII. Committee Oversight Findings and Recommendations...............14
XIII. Statement on General Performance Goals and Objectives..........14
XIV. Constitutional Authority Statement.............................15
XV. Federal Advisory Committee Statement...........................15
XVI. Congressional Accountability Act...............................15
XVII. Statement on Preemption of State, Local, or Tribal Law.........15
XVIII.Earmark Identification.........................................15
XIX. Committee Recommendations......................................15
XX. Additional Views...............................................16
XXI. Proceedings of the Subcommittee Markup.........................19
XXII. Proceedings of the Full Committee Markup.......................42
I. BILL
The amendment is as follows:
Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the
following:
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Energy and Water Research Integration
Act''.
SEC. 2. INTEGRATING ENERGY AND WATER RESEARCH.
(a) In General.--In carrying out the energy research, development,
and demonstration programs and projects of the Department of Energy,
the Secretary of Energy shall--
(1) seek to advance energy and energy efficiency technologies
and practices that would--
(A) minimize freshwater withdrawal and consumption;
(B) increase water use efficiency; and
(C) utilize nontraditional water sources with efforts
to improve the quality of that water;
(2) consider the effects climate variability and change may
have on water supplies and quality for energy generation and
fuel production; and
(3) improve understanding of the energy required to provide
water supplies and the water required to provide reliable
energy supplies throughout the United States.
(b) Delay or Disruption.--In carrying out subsection (a), the
Secretary shall ensure that no program or project of the Department of
Energy is unnecessarily delayed or disrupted.
(c) Specific Considerations.--In carrying out subsection (a), the
Secretary shall consider, as appropriate--
(1) new advanced cooling technologies for energy generation
and fuel production technologies;
(2) performance improvement of existing cooling technologies
and cost reductions associated with using those technologies;
(3) innovative water reuse, recovery, and treatment in energy
generation and fuel production;
(4) technology development for carbon capture and storage
systems that utilize efficient water use design strategies;
(5) technologies that are life-cycle cost effective;
(6) systems analysis and modeling of issues relating to the
energy required to provide water supplies and the water
required to provide reliable energy supplies throughout the
United States;
(7) technologies to treat and utilize produced waters
discharged from oil, natural gas, coalbed methane, and mining
activities;
(8) advanced materials for the use of nontraditional water
sources for energy generation and fuel production;
(9) biomass production and utilization and the impact on
hydrologic systems;
(10) technologies that reduce impacts on water from energy
resource development;
(11) increases in energy efficiency of water distribution and
collection systems; and
(12) technologies for energy generation from water
distribution and collection systems.
(d) Interagency Collaboration and Nonduplication.--In carrying out
the energy research, development, and demonstration programs of the
Department of Energy in accordance with this section, the Secretary
shall, where appropriate, work collaboratively with other Federal
agencies operating related programs and avoid duplication.
(e) Intra-agency Coordination and Nonduplication.--In carrying out
the energy research, development, and demonstration programs of the
Department of Energy in accordance with this section, the Secretary
shall coordinate and avoid duplication of activities across programs
and projects of the Department, including with those of the National
laboratories.
(f) Relevant Information and Recommendations.--In carrying out the
energy research, development, and demonstration programs of the
Department of Energy in accordance with this section, the Secretary
shall consider and incorporate, as appropriate, relevant information
and recommendations, including those of the National Water Availability
and Use Assessment Program under section 9508(d) of the Omnibus Public
Land Management Act of 2009 (42 U.S.C. 10368(d)).
(g) Reports.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of
this Act, and at least once every 2 years thereafter, the Secretary
shall transmit to Congress a report on findings and activities under
this section.
(h) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated to the Secretary of Energy for carrying out this section
$60,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2011 through 2015.
SEC. 3. ENERGY-WATER ARCHITECTURE COUNCIL.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of Energy, in coordination with other
relevant Federal agencies, shall establish an Energy-Water Architecture
Council to promote and enable improved energy and water resource data
collection, reporting, and technological innovation. The Council shall
consist of--
(1) representation from each Federal agency that conducts
research related to energy and water resource data; and
(2) non-Federal members, including representatives of
research and academic institutions and industry, who have
expertise in technologies and practices relating to the energy
required to provide water supplies and the water required to
provide reliable energy supplies throughout the United States.
(b) Functions.--The Council shall--
(1) develop data collection and data communication standards
and protocols for the energy required to provide water supplies
and the water required to provide reliable energy supplies
throughout the United States;
(2) make improvements to Federal water use data to increase
understanding of trends in energy generation and fuel
production;
(3) utilize information from existing monitoring networks to
provide nationally uniform water and energy use and
infrastructure data; and
(4) conduct annual technical workshops, including at least
one regional workshop annually, to facilitate information
exchange among Federal, State, and private sector experts on
technologies that encourage the conservation and efficient use
of water and energy.
(c) Reports.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of
this Act, and at least once every 2 years thereafter, the Council,
through the Secretary of Energy, shall transmit to the Congress a
report on its findings and activities under this section.
(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated to the Secretary of Energy for carrying out this section
$5,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2011 through 2015.
SEC. 4. LIMITATION ON FEDERAL REGULATIONS.
Nothing in this Act shall be construed to allow the establishment of
regulations by the Federal Government that would infringe or impair the
use of water by State, tribal, or local governments.
SEC. 5. MANDATES.
Nothing in this Act shall be construed to require State, tribal, or
local governments to take any action that may result in an increased
financial burden to such governments by restricting the use of water by
such governments.
II. PURPOSE OF THE BILL
The purpose of H.R. 3598 is to ensure consideration of
water intensity in the Department of Energy's energy research,
development and demonstration programs where appropriate, and
to help assure efficient, reliable and sustainable delivery of
energy and water resources.
III. BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR THE LEGISLATION
According to the National Science and Technology Council
Committee on Environment and Natural Resources' Subcommittee on
Water Availability and Quality report, A Strategy for Federal
Science and Technology to Support Water Availability and
Quality in the United States, there is a need for coordinated
science and technology efforts to better understand water
supply and demand in the United States. In addition, the
Committee understands the Department of Energy will issue a
draft energy-water research roadmap outlining a number of
research and development challenges in this area. Finally, the
recent Government Accountability Office report, Electricity and
Water: Improvements to Federal Water Use Data Would Increase
Understanding of Trends in Power Plant Water Use, underscores
the need for improvements in federal water use data to help
increase the understanding of trends in power plant water use.
Energy and water are directly linked. Water is essential
for energy generation and fuel production--it is used in energy
resource extraction, refining, processing, transportation,
hydroelectric generation, thermoelectric power plant cooling
and emissions scrubbing. Equally important is the energy needed
for water pumping, treatment, distribution and end-use
requirements. Furthermore, climate variability and demand
growth affect both our water and energy resources. Accordingly,
it is important to recognize this interdependency and develop
technologies and adopt practices that allow us to manage these
resources effectively. Thermoelectric power, oil, natural gas,
oil shale, and renewable energy, including solar power and
biofuels, are all important areas for energy and water research
integration.
Thermoelectric Power: Water is a critical resource in the
thermoelectric power industry. The primary purpose for water
withdrawal in the industry is cooling. Thermoelectric power
generation uses a variety of fuel sources including coal,
nuclear, oil, natural gas, and the steam portion of gas-fired
combined cycle plants. The United States Geological Survey
(USGS) estimates that thermoelectric generation accounts for
approximately 136 billion gallons per day of freshwater
withdrawals, ranking only slightly behind agricultural
irrigation as the largest source of freshwater withdrawals in
the United States.\1\ According to the National Energy
Technology Laboratory Director's testimony before the Senate
Energy and Natural Resources Committee earlier this year,
nuclear power plants consume approximately 40 percent more
water than equivalent contemporary sub-critical pulverized coal
(PC) plants and natural gas combined cycle plants consume
approximately 60 percent less than PC plants.
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\1\Feeley, Thomas J. et al, 2006, ``Department of Energy/National
Energy Technology Laboratory's Power Plant-Water R&D Program,''
Pittsburgh, PA.
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As our population grows, our demand for water continues to
rise while supplies become scarcer. In water-stressed areas of
the United States, power plants will increasingly compete with
other sectors of the economy and end-users for water resources.
In addition, energy and water-related regulatory policy may add
to the challenge of operating our existing power plants and
permitting new thermoelectric power plants.
In discussing water use at thermoelectric power plants, it
is necessary to make a distinction between water withdrawal and
water consumption. Water withdrawal represents the total water
taken from a water source or reservoir, such as a lake or
river. Water consumption measures the amount of water
withdrawal that is not returned to the source. Freshwater
consumption for thermoelectric uses appears low at only three
percent when compared with other use categories such as
irrigation, which is responsible for 81 percent of water
consumed. Still, at that consumption rate, thermoelectric power
plants consumed more than 3 billion gallons per day.\2\ Given
that the energy-water relationship is already under strain, the
Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory
(NETL) is developing advanced technologies targeted at reducing
freshwater withdrawal and consumption associated with
thermoelectric power generation.
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\2\Feeley, Thomas J. et al, 2007, ``Water: A Critical Resource in
the Thermoelectric Power Industry,'' Department of Energy, National
Energy Technology Laboratory, Pittsburgh, PA.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Oil, Gas and Oil Shale: Initial extraction of oil and gas
does not require a great deal of water, but as oil deposits are
depleted, enhanced oil recovery (EOR) techniques are applied to
extract additional oil from existing wells. These techniques
often involve injection of water or steam into the well to
extract the additional resource. In 1995, the American
Petroleum Institute estimated that oil and gas operations
generated 18 billion barrels of produced water and estimated
that over 70 percent of the produced water is recycled and used
for EOR. The Department of Energy estimates that conventional
petroleum refineries consume one gallon of water for each
gallon of oil refined. Additional water is needed for cooling
during the refining process. DOE also estimates that the U.S.
has 500 billion to 1.1 trillion barrels of oil in the form of
oil shale deposits. Recovery of these deposits could consume
two-to-five gallons of water per gallon of refinery-ready oil,
according to DOE.
Renewables: The use of water in the extraction and
processing of petroleum-based transportation fuels is
relatively small compared to the electric-generating industry.
However, similar to fossil and nuclear technologies, many
renewable energy technologies use water in the generation
process. The Department's Office of Energy Efficiency and
Renewable Energy has started to address these issues through
their Industrial Technologies Program (ITP) as well as through
studies and research activities in individual renewable energy
technology programs. Concentrating solar thermal, geothermal
and biomass combustion are all renewable technologies which
generate power through conventional heat-engine operating
cycles, which are generally water intensive. One area of
research funded by ITP is the organic rankine cycle (ORC),
which can improve recovery of waste heat in industrial
processes and be used in solar thermal and geothermal
operations. An ORC uses an organic fluid instead of steam to
power a high-efficiency turbine, thereby reducing water use and
increasing energy efficiency. Additional efficiency gains can
be achieved for solar thermal and geothermal technologies if
power plants forgo wet cooling technologies for the more
expensive dry cooling technologies, similar to fossil power
plant technologies.
Biofuel production has come under significant scrutiny for
its use of water. From feedstock production to final conversion
to a liquid transportation fuel, biofuels have a significant
impact on water resources. Dedicated energy crops grown
specifically for energy production can be very water intensive
if irrigation is necessary for sufficient yields. On the other
hand, low-value woody biomass, algae, agriculture residues or
other organic waste streams used as feedstocks for energy
production biomass have a much smaller demand for water.
Additionally, water is used in several other processes during
conversion, but the biorefining process is modest compared to
the water applied and consumed in growing the plants used to
produce the biofuels. According to a 2007 Sandia National
Laboratories report, a traditional dry mill corn-ethanol
facility uses four gallons of water per gallon of ethanol
produced (gal/gal).\3\ A new study by the Argonne National
Laboratory has shown that this number has significantly
decreased over time.\4\ Technologies being researched such as
gasification and pyrolysis may also help to decrease the need
for water in biofuels production.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\Pate, R., et al, 2007, ``Overview of Energy-Water
Interdependencies and the Emerging Energy Demands on Water Resources,''
Sandia National Laboratories, Los Alamos, NM.
\4\Wu, May, 2008, ``Analysis of the Efficiency of the U.S. Ethanol
Industry 2007,'' Center for Transportation Research, Argonne National
Laboratory, delivered to Renewable Fuels Association.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
As future demands for energy and water continue to grow,
the reliability of our energy and water supplies is likely to
be an increasing challenge. As water use decisions become more
difficult a comprehensive research, development and
demonstration strategy would help to ensure we are well-
equipped to prevent energy and water supply disruptions.
H.R. 3598 authorizes research addressing these issues by
directing the Secretary of Energy to integrate energy-related
water issues into energy research, development and
demonstration programs at the Department of Energy.
IV. SUMMARY OF HEARINGS
Subcommittee hearing--``Technology Research and Development Efforts
Related to the Energy and Water Linkage''
On Thursday, July 9, 2009, the Subcommittee on Energy and
Environment held a hearing on the role of the federal
government and industry in developing technologies designed to
address the inextricable link between our energy and water
resources and how deployment of such technologies could help to
avoid resource supply disruptions.
There were five witnesses: (1) Dr. Kristina Johnson,
Undersecretary of Energy for the U.S. Department of Energy
(DOE); (2) Ms. Anu Mittal, Director of Natural Resources and
Environment at the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO);
(3) Dr. Bryan Hannegan, Vice President of Environment &
Generation at the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI); (4)
Mr. Terry Murphy, President of SolarReserve, LLC; and (5) Mr.
Richard L. Stanley, Vice President of the Engineering Division
at GE Energy.
During the discussion period, the Members and witnesses
discussed the varied opportunities and limitations for
modifying water use in energy production. They identified
several major themes including the relationship of carbon
emissions with both water and energy, a need for collaborative
research and development among industry, academia, domestic
federal programs, and other nations, the distinction between
water use and water consumption (loss), economic considerations
of new energy policies, and the need for simultaneous research
on water and energy due to their interdependency. Other topics
included projected national population growth and accompanying
demand for water and energy, uses for grey water, existing
energy plant retrofits, a national goal for water reuse, energy
storage technologies and the Smart Grid, water use in biomass
crop production, gas turbine efficiency, water demands with
carbon capture and sequestration at coal plants, water
desalinization, industry enthusiasm for new technologies, water
use in cooling nuclear power plants, emissions trading schemes,
and job creation.
Dr. Kristina M. Johnson, Under Secretary of Energy at the
Department of Energy. Dr. Johnson explained the importance of
considering climate change effects as we make decisions about
our energy and water resources. She also discussed the
Department's policy priorities, including energy conservation,
development of renewables and advancing technologies that make
our power plants operate more efficiently.
Ms. Anu Mittal, Director, Natural Resources and Environment
at the Government Accountability Office (GAO). Ms. Mittal
provided a preview of two GAO reports due later this year. One
report covers water use in power generation and the second
report addresses water use in biofuel production. She stated
that GAO had identified a number of research needs at all
stages of the biofuels lifecycle from cultivation to conversion
and distribution. She underscored the need to improve federal
data collection efforts through the Energy Information
Administration (EIA). Specifically, she recommended that EIA
collect and report data on power plants' use of advanced
cooling technologies and alternative water sources, and further
recommended that the U.S. Geological Survey restart its efforts
to collect data on power plant water consumption and make the
data on use of alternative water sources readily available.
Dr. Bryan Hannegan, Vice President, Environment &
Generation for the Electric Power Research Institute. Dr.
Hannegan stated that in the future we will be living in a
carbon-constrained world and a water-constrained world because
of climate variability, economic growth, and increasing demand
for those resources. He discussed the water use at
thermoelectric power generation plants, including future water
use anticipated should carbon capture and storage technologies
be deployed broadly. He described existing and advanced cooling
technologies and operation practices available today and the
challenges and benefits with deployment of these technologies
and strategies.
Mr. Terry Murphy, President of SolarReserve. Mr. Murphy
stated that solar-based electricity will be instrumental in
achieving our renewable energy production goals. He provided an
overview of concentrating solar thermal technologies and
explained hybrid cooling technologies. He also noted that the
cost of new technologies should not be overlooked.
Mr. Richard L. Stanley, Vice President, Engineering
Division with GE Energy. Mr. Stanley noted that the nexus
between power generation and water usage is one of the world's
most complex and critical public policy challenges. He offered
four recommendations to the Committee: greater investments in
water reuse technologies, federal support for research,
development and demonstration of high-efficiency gas turbine
technology, increased research in system integration of
desalination processes and additional research on large-scale
demonstration of ORC technology for waste heat recovery.
The following related hearings were also held in the 110th
and 111th Congresses:
On March 4, 2009, a hearing titled: 21st Century Water
Planning: The Importance of a Coordinated Federal Approach.
On July 23, 2008, a hearing titled: A National Water
Initiative: Coordinating and Improving Federal Research on
Water.
On May 14, 2008, a hearing titled: Water Supply Challenges
for the 21st Century.
On October 30, 2007, a hearing titled: Research To Improve
Water-Use Efficiency and Conservation: Technologies and
Practices.
V. COMMITTEE ACTIONS
On September 17, 2009, Committee Chairman Bart Gordon
introduced H.R. 3598, the Energy Water Research Integration
Act, which was referred to the Committee on Science and
Technology.
Subcommittee markup
On September 30, 2009, the Subcommittee on Energy and
Environment met to consider H.R. 3598, The Energy Water
Research Integration Act. The Subcommittee considered the
following amendments:
1. Mr. Gordon offered a manager's amendment. The amendment
proposed to make technical corrections, clarify the intent of
the bill and incorporate suggestions from witnesses and
minority staff. The amendment was agreed to by voice vote.
2. Mr. Inglis offered an amendment to require the Secretary
of Energy to review the report of the National Water
Availability and Use Assessment Program under section 9508(d)
of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 (42 U.S.C.
10368(d)) before providing Congress with a narrowly focused
research and development strategy for implementing Section 2 of
the bill. The amendment was withdrawn.
H.R. 3598, as amended, was agreed to by voice vote.
Mr. Baird moved that the Subcommittee favorably report H.R.
3598, as amended, to the Full Committee. The motion was agreed
to by voice vote.
Full committee markup
On October 7, 2009, the Science and Technology Committee
met to consider three pieces of legislation, including H.R.
3598, The Energy and Water Research Integration Act. The
Committee considered the following amendments:
1. Mr. Gordon offered a manager's amendment. The amendment
proposed to make technical corrections, clarify the intent of
the bill and incorporate suggestions from witnesses and
minority staff. The amendment was agreed to by voice vote.
2. Mr. Hall offered an amendment to modify Section 2 to
require the Secretary to develop an ``Energy Water Research and
Development Roadmap'' to define research, development,
demonstration, and commercialization efforts related to the
energy-water nexus. The amendment provides ten specific
considerations for the Roadmap for which the Secretary shall
establish milestones. In addition, the amendment requires the
Secretary to implement the Roadmap in carrying out energy
research, development, and demonstration programs at DOE.
Finally, the amendment changed the authorization level to $30
million over five years. The amendment was withdrawn.
3. Ms. Dahlkemper offered an amendment to add two items to
the list of specific considerations in the legislation. The
amendment would require the Secretary to consider increases in
the energy efficiency of water distribution and collection
systems and to consider technologies for energy generation from
water distribution and collection systems. The amendment was
agreed to by voice vote.
4. Mr. Smith offered two amendments en bloc. The amendment
adds two additional sections to the legislation clarifying that
nothing in the Act, ``shall be construed to allow the
establishment of regulations by the Federal Government that
would infringe or impair the use of water by State, tribal, or
local governments,'' and that nothing in the Act ``shall be
construed to require State, tribal, or local governments to
take any action that may result in an increased financial
burden to such governments by restricting the use of water by
such governments.'' The amendment was agreed to by voice vote.
5. Ms. Johnson offered an amendment to add ``natural gas''
as a specific consideration under Section 2(b)(7). The
amendment was agreed to by voice vote.
6. Mr. Broun offered an amendment to add a new section to
the bill that would require the Secretary to review a report
from the National Water Availability and Use Assessment
Program, conduct a study in consultation with EPA, and provide
to Congress a ``narrowly focused research and development
strategy'' before implementing Section 2 of the bill. The
amendment was defeated by voice vote.
7. Ms. Biggert offered an amendment to strike Section 3
(``Energy-Water Architecture Council'') from the bill. The
amendment was defeated by voice vote.
H.R. 3598, as amended, was agreed to by voice vote.
Mr. Tonko moved that the Committee favorably report H.R.
3598, as amended, to the House with the recommendation that the
bill do pass. The motion was agreed to by voice vote.
VI. SUMMARY OF MAJOR PROVISIONS OF THE BILL
H.R. 3598 requires the Secretary of Energy to integrate
water-related research into the DOE's existing energy and
energy efficiency research, development and demonstration
programs and projects to help assure efficient, reliable and
sustainable delivery of our energy and water resources.
Generally, the bill authorizes $60 million annually in
Fiscal Years 2011 through 2015 to advance energy and energy
efficiency technologies and practices that would minimize
freshwater withdrawal and consumption, increase water use
efficiency, and utilize nontraditional water sources in energy
production. The Secretary also is directed to consider the
effects climate change may have on water supplies and quality
for energy generation and fuel production. In addition, the
Secretary is directed to improve the understanding of the
energy required to provide water supplies and the water
required to provide reliable energy supplies throughout the
United States. Additionally, when conducting research the
Secretary will coordinate with other agencies to reduce
duplication of activities. The Secretary will also consider
relevant information and recommendations when carrying out the
energy-water research and report back to Congress not later
than one year and at least once every two years thereafter on
its findings and activities.
In carrying out the Department's energy research,
development and demonstration programs the Secretary should
consider the following specific areas, where appropriate: (1)
new advanced cooling technologies for energy generation and
fuel production technologies; (2) performance improvements in
existing cooling technologies and cost reductions associated
with using those technologies; (3) innovative water reuse,
recovery, and treatment in energy generation and fuel
production; (4) efficient water use design strategies and
technology development for carbon capture and storage systems;
(5) technologies that are life-cycle cost effective; (6)
systems analysis and modeling of issues relating to the energy
required to provide water supplies and the water required to
provide reliable energy supplies throughout the U.S.; (7)
technologies to treat and utilize produced waters discharged
from oil, coalbed methane and mining activities; (8) advanced
materials for the use of nontraditional water sources for
energy generation and fuel production; (9) biomass production
and the impact on hydrologic systems; (10) reduction of water
resource impacts of fossil fuel resource development; (11)
increases in energy efficiency of water distribution and
collection systems; and (12) technologies for energy generation
from water distribution and collection systems.
H.R. 3598 also authorizes $5 million annually to the
Secretary of Energy to coordinate with other relevant federal
agencies to establish an Energy-Water Architecture Council
(EWAC) for the purposes of providing improved energy and water
resource data collection, reporting and technological
innovation. EWAC will be led by the DOE but will involve non-
federal representatives, including representatives from
research and academic institutions and industry who have
expertise in technologies and practices relating to the energy
required to provide water supplies and the water required to
provide reliable energy supplies. The functions of EWAC
include: (1) developing data collection and data communication
standards and protocols, (2) making improvements to federal
water use data, (3) utilizing information from existing
monitoring networks to provide nationally uniform water and
energy use and infrastructure data, and (4) conducting annual
technical workshops and at least one regional workshop
annually.
VII. SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS
Sec. 1. Short title
Section 1 states that this Act may be cited as the ``Energy
and Water Research Integration Act.''
Sec. 2. Integrating Energy and Water Research
Section 2(a) establishes the overall objectives of the
DOE's integration of energy-related water research into its
existing energy research, development and demonstration
programs and projects.
Section 2(b) ensures that the Secretary shall not
unnecessarily delay or disrupt programs or projects.
Section 2(c) identifies 12 specific areas of consideration
for the Secretary as he integrates water-related research into
the Department's existing energy and energy efficiency
research, development and demonstration programs.
Section 2(d) calls for interagency collaboration and
nonduplication when carrying out research, development and
demonstration programs and projects of this section.
Section 2(e) calls for intra-agency collaboration and
nonduplication when carrying out research, development and
demonstration programs and projects of this section.
Section 2(f) requires the Secretary to consider and
incorporate, as appropriate, relevant information and
recommendations when carrying out the research, development and
demonstration programs and projects of this section.
Section 2(g) requires the secretary to report back to
Congress not later than one year and at least once every two
years thereafter on its findings and activities under this
section.
Section 2(h) authorizes to be appropriated to the Secretary
of Energy $60 million for each of the fiscal years 2011 through
2015 to carry out this section.
Sec. 3. Energy-Water Architecture Council
Section 3(a) directs the Secretary of Energy to coordinate
with other relevant federal agencies to establish an Energy-
Water Architecture Council (EWAC) for the purposes of providing
improved energy and water resource data collection, reporting,
and technological innovation. EWAC will be led by DOE, but
include non federal representatives, including representatives
from research and academic institutions and industry who have
expertise in the area of energy-water nexus.
Section 3(b) lays out the following functions of EWAC: (1)
developing data collection and data communication standards and
protocols; (2) making improvements to federal water use data;
(3) utilizing information from existing monitoring networks to
provide nationally uniform water and energy use and
infrastructure data; and (4) conducting annual technical
workshops and at least one regional workshop annually.
Section 3(c) requires that the Council, through the
Secretary of Energy, transmit to Congress not later than one
year after the date of enactment of this Act, and at least once
every two years thereafter, a report that describes its
findings and activities under this section.
Section 3(d) authorizes to be appropriated to the Secretary
of Energy $5 million for each of fiscal years 2011 through 2015
to carry out this section.
VIII. COMMITTEE VIEWS
H.R. 3598, the Energy Water Research Integration Act, as
amended, is designed to address the challenges related to
increasing demands on our energy and water resources. H.R. 3598
will provide important research and development to meet
specific technical challenges occurring at the nexus of energy
and water. This nexus refers to the numerous connections
between the energy required to provide water supplies and the
water required to provide reliable energy supplies and all
ancillary and otherwise related activities. The legislation
builds on the recommendations from five House Science and
Technology Committee hearings on water and several reports from
the National Academies, the Government Accountability Office,
the National Science Technology Council, and the Department of
Energy (DOE).
The Committee is disappointed in the DOE's delay in
finalizing the Energy Water report required under Section 979
of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (P.L. 109-58). The report was
due two years after enactment and has yet to be received by
Congress. This report as well as other relevant information and
recommendations on the energy water nexus should be considered
when the Secretary carries out research under this bill.
The Committee believes that it is vital that the DOE take
water considerations into account as part of the Department's
strategic thinking on energy research, development, and
demonstration. The Committee notes the work already in progress
at the department related to the energy-water nexus,
specifically at the National Energy Technology Laboratory
(NETL). This work is commendable, but as identified by witness
testimony only the beginning of the activities that DOE should
undertake in the energy-water nexus. The intention of the
Committee is for the Secretary to have the discretion to
incorporate energy-water nexus research into programs and
projects which the Secretary considers appropriate.
Specific consideration should be given to technologies,
practices and areas of research outlined in the bill. One
specific consideration the Secretary should pay attention to is
the life-cycle cost effectiveness of a technology. To develop
realistic assessments of all the benefits and impacts on the
efficiency with which the country uses water to produce
electricity, the Committee believes DOE needs a more accurate
analysis of the full life-cycle cost of technologies--from
resource extraction, power plant construction, power plant
operations, and through water returns--to determine the demand
and quality of water for energy generation. The Committee does
not mean the life-cycle cost of a single technology that is a
part of a larger system to produce energy. Other technologies
which need more explanation when carrying out research include
energy generation technologies that can be installed in water
distribution and collection systems. Both water and sewer
systems are designed to maximize the use of gravity. In both
systems applications may also include pressurized (``force'')
lines, typically for only part of the circuit of the flow from
source to ultimate consumption. Additionally, there are many
gravity-enabled energy generation opportunities that can and
should be explored in water collection and distribution
systems.
The Committee notes the lack of common standards for
energy-water information technology (IT), specifically related
to measurement, evaluation and reporting. Witness testimony at
past Science and Technology hearings provided evidence that an
overlay of an effective IT management system could result in an
annual water savings of 30 to 50 percent. The Committee
believes that there is much to be gained from a water
information technology initiative through partnerships with the
IT industry. The end goal of such a partnership would be the
development and deployment of a common platform: a national
``smart water grid.''
H.R. 3598 creates an ``Energy-Water Architecture Council''
(EWAC) that will facilitate the collaboration of industry,
academia, and the federal government in improving energy and
water resource data collection, reporting, and technological
innovation. The Committee received testimony from multiple
witnesses on the importance of bringing together the Federal
Government and industry to improve energy and water resource
technology innovation and data collection. The Committee
recognizes the successes of the GridWise Architecture Council
(GWAC) and encourages DOE to utilize the model of GWAC in the
implementation of H.R. 3598. EWAC has been designed to function
like GWAC, which has successfully brought industry and
government together to work on a huge issue like grid
modernization.
IX. COST ESTIMATE
A cost estimate and comparison prepared by the Director of
the Congressional Budget Office under section 402 of the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974 has been timely submitted to
the Committee on Science and Technology prior to the filing of
this report and is included in Section X of this report
pursuant to House Rule XIII, clause 3(c)(3).
H.R. 3598 does not contain new budget authority, credit
authority, or changes in revenues or tax expenditures. Assuming
that sums authorized under the bill are appropriated, H.R. 3598
does authorize additional discretionary spending, as described
in the Congressional Budget Office report on the bill, which is
contained in Section X of this report.
X. CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE COST ESTIMATE
October 19, 2009.
Hon. Bart Gordon,
Chairman, Committee on Science and Technology, House of
Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 3598, the Energy
and Water Research Integration Act.
If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Jeff LaFave.
Sincerely,
Douglas W. Elmendorf.
Enclosure.
H.R. 3598--Energy and Water Research Integration Act
Summary: H.R. 3598 would authorize the appropriation of
$325 million over the 2011-2015 period for the Department of
Energy (DOE) to attempt to enhance energy and water-use
efficiency in the agency's research, development, and
demonstration programs. Assuming appropriation of the
authorized amounts, CBO estimates that implementing the
legislation would cost $221 million over the 2011-2014 period
and $104 million after 2014. Enacting H.R. 3598 would not
affect direct spending or revenues.
H.R. 3598 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA)
and would impose no costs on state, local, or tribal
governments.
Estimated cost to the federal government: The estimated
budgetary impact of H.R. 3598 is shown in the following table.
The costs of this legislation fall within budget function 250
(general science, space, and technology).
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By fiscal year, in millions of dollars--
------------------------------------------------------------
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2010-2014
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CHANGES IN SPENDING SUBJECT TO APPROPRIATION
Authorization Level................................ 0 65 65 65 65 260
Estimated Outlays.................................. 0 36 55 65 65 221
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Basis of estimate: For this estimate, CBO assumes that H.R.
3598 will be enacted early in fiscal year 2010 and that the
authorized amounts will be appropriated for each fiscal year.
Estimated outlays are based on historical spending patterns for
similar DOE programs.
H.R. 3598 would authorize the appropriation of $60 million
a year over the 2011-2015 period for DOE to coordinate
research, development, and demonstration activities that
promote energy and water-use efficiency. The bill also would
authorize the appropriation of $5 million a year over the 2011-
2015 period to establish the Energy-Water Architecture Council
to improve the collection and reporting of data on energy and
water resources. Finally, the bill would require DOE and the
Council to submit biennial reports to the Congress describing
the activities of their programs. Assuming appropriation of the
authorized amounts, CBO estimates that implementing the bill
would cost $221 million over the 2011-2014 period and $104
million after 2014 assuming appropriation of the authorized
amounts.
Intergovernmental and private-sector impact: H.R. 3598
contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as
defined in UMRA and would impose no costs on state, local, or
tribal governments.
Estimate prepared by: Federal Costs: Jeff LaFave; Impact on
State, Local, and Tribal Governments: Ryan Miller; Impact on
the Private Sector: Amy Petz.
Estimate approved by: Theresa Gullo, Deputy Assistant
Director for Budget Analysis.
XI. COMPLIANCE WITH PUBLIC LAW 104-4
H.R. 3598 contains no unfunded mandates.
XII. COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
The Committee on Science and Technology's oversight
findings and recommendations are reflected in the body of this
report.
XIII. STATEMENT ON GENERAL PERFORMANCE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
Pursuant to clause 3(c) of House rule XIII, the goal of
H.R. 3598 is to ensure consideration of water intensity in the
Department of Energy's energy research, development and
demonstration programs where appropriate, and to help assure
efficient, reliable and sustainable delivery of energy and
water resources.
XIV. CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY STATEMENT
Article I, section 8 of the Constitution of the United
States grants Congress the authority to enact H.R. 3598.
XV. FEDERAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE STATEMENT
H.R. 3598 does not establish nor authorize the
establishment of an advisory committee, pursuant to 5 U.S.C.
App.
XVI. CONGRESSIONAL ACCOUNTABILITY ACT
The Committee finds that H.R. 3598 does not relate to the
terms and conditions of employment or access to public services
or accommodations within the meaning of section 102(b)(3) of
the Congressional Accountability Act (Public Law 104-1).
XVII. STATEMENT ON PREEMPTION OF STATE, LOCAL, OR TRIBAL LAW
The bill is not intended to preempt any state, local, or
tribal law.
XVIII. EARMARK IDENTIFICATION
H.R. 3598 does not contain any congressional earmarks,
limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined in
House rule XXI, clause 9.
XIX. COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS
On October 7, 2009, the Committee on Science and Technology
favorably reported the Energy and Water Research Integration
Act by voice vote, and recommended its enactment.
XX. ADDITIONAL VIEWS OF REPRESENTATIVES RALPH M. HALL, F. JAMES
SENSENBRENNER, PAUL C. BROUN, JUDY BIGGERT, MARIO DIAZ-BALART, DANA
ROHRABACHER, RANDY NEUGEBAUER, BOB INGLIS, MICHAEL T. McCAUL.
While we are wholeheartedly supportive of the intention of
H.R. 3598 which is to ensure consideration of water intensity
in the Department of Energy's research, development and
demonstration (RD&D) programs and to help assure efficient,
reliable and sustainable delivery of energy and water
resources, we still have a few concerns with the bill as
currently written.
First, we are concerned that the bill, as passed out of
Committee, could produce an unnecessary burden on the
Department of Energy (DOE) in that the bill applies to all
energy RD&D programs of the Department. The bill does not allow
the Secretary to apply the requirements of the bill to only the
appropriate programs and projects. It does not allow proper
discretion on his part.
Second, the bill does not require the Secretary to take
into account, prior to implementation, various ``roadmaps'' and
reports that specifically deal with the energy-water nexus as
it relates to energy production in the U.S. which we believe
would help focus the research and the dollars to the areas that
need it most.
An amendment was offered and withdrawn during the full
committee markup by Ranking Member Hall. Chairman Gordon was
gracious to offer to work with us prior to bringing the bill to
the House Floor with the goal of incorporating parts of Ranking
Member Hall's amendment into the bill. We do appreciate the
changes that were included in the Manager's Amendment at our
suggestion. Our goal with this amendment was to improve upon
the underlying bill by giving the Secretary more guidance,
discretion, and direction in how to carry out this necessary
research.
The amendment included a Roadmap, the recommendations of
which would help guide RD&D. The amendment directed the
Secretary to develop an Energy-Water Research and Development
Roadmap to define RD&D and commercialization efforts at DOE.
The Roadmap would follow the same guidelines laid out in the
underlying bill and generally take into account the same
specific considerations incorporated in the underlying bill.
The amendment also included mutually agreed upon language
that was included in the Chairman's manager's amendment on:
collaboration, utilization of information, and reporting
requirements.
After receiving the roadmap, the amendment required the
Secretary to implement the findings in such a way that would
deliver the most ``bang for the buck'' by directing RD&D to
those programs at DOE that are identified as the most energy
and water intensive and that have the greatest potential to
lessen freshwater withdrawal, increase water use efficiency,
and utilize nontraditional water sources.
Congress under previous legislation required the DOE to
submit a similar report and reports from the Subcommittee on
Water Availability and Quality and the National Academies of
Science are currently available on this issue. We did not see
this roadmap language as intending to replace any work
previously done or to ignore the work that could be
forthcoming, but instead intended for the Roadmap in this
amendment to incorporate these different reports and thus be an
authoritative document that can serve as a ``one stop shop''
for the energy/water nexus research needs. To that end, the
timelines set forth for the Roadmap in this amendment would not
have delayed implementation of the RD&D, as it mirrors the
Chairman's language which starts in FY 2011, and the Roadmap
was to be developed within 6 months of enactment.
The amendment also would have cut the five-year
authorization from $300 million to $150 million. The electric
power industry released a report two years ago that proposed a
research and development program on the energy/water nexus that
would cost $37.5 million over a 10-year period. The R&D program
proposed would address at least 3 of the special considerations
outlined in the underlying bill and in the amendment. We
realized that the electric power industry would not be the only
energy sector that would be affected, so a comprehensive R&D
program would be more costly for everyone than what this
industry report called for. Furthermore, we understand that the
Chairman's intent may be to establish a program that is more
aggressive than industry may propose on its own. Even with all
these considerations, the authorization level included in the
amendment is an order of magnitude greater than the industry
report. If the roadmap were to have been done correctly, and
there would truly be collaboration and cooperation within the
Department and between Federal agencies, a funding level of $30
million per year should have been more than sufficient to
address the needs of this bill.
In addition to two minority amendments that were accepted,
there were two that were defeated by voice vote. One would have
removed the requirement to establish the Energy-Water
Architecture Council. We felt that this council is unnecessary
as it is duplicative of other groups currently in existence.
The worst possible scenario is us setting up a situation in
which we have different groups developing parallel standards
and data collection methods for the energy-water nexus that may
be very difficult to combine. Such a task would involve some
level of data manipulation, which could very well lead to a
loss of scientific integrity of the findings. We have worked
very hard in this committee to avoid duplicative efforts just
like this.
The second amendment rejected would have required the
Secretary to review a report of the National Water Availability
and Use Assessment Program, conduct a study in consultation
with EPA, and provide to Congress a narrowly focused research
and development strategy before implementing section two of the
bill. This amendment would have provided guidance on where the
research was needed most to address the energy/water nexus
issue.
We did not attempt to block passage of the bill out of
Committee as we do feel this is an important issue, and we are
hopeful that our concerns will be addressed through continued
dialogue as we move through the legislative process.
Ralph M. Hall.
F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr.
Paul C. Broun.
Judy Biggert.
Mario Diaz-Balart.
Dana Rohrabacher.
Randy Neugebauer.
Bob Inglis.
Michael T. McCaul.
XXI: PROCEEDINGS OF THE MARKUP BY THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND
ENVIRONMENT ON H.R. 3598, ENERGY AND WATER RESEARCH INTEGRATION ACT
----------
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2009
House of Representatives,
Subcommittee on Energy and Environment,
Committee on Science,
Washington, DC.
The Subcommittee met, pursuant to call, at 10:00 a.m., in
Room 2318 of the Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Brian
Baird [Chairman of the Subcommittee] presiding.
Chairman Baird. Good morning. The Subcommittee will now
come to order.
Pursuant to notice, the Subcommittee on Energy and
Environment meets to consider the following measures: H.R.
3650, the Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia Research and Control
Amendments Act of 2009; H.R. 3585, the Solar Technology Roadmap
Act; and H.R. 3598, the Energy and Water Research Integration
Act. Today we will consider these there bills that cover a wide
range of topics in this subcommittee's purview.
First, the Subcommittee will consider my bill, H.R. 3650,
the Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia Research and Control
Amendments Act of 2009. As we heard in this subcommittee two
weeks ago, rapid overproduction of algae can have devastating
effects on aquatic plant and animal life and human health.
Unfortunately, despite years of research, the frequency and
duration of the harmful algal blooms and hypoxia are on the
rise, and affecting more of our coastlines and inland waters.
This bill directs the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration to implement research strategies and plans to
better understand and respond to these blooms and hypoxic
events. I look forward to discussing the bill more when we call
it up for consideration.
Our third bill will be H.R. 3585. We are changing the order
slightly in order for Chairman Gordon to make an Energy and
Commerce markup, so our third bill will be H.R. 3585, the Solar
Technology Roadmap Act, authored by the Space and Aeronautics
Subcommittee Chair, Ms. Gabrielle Giffords. This bill instructs
the Department of Energy to create a comprehensive and
updatable roadmap for solar research, development and
demonstration activities with strong private and public input.
This roadmap will be critically important to using our limited
research dollars as effectively as possible in harnessing the
truly immense solar resources we have in the U.S.
Then our second bill will be H.R. 3598, the Energy and
Water Research Integration Act, authored by the Full Committee
Chairman, Mr. Bart Gordon. A little over a year ago, the
Chairman began a comprehensive review of our federal research
and technology development efforts to improve utilization of
our precious water resources. The Committee has since held five
hearings and passed out of the House three bills pertaining to
this important topic. We now look forward to hearing from
Chairman Gordon on this next installment, which addresses the
critical linkage between our nation's energy and water
resources and directs the Department of Energy to better
integrate water into existing federal efforts in this field.
The three bills we have before us today target several
important research needs. I thank you all for your attendance
and participation this morning, and I look forward to a
productive markup.
I recognize Mr. Inglis to present his opening remarks.
[The prepared statement of Chairman Baird follows:]
Prepared Statement of Chairman Brian Baird
I welcome everyone to this morning's Energy and Environment
Subcommittee markup.
Today we will consider three bills that cover a wide range of
topics in this subcommittee's purview.
First, the Subcommittee will consider my bill, H.R. 3650, the
Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia Research and Control Amendments Act of
2009. As we heard in this subcommittee two weeks ago, rapid
overproduction of algae can have devastating effects on aquatic plant
and animal life and human health.
Unfortunately, despite years of research, the frequency and
duration of the harmful algal blooms and hypoxia are on the rise, and
affecting more of our coastlines and inland waters. This bill directs
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to implement
research strategies and plans to better understand and respond to these
blooms and hypoxic events. I look forward to discussing the bill more
when we bring it up for consideration.
Next, we will consider H.R. 3585, the Solar Technology Roadmap Act,
authored by the Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee Chair, Ms. Gabrielle
Giffords. This bill instructs the Department of Energy to create a
comprehensive, updatable roadmap for solar research, development, and
demonstration activities with strong private and public input.
This roadmap will be critically important to using our, limited
research dollars as effectively as possible in harnessing the truly
immense solar resources we have in the U.S.
Finally, we will take up H.R. 3598, the Energy and Water Research
Integration Act, authored by the Full Committee Chairman, Mr. Bart
Gordon. In the last Congress the Chairman announced his intention to
undertake a comprehensive review of our federal research and technology
development efforts to improve utilization of our precious water
resources. We have since held five hearings and passed out of the House
three bills pertaining to this important topic.
We now look forward to hearing from Chairman Gordon on this next
installment which addresses the critical linkage between our nation's
energy and water resources, and directs the Department of Energy to
better integrate water into existing federal efforts in this field.
The three bills we have before us today target several important
research needs. I thank you all for your attendance and participation
this morning, and I look forward to a productive markup.
Mr. Inglis. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Today we address three
pieces of legislation that aim to improve the health of our
environment, our investment in solar energy and impact of
energy use and development on water resources.
The first bill we will look at is the Harmful Algal Bloom
and Hypoxia Research and Control Amendments Act of 2009. It
will advance efforts at the federal level to reduce the
negative impact that algal blooms have on the environment.
Every summer we hear stories about the impact of runaway algae
growth on local air quality, animal deaths and environmental
quality. Not only do these blooms impact recreation, they
burden marine, commerce and human health. This legislation will
promote a better understanding of algal blooms and will help us
effectively prevent and respond to blooms and hypoxia.
Second, we will discuss the Solar Technology Roadmap Act.
This bill aims to increase the strength of our domestic solar
technology industry through a coordinated research and
development program and public-private partnerships. It also
requires industry, academia and government researchers to
develop a long-term roadmap that will advance our clean energy
alternatives. I hope we can ensure the roadmap is not focused
on technology options we are already aware of but also
emphasizes cutting-edge advancements that will define the
future of solar power.
Finally, we turn to the Energy and Water Research
Integration Act, which directs the Department of Energy to take
into consider energy-related water issues in research,
development and demonstration projects. While I agree with the
intent of the bill, I am concerned that this only reframes
existing DOE priorities and ignores the large role that water
resource information should play. I am looking forward to
working together to improve the bill.
Thank you again, Mr. Chairman, and I look forward to
addressing this legislation.
Chairman Baird. Thank you, Mr. Inglis. Members may place
statements for the record at this point.
We will now consider H.R. 3598, the Energy and Water
Research Integration Act. I recognize Chairman Gordon to talk
about his bill. Chairman Gordon.
Chairman Gordon. Thank you, Chairman Baird. Let me first
say to you, Chairman Baird and Ranking Member Inglis, you have
been the workhorse Subcommittee for our committee. These are
three more excellent bills. I know it takes a lot of time from
other work you have to do but, you know, you are fortunate to
have an outstanding staff to help you with this, but it really
does, I think, help us to have better product when we go
through a subcommittee process rather than just do everything
at the Full Committee level. It allows us to have more input
from the Minority, from outside folks and we just get better
bills, and again, I thank you. You have really been, as I say,
the workhorse of our committee.
Now, concerning this bill, to meet our future demands for
both energy and water, we will need to better understand the
linkage between these two important resources. Energy is needed
to pump, treat and transport water while large quantities of
water are used to develop energy supplies. H.R. 3598, the
Energy and Water Research Integration Act, seeks to address the
nexus of our energy and water resources by requiring the
Secretary to integrate water-related issues into the
Department's existing energy efficiency and energy technology
research, development and demonstration programs. The bill
authorizes $60 million annually for five years for this
research. Additionally, H.R. 3598 creates an Energy-Water
Architecture Council that will facilitate the collaboration of
industry, academia and the Federal Government in improving
energy and water resource data collection, reporting and
technological innovation. The bill authorizes $5 million
annually to the Secretary of Energy for five years for this
purpose. After five Committee hearings on water including one
specifically related to the energy-water nexus, this
legislation is a result of serious investigation by the
Committee. H.R. 3598 has been informed by the witnesses'
testimonies and reports from the national academies, the
Government Accountability Office, the National Science
Technology Council and the Department of Energy. This
legislation provides additional tools in a national effort to
address the growing problems related to supply and quality of
water and energy and augments the interagency coordinating
effort laid out in my other bill, H.R. 1145, the National Water
Research and Development Initiative Act of 2009.
I encourage all my colleagues on the Subcommittee to join
me in this effort and support H.R. 3598. Let me also say to Mr.
Inglis, I duly noted your earlier concerns and certainly want
to continue to work with you as we go from the Subcommittee to
the Full Committee level. As always, you make constructive
suggestions to make good bills better.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
[The prepared statement of Chairman Gordon follows:]
Prepared Statement of Chairman Bart Gordon
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
To meet our future demands for both energy and water we will need
to better understand the critical linkages between these two important
resources. Energy is needed to pump, treat, and transport water, while
large quantities of water are used to develop energy supplies.
H.R. 3598, the Energy and Water Research Integration Act, seeks to
address the nexus of our energy and water resources by requiring the
Secretary to integrate water-related issues into the Department's
existing energy efficiency and energy technology research, development
and demonstration programs. The bill authorizes $60 million annually
for five years for this research.
Additionally, H.R. 3598 creates an ``Energy-Water Architecture
Council'' (EWAC) that will facilitate the collaboration of industry,
academia, and the Federal Government in improving energy and water
resource data collection, reporting and technological innovation. The
bill authorizes $5 million annually to the Secretary of Energy for five
years for this purpose.
After five Committee hearings on water, including one specifically
related to the energy-water nexus, this legislation is the result of
serious investigation by the Committee. H.R. 3598 has been informed by
witness testimonies and reports from the National Academies, the
Government Accountability Office, the National Science Technology
Council, and the Department of Energy.
This legislation provides additional tools in a national effort to
address the growing problems related to supply and quality of water and
energy, and augments the interagency coordination effort laid out in my
other bill, H.R. 1145, the National Water Research and Development
Initiative Act of 2009.
I encourage all my colleagues on the Subcommittee to join me in
this effort and support H.R. 3598.
Chairman Baird. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I just want to
commend you. You know, I would not be surprised at all if
historians will look back, and if this last century was the
century of oil, this next century may be the century of water,
and you are, as always, well ahead of the curve on that issue
and on the nexus and I applaud you for this legislation and the
series of bills you have authored on this topic.
I would now recognize Mr. Inglis to present any remarks on
the bill.
Mr. Inglis. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, both Mr. Chairmen.
So as more and more of our communities experience water
stress and our population continues to grow, the energy-water
nexus is increasingly important. Managers of electricity
generation facilities, refineries, mines and industrial
facilities are painfully aware of what constrained water
resources can mean for their operations. To ensure that we make
the best decisions about future energy infrastructure and
technology, DOE should take into account ways to manage water
demands and energy production. It is reassuring to know that
several programs have already been addressing this need. Still,
our water resource problems are predicted to become more severe
and more work needs to be done. As DOE continues its efforts to
ensure that our energy demands--continues to ensure that they
should focus not only on new technology and innovation but on
water resource issues at the regional and local level.
The 2009 Omnibus Lands Management Act includes several
reports on water resource issues. Relying on this information
will ensure that DOE focuses their resources in the most
efficient way possible to make the most progress in areas most
at risk. I intend to offer an amendment along these lines, Mr.
Chairman, and I thank you for the time.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Inglis follows:]
Prepared Statement of Representative Bob Inglis
As more and more of our communities experience water stress and our
population continues to grow, the energy-water nexus is increasingly
important. Managers of electricity generation facilities, refineries,
mines, and industrial facilities are painfully aware of what
constrained water resources can mean for their operations.
To ensure that we make the best decisions about future energy
infrastructure and technology, DOE should take into account ways to
manage water demands in energy production. It's reassuring to know that
several programs have already been addressing this need. Still, our
water resource problems are predicted to become more severe, and more
work needs to be done.
As DOE continues its efforts to ensure that our energy demands,
they should focus not only on new technology and innovation, but on
water resource issues at the regional and local level. The 2009 Omnibus
Lands Management Act includes several reports on water resource issues.
Relying on this information will ensure that DOE focuses their
resources in the most efficient way possible to make the most progress
in areas most at risk. I intend to offer an amendment along these
lines.
Chairman Baird. Do other Members wish to be recognized? If
not, I will ask unanimous consent that the bill is considered
as read and open to amendment at any point and that the Members
proceed with the amendments in the order of the roster. Without
objection, so ordered.
The first amendment on the roster is a manager's amendment
offered by Chairman Gordon. Are you ready to proceed with your
amendment, Chairman Gordon?
Chairman Gordon. I have an amendment at the desk.
Chairman Baird. The Clerk will report the amendment.
The Clerk. Amendment to H.R. 3598, amendment number 033,
offered by Mr. Gordon of Tennessee.
Chairman Gordon. The manager's amendment makes a series of
changes throughout H.R. 3598 to clarify the intent of the
legislation and to incorporate recommendations from witnesses.
In addition, this amendment is the product of good suggestions
put forth by the Minority, and we thank you for those
insightful comments.
Section 2 of H.R. 3598 is an amendment to clarify that the
intent of the bill is to integrate water-related issues into
the Department's existing energy efficiency and energy
technology research, development and demonstration programs.
The bill is not meant to create a new program at DOE or involve
every program within the agency.
Section 3 of the bill is amended to ensure that the Energy
and Water Architecture Council includes a wide variety of non-
federal members with expertise across the energy-water
spectrum. Furthermore, this section is modified to clarify that
the council will bring informed government, academic and
industry stakeholders to the table to begin talks about what a
smart water grid would entail.
Based on witnesses' recommendations, the manager's
amendment modifies Section 3 to allow for regional as well as
national technical workshops. Regional workshops will allow for
a greater range of potential stakeholder participation and
bring focus to region-specific issues and solutions.
This amendment is a result of good suggestions from our
Minority and witnesses from past Science and Technology
Committee hearings, and I ask my colleagues to support the
amendment.
[The prepared statement of Chairman Gordon follows:]
Prepared Statement of Chairman Bart Gordon
The manager's amendment makes a series of changes throughout H.R.
3598 to clarify the intent of the legislation and to incorporate
recommendations from witnesses. In addition, this amendment is the
product of good suggestions put forward by the Minority, and we thank
you for those insightful comments.
Section 2 of H.R. 3598 is amended to clarify that the intent of the
bill is to integrate water-related issues into the Department's
existing energy efficiency and energy technology research, development
and demonstration programs.
This bill is not meant to create a new program at DOE or involve
every program within the agency.
Section 3 of the bill is amended to ensure that the Energy and
Water Architecture Council includes a wide variety of non-federal
members with expertise across the energy-water spectrum. Furthermore,
this section is modified to clarify that the Council will bring
informed government, academic, and industry stakeholders to the table
to begin talks about what a ``Smart Water Grid'' would entail.
Based on witness recommendations, the manager's amendment modifies
Section 3 to allow for regional, as well as, national technical
workshops. Regional workshops will allow for a greater range of
potential stakeholder participation and bring focus to region specific
issues and solutions.
This amendment is the result of good suggestions from our Minority
and witnesses from past Science and Technology Committee hearings. I
ask my colleagues to support the amendment.
Chairman Baird. I thank the Chairman. Is there further
discussion on this amendment or the bill? Dr. Bartlett.
Mr. Bartlett. This may be an appropriate place for a
question that I have. As you are aware, the Federal Government
generally defers to the states primacy on allocation of surface
water and groundwater within their jurisdiction. Historically,
water quantity and allocation decisions, including water
efficiency incentives, have been State matters whereas water
quality has been the purview of the Federal Government, the
majority of water supply planning and water quantity
regulations affirmed by State and local entities. Given that
water rights and usage authority and decisions generally reside
with states and localities, could water-related R&D project
requirements, energy-water systems analysis and associated
modeling efforts necessitate greater involvement by State and
local agencies in DOE-sponsored project approval or operations?
And if so, what would that involvement entail?
Chairman Gordon. Mr. Bartlett, that is a very good
question, and I am going to yield to staff for a good answer
here. Who would like to take that on?
Counsel. I definitely think that there would be greater
involvement from the states and we would encourage more
collaboration on those individual technologies.
Chairman Gordon. I think the thrust, Dr. Bartlett, is to
look for best ideas from all areas and so I think these
workshops would certainly allow for that additional input.
Mr. Bartlett. Thank you very much. Traditionally, the
Federal Government has been involved only in water quality
where quantity and distribution have been State and local
entity decisions, and I just wanted to make sure that this
legislation is not going to preempt that traditional division
of responsibilities.
Chairman Gordon. Well, it is certainly not to--if the
gentleman would yield, the effort is not to usurp that but
rather to provide them with additional information so they can
make those decisions.
Mr. Bartlett. Thank you very much. Thank you.
Chairman Baird. Ms. Biggert.
Ms. Biggert. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I do want to say
that I really support the intent of this bill. I just have a
couple questions. Number one, as introduced, the bill requires
the Secretary of Energy in carrying out each of the energy R&D
programs of the DOE to advance energy and energy efficiency
technologies and practices and incorporate an appropriate host
of requirements, and one, for example, would be to incorporate
new advanced cooling technologies for energy generation and
fuel production technologies. Does that mean for every R&D
program at DOE new advanced cooling technologies would need to
be utilized? And would these technologies be those DOE is
seeking to demonstrate on a commercial scale? And would these
technologies be those DOE is seeking to demonstrate that
industry developed that were unable to penetrate the market and
would the cost of installation be considered a determining
factor?
Chairman Gordon. If the gentlelady would yield, the
legislation specifically gives the Secretary the discretion. It
is not a mandate to incorporate in all areas of research, just
where appropriate.
Ms. Biggert. Okay. Would these technologies be those DOE is
seeking to demonstrate on a commercial scale?
Chairman Gordon. Again, once again that is to the
discretion of the Secretary where they think it would be
appropriate and beneficial.
Ms. Biggert. So there is no talk of what we would be
thinking that the Secretary would consider like would the cost
of the installation be a determining factor?
Chairman Gordon. I would certainly think that that would be
a factor that the Secretary would have to take into account.
There is limited dollars to go around.
Ms. Biggert. Was there any change in the manager's
amendment language to address what seems like a broad mandate
placed on the Department to develop the research, development
and demonstration program?
Chairman Gordon. Well, once again, it says it does not
require it to be integrated in every project but rather leaves
that to the discretion of the Secretary, and I would assume the
Secretary recognizing there are limited funds would certainly
take that into consideration.
Ms. Biggert. Okay. Then with the creation of the Energy-
Water Architecture Council in Section 3, it seems to be a
laudable goal but do you think that it duplicates efforts made
by other Department agencies and the private sector? It seems
that other bodies created under prior statutes including the
Secure Water Act are addressing many of these issues and that
DOE already participates in these group efforts.
Chairman Gordon. If the gentlelady would yield, this is
directly from a recommendation that was made by industry, by
the government, by different academies. We took their good
ideas and placed it here. I think if they thought it was a
duplication, that they would not have made those
recommendations.
Ms. Biggert. But I think it should be noted that the
technical workshops seem to duplicate the efforts made on
behalf of these issues by the private sector including those
industrial groups so maybe they want to switch and not----
Chairman Gordon. Well, I think the private sector would
like to have a direct conduit to getting their recommendations
into federal policy.
Ms. Biggert. Would the $5 million per year in authorization
be used to pay for the putting on these technical workshops?
Chairman Gordon. Yes. What we have found is that if you--
and what we, you know, tried to do in a variety of ways is
recognize that there are limited resources, whether it is
water, different areas, nanotechnology. You know, we are trying
to set up coordination between the various federal agencies to
better use that money. We find that if you do not give an
authorization and they have to use their existing
administrative expenses or funds, they simply don't do as good
a job. They shortchange it. And so that was the purpose, yes,
to cover the cost of those regional meetings.
Ms. Biggert. So you think that these workshops would be
more informative than those held at the annual meetings and
conferences sponsored by the industry and the investment
groups?
Chairman Gordon. Well, I think a couple of things. One,
they will be a--this will be a way for them not just to talk
among themselves but also be able to talk to policy-makers,
which is something that I think they will want to do. Secondly,
I think that it is important--some of the water problems in
Arizona are different than the water problems in New York or
Tennessee. So I think it is important that we have the regional
meetings so that again part of what we are trying to do is
gather information so that communities can make good decisions
and that water problems simply differ in different regions of
the country.
Ms. Biggert. And just quickly, Section 3 states that the
Energy-Water Architecture Council is to promote and enable
improved energy and water resource data collection, reporting
and technological innovation. Does this mean that the
technological innovation is in water resource data collecting
and reporting?
Chairman Gordon. This is where it would be directly related
to energy production, that nexus again that we discussed
between water and energy.
Ms. Biggert. And then if appropriations are provided under
Section 2D, how would the funds be distributed and allocated
among the DOE's RD&D activities?
Chairman Gordon. Once again, that would be a matter of
discretion with the Secretary.
Ms. Biggert. Okay.
Chairman Baird. I thank the gentlelady.
Ms. Biggert. Thank you. I yield back.
Chairman Baird. Time is expired. Dr. Ehlers.
Mr. Ehlers. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just would like to
follow up on the comments and questions of Dr. Bartlett and
support his view on this. The Great Lakes states are very, very
nervous about dryer states trying to steal the water from the
Great Lakes and the issue that Dr. Bartlett raised is right on
point, that the Federal Government has no control over the
distribution of the water that the states control, just the
quality of it, and I want to make sure that is clearly in the
record. Thank you.
Chairman Baird. Thank you, Dr. Ehlers. Are there other
Members wishing to be recognized on the amendment?
If no, the vote occurs on the amendment. All in favor will
say aye. Those opposed, no. The ayes have it and the amendment
is agreed to.
The second amendment on the roster is an amendment offered
by the Ranking Member, Mr. Inglis. Are you ready to proceed
with your amendment, Mr. Inglis?
Mr. Inglis. Yes, Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the
desk.
Chairman Baird. The Clerk will report the amendment.
The Clerk. Amendment to H.R. 3598, amendment number 1015,
offered by Mr. Inglis of South Carolina.
Chairman Baird. I ask unanimous consent to dispense with
the reading. Without objection, so ordered. I recognize the
gentleman for five minutes to explain the amendment.
Mr. Inglis. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Clemson University's Restoration Institute recently
launched Intelligent River, a real-time observation system that
supports monitoring and management of 154 miles of the Savannah
River along the banks of South Carolina's shores. The project
started with the intent of monitoring river health but real-
time information has piqued the interest of local stakeholders
who can use it to more efficiently manage water withdrawal and
discharges during periods of water stress. This information is
also a powerful input for long-term investment decisions in
water use technologies. The public lands bill that went into
law earlier this year directed the Department of Interior to
conduct a water census. This census will provide information on
water quality, availability, flow, use and storage and it will
generate models and predictive tools to guide water use
decisions. All of this information is intended to help us
effectively manage competing water interests and future
decisions, similar to, as I was mentioning, what the Clemson
University's Restoration Institute has been doing.
My amendment would require DOE to take into account the
information coming out of the water census in carrying out the
directives of this bill. This will improve DOE's resource
investment with full awareness of what regions and research
areas emphasize the most. I understand that delaying the start
of this program may be undesirable, so I will withdraw my
amendment at this time. I hope that we can work at the staff
level in advance of the Full Committee markup to ensure that
this important information is incorporated into DOE's decision-
making, and Mr. Chairman, I also want to use this time, if I
may, to ask some questions of counsel that basically what we
are after here is to get this water census coming and so the
question is whether to sort of work into this bill some sort of
delay until that water census is here because I was just
mentioning this Savannah River study really has turned up some
interesting things, and so the directive now to the DOE may be
premature in light of that water census coming. There is also
some angst on this side that you have already heard here about
how you do this to make these directives but then pull back and
give the Secretary discretion. So this bill as drafted has a
series of ``shalls'' and then it says ``as necessary.'' So it
is a little bit--we are in a quandary about how you draft that.
We want you to do this but we want to give you discretion,
which I think that the Chairman of the Full Committee is right
to want to give the Secretary discretion but we also want them
to act, so it is a hard balance here to figure out whether you
direct and then give discretion or how you do that. So some
questions for counsel that may get at some of this and prepare
us for working hopefully in a collaborative way between here
and Full Committee to figure out how to address this water
census issue, number one, and number two, how do you direct the
DOE but then give them the ability to have discretion. So the
first question, is any of this work currently being done by DOE
and has there been an assessment of that work already being
done on a project-by-project basis?
Counsel. This bill was developed with the knowledge that
some of this work is going on at DOE. We have looked at several
of the projects that have been funded. We have not done an
assessment of every single project that all the different
programs at DOE has included energy and water nexus information
in.
Mr. Inglis. And in fact, we asked that question of DOE and
we got sort of a two-page summary but not a real comprehensive
list of what they are doing, so perhaps when we are in Full
Committee we can get some help from you on that, on getting
from DOE a more complete answer.
Chairman Gordon. If the gentleman would yield, I might add
to that. I think certainly the census is an important document
and we need to get that, but we know the general report is
going to say that there are limits to water availability. Now,
we want to get into regions and things of that nature but we
know it is going to be the basic bottom line is that there are
those limitations and so I think that it would not be best or I
don't think necessary to wait for that to come back to go ahead
and get started with this energy-water nexus research. The sort
of what you might say stop and start is recognition is
recognition of two things, one, that we do have limited
resources, and two, we want to use those best, and so that is
why we want to be able to allow the Secretary where needed, you
know, to use those limited resources and again to coordinate
those activities without imposing additional mandates that they
are not going to have the funds for.
Mr. Inglis. Let us see. In fact, Mr. Chairman, I think my
time is up, but I am----
Chairman Gordon. I would yield my time to Mr. Inglis to
continue with his good questions.
Mr. Inglis. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. That is helpful. The
second question here is, how will this new requirement impact
the progress of DOE's projects and demonstrations? Can we
expect delays? Will DOE be required to incorporate new
technologies? In other words, DOE is already doing some
projects and demonstrations. We surely wouldn't want any
delays. Do we have any idea how this new requirement might,
these ``shalls'' with discretion impact those existing
projects?
Counsel. Well, the program doesn't start until 2011, so it
will not impact any of the existing projects.
Mr. Inglis. That is helpful. And the third question, how
can we ensure that progress in water use efficiency made by
individual projects or programs is communicated to interested
parties in DOE and relevant agencies? In other words, how can
we avoid duplication of this research?
Counsel. Just to clarify, do you mean within the agency?
Mr. Inglis. I guess it is between agencies. DOE and
relevant agencies are doing some projects and programs and we
are wondering how we are going to avoid duplication.
Counsel. Sir, there is a section that specifically
addresses the interagency collaboration to make sure that the
agencies will be talking to each other as they go forward.
Mr. Inglis. And how about within DOE?
Counsel. We have discussed several issues with the
Department of Energy and they have told us that they are
already coordinating this research. For example, NETL is
already talking to EERE.
Mr. Inglis. So just to sort of summarize here, between here
and Full Committee we hope we can work together to figure out a
couple things. One is, how to anticipate the water census and
all that we are going to get out of that. Second is, how to
work with this thing about telling the Secretary to do
something but then pulling up from that directive to say ``as
appropriate,'' which I believe it is appropriate to pull up
from the directive a little bit because we do want them to have
discretion, otherwise why would you have a secretary if you
could have a computer instead of a secretary. And so we have to
figure out how to work that in legislation. The other thing,
the third sort of area that I would add of concern is, you
know, I am a commercial real estate agent, I am not in
Congress, and sometimes I have this misfortune of having to do
a residential closing, and the residence is for clients that
you can't say no to so you do these residential closings and
you end up with a stack of inane paper. The only documents that
are important at a residential closing are the note, the
mortgage, the title insurance policy and the survey. That is
it. The rest of it is totally inane. Oh, I am sorry, the HUD
one is important because it shows where the money goes. But you
get these affidavits about why you live where you live. I mean,
I once had an affidavit where I had to get a client to sign
saying that they lived in South Carolina but worked in Georgia
and so I came up with--I decided to have some fun with it and
had a whole series of whereas's, I bear a great love and
affection for the State of Georgia because I was born there,
and I went through this whole series of things, sent it to the
bank and they thought it was fine. I mean, it was all tongue
and cheek but the point is that you get somebody to check off
this list and it is meaningless. It is just another scrap of
paper that is stuck in the file. We want to make--I think the
Chairman here wants to do real serious work with this water
stuff but we want to do in this directive to the Secretary have
some kind of directive but also give him discretion but not end
up with a useless piece of paper where they are checking off
something and system-wide they are checking off this little
piece of paper and putting this affidavit of residency in the
file. Nobody cares about it. They didn't even look at it. They
didn't read my silly whereas's that I put in there. You know,
they didn't notice that I was making fun of them. And so we
don't want that kind of setup and that is what we are--we want
to do serious work because this is a serious issue about water
and I know that is the Chairman's goal and we want to try to
help get there between here and Full Committee.
I don't have any other questions. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Chairman Baird. Thank you, Mr. Inglis. I appreciate both
the spirit and the content of the questions and I understand
you have withdrawn the amendment.
Is there further comment on the amendment? If no, the vote
occurs on the amendment. Oh, right, he has withdrawn it. Thank
you.
If no, the vote is on the bill, H.R. 3598, as amended. All
those in favor will say aye. All those opposed will say no. In
the opinion of the Chair, the ayes have it.
I recognize myself to offer a motion. I move that the
Subcommittee favorably report H.R. 3598 as amended to the Full
Committee. Furthermore, I move that staff be instructed to
prepare the Subcommittee report and make necessary technical
and conforming changes to the bill in accordance with the
recommendations of the Subcommittee.
The question is on the motion to report the bill favorably.
Those in favor will signify by saying aye. Opposed, no. The
ayes have it, and the bill is favorably reported. Without
objection, the motion to reconsider is laid upon the table.
Members will have two subsequent calendar days in which to
submit supplemental Minority or additional views on the
measure.
With that, I thank my colleagues for their input and the
outstanding staff for their work on this legislation, and with
that, this markup stands adjourned.
[Whereupon, at 11:15 a.m., the Subcommittee was adjourned.]
Appendix:
----------
H.R. 3598, Section-by-Section Analysis, Amendment Roster
Section-by-Section Analysis of
H.R. 3598, the Energy and Water
Research Integration Act
Section 1: Short Title - ``Energy and Water Research Integration Act''
Section 2: ``Integrating Energy and Water Research'' requires that the
Secretary of Energy recognize the link between our energy and water
resources and integrate energy-related water issues into the
Department's existing research, development and demonstration programs.
As part of that authority DOE shall 1) advance technologies and
practices that help use our energy and water resources more efficiently
and effectively, 2) consider the effects climate change may have on our
energy and water resources, and 3) improve the understanding of the
energy required to provide water supplies and the water required to
provide reliable energy supplies. The bill authorizes $60 million
annually for this section for FY 2011-FY 2015.
Section 3: ``Energy-Water Architecture Council'' (EWAC) directs the
Secretary of Energy, in coordination with other relevant federal
agencies, to establish EWAC to provide improved energy and water
resource data collection, reporting and technological innovation. EWAC
will be led by DOE, but include representatives from industry and
academic institutions who have expertise in technologies and practices
relating to the link between our energy and water resources. The bill
authorizes $5 million annually to the Secretary of Energy for five
years (FY 2011-2015) to carry out this section.
XXII: PROCEEDINGS OF THE FULL COMMITTEE MARKUP ON H.R. 3598, ENERGY AND
WATER RESEARCH INTEGRATION ACT
----------
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2009
House of Representatives,
Committee on Science,
Washington, DC.
The Committee met, pursuant to call, at 10:38 a.m., in Room
2318 of the Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Bart Gordon
[Chairman of the Committee] presiding.
Chairman Gordon. Good morning, everyone. The Committee will
come to order. Pursuant to notice, the Committee on Science and
Technology meets to consider the following measures: H.R. 3650,
the Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia Research and Control
Amendments Act of 2009, H.R. 3585, the Solar Technology Roadmap
Act, and H.R. 3598, the Energy and Water Research Integration
Act.
First, we will consider a bill by the Subcommittee's
Chairman, Brian Baird, and co-authored by Research and Science
Education Ranking Member, Dr. Ehlers. H.R. 3650, the Harmful
Algal Blooms and Hypoxia Research and Control Amendments Act of
2009, seeks to address the devastating effects that the rapid
overproduction of algae can have on aquatic plant and animal
life and human health.
The bill directs the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration to implement research strategies to better
understand and respond to algal blooms and hypoxic events.
Next, we will consider H.R. 3585, the Solar Technology
Roadmap Act, authored by the Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee
Chair, Ms. Gabrielle Giffords. This bill instructs the
Department of Energy to coordinate with public and private
sector entities in developing a comprehensive, updated roadmap
for solar research, development and demonstration activities in
the United States.
This roadmap will be a critical tool in utilizing limited
research dollars as effectively as possible to harness the
truly immense solar resources we have in the United States.
Finally, we will take up H.R. 3598, the Energy and Water
Research Integration Act. In the last Congress, this committee
undertook a comprehensive review of federal research and
technology development efforts focusing in on improving
utilization of our precious water resources. We have since held
five hearings and passed out of the House three bills
pertaining to this important topic.
H.R. 3598, in which we will address the critical linkage
between our nation's energy and water resources by directing
the Department of Energy to better integrate water into
existing federal energy research efforts.
The three bills we have before us today target several
important research needs. And as always, we appreciate the
Minority offering a number of valuable ideas and suggestions,
and we have worked hard to incorporate almost all of them in an
effort to improve these bipartisan bills.
I now recognize Mr. Hall to present his opening remarks.
[The prepared statement of Chairman Gordon follows:]
Prepared Statement of Chairman Bart Gordon
Good Morning. Today the Committee will consider three bills
reported last week from the Energy and Environment Subcommittee.
First, we will consider a bill by the Subcommittee's Chairman, Dr.
Baird, and co-authored by the Research and Science Education Ranking
Member, Dr. Ehlers. H.R. 3650, the Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia
Research and Control Amendments Act of 2009, seeks to address the
devastating effects that rapid overproduction of algae can have on
aquatic plant and animal life and human health.
The bill directs the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration to implement research strategies to better understand
and respond to algal blooms and hypoxic events.
Next, we will consider H.R. 3585, the Solar Technology Roadmap Act,
authored by the Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee Chair, Ms. Gabrielle
Giffords. This bill instructs the Department of Energy to coordinate
with public and private sector entities in developing a comprehensive,
updatable roadmap for solar research, development, and demonstration
activities in the U.S.
This roadmap will be a critical tool in utilizing limited research
dollars as effectively as possible to harness the truly immense solar
resources we have in the U.S.
Finally, we will take up my bill, H.R. 3598, the Energy and Water
Research Integration Act. In the last Congress this committee undertook
a comprehensive review of federal research and technology development
efforts focused on improving utilization of our precious water
resources. We have since held five hearings and passed out of the House
three bills pertaining to this important topic.
With H.R. 3598 we address the critical linkage between our nation's
energy and water resources by directing the Department of Energy to
better integrate water into existing federal energy research efforts.
The three bills we have before us today target several important
research needs. As always we appreciate the Minority offering a number
of valuable ideas and suggestions, and we have worked hard to
incorporate almost all of them in an effort to improve these bipartisan
bills.
Despite this, I see that the Minority will have a number of
amendments. While it is unfortunate these concerns could not be
resolved before the markup I look forward to a healthy debate on the
amendments, and supporting these bills for final passage.
I thank you all for your attendance and participation this morning,
and I look forward to a productive markup.
I now recognize Mr. Hall to present his opening remarks.
Mr. Hall. I thank you, Mr. Chairman, and today, as you have
pointed out, we are marking up H.R. 3650, the Harmful Algal
Blooms and Hypoxia Research and Control Amendments Act of 2009,
H.R. 3585, the Solar Technology Roadmap Act, and H.R. 3598, the
Energy and Water Research Integration Act. I would like to
thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank your staff for working with
us, working with the Minority, working with us on these bills
and you helped us address as much as possible our concerns.
Unfortunately, we were not able to come to an agreement on all
of our concerns but I realize that that can't always be the
case. I will elaborate on these when the bills are brought up
for amendment. We will have amendments that address those areas
of the bills that we feel still need some attention, and
particularly in the solar and energy and water bills. I do hope
that the Chairman and other Members of this committee will give
our amendments thoughtful consideration as we feel they are
intended to improve the bills and enhance support for them.
With that, I yield back the balance of my time.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Hall follows:]
Prepared Statement of Representative Ralph M. Hall
Today, we are marking up H.R. 3650, the Harmful Algal Blooms and
Hypoxia Research and Control Amendments Act of 2009, H.R. 3585, the
Solar Technology Roadmap Act, and H.R. 3598, the Energy and Water
Research Integration Act. I would like to thank you, Mr. Chairman, and
thank your staff for working with us, working with the Minority,
working with us on these bills and you helped us address as much as
possible our concerns. Unfortunately, we were not able to come to an
agreement on all of our concerns but I realize that that can't always
be the case. I will elaborate on these when the bills are brought up
for amendment. We will have amendments that address those areas of the
bills that we feel still need some attention, and particularly in the
solar and energy and water bills. I do hope that the Chairman and other
Members of this committee will give our amendments thoughtful
consideration as we feel they are intended to improve the bills and
enhance support for them.
Chairman Gordon. Members may place statements in the record
at this point.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Mitchell follows:]
Prepared Statement of Representative Harry E. Mitchell
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Today we will mark up H.R. 3650, the Harmful Algal Blooms and
Hypoxia Research and Control Amendments Act, H.R. 3585, the Solar
Technology Roadmap Act, and H.R. 3598, the Energy and Water Research
Integration Act.
I would like to take a moment to speak about H.R. 3585, the Solar
Technology Roadmap Act, legislation which I believe is critical in
order to spur further research and development of solar technology.
We're lucky in Arizona to enjoy over 300 days of sunshine. We have
a real opportunity to brighten our state's future by investing in solar
energy research and technology.
As solar technology advances, I believe that Arizona will be a
leader in clean, alternative energy production. Refocusing our energy
production on alternative sources such as solar is critical for our
national security and the environment.
Moreover, investing in solar energy is vital to Arizona's economy.
With the help of solar tax credits, Abengoa Solar and Arizona
Public Service are developing the world's largest solar energy plant
outside of Gila Bend. The Solana solar generating station will create
1,500 to 2,000 jobs and provide clean, emission-free energy for 70,000
homes. Solana is expected to ultimately spur $1 billion in economic
development.
H.R. 3585, the Solar Technology Roadmap Act, would take us one step
further toward making large scale solar energy production a reality.
Specifically, this legislation would establish a Solar Technology
Roadmap Committee tasked with creating a Solar Technology Roadmap to
evaluate near-term, mid-term, and long-term research, development, and
demonstration needs in solar technology. This committee would include
stakeholders in the solar industry to provide insights on the
deployment of this technology.
I urge my colleagues to support this important measure, and at this
time, I yield back.
Chairman Gordon. We will now consider H.R. 3598, the Energy
and Water Research Integration Act. I recognize myself for five
minutes to describe the bill.
The country faces immense challenges with increased demand
on our energy and water resources. H.R. 3598 will provide us
with new tools to meet specific technical challenges occurring
at the nexus of energy and water.
The bill requires the Secretary to consider water-related
issues in the Department's existing energy efficiency and
energy technology research programs. It does not create a new
program at the DOE.
Additionally, H.R. 3598 creates an Energy Water
Architecture Council that will facilitate the collaboration of
industry, academia, and the Federal Government in improving
energy and water resources, data collection, reporting, and
technological innovation.
This legislation is the product of recommendations from
five Committee hearings on water, several reports from the
national academies, the Government Accounting Office, the
National Science Technology Council, and the Department of
Energy.
I encourage my colleagues on the Committee to join me in
this effort and support H.R. 3598.
I now recognize Mr. Hall to present any remarks to the
bill.
[The prepared statement of Chairman Gordon follows:]
Prepared Statement of Chairman Bart Gordon
The country faces immense challenges with increased demand on our
energy and water resources. H.R. 3598 will provide us with new tools to
meet specific technical challenges occurring at the nexus of energy and
water.
The bill requires the Secretary to consider water-related issues in
the Department's existing energy efficiency and energy technology
research programs. It does not create a new program at the DOE.
Additionally, H.R. 3598 creates an ``Energy-Water Architecture
Council'' (EWAC) that will facilitate the collaboration of industry,
academia, and the Federal Government in improving energy and water
resource data collection, reporting, and technological innovation.
This legislation is the product of recommendations from five
Committee hearings on water and several reports from the National
Academies, the Government Accountability Office, the National Science
Technology Council, and the Department of Energy.
I encourage all my colleagues on the Committee to join me in this
effort and support H.R. 3598.
Mr. Hall. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and we agree with you.
The energy water interaction is a very important issue that
needs to be taken into consideration and addressed by the DOE
and other relevant agencies. And we believe your bill is a very
good starting point.
However, we think there is certain parts of the bill that
we find to be potentially overly burdensome to DOE and could do
more harm than good. In particular, the bill as it currently is
written and it is written in the manager's amendment, would
place an additional energy water requirement on every energy
research development demonstration program and project of the
Department of Energy.
Now, this could include the gamut of programs from fossil
energy to ARPA-E to EERE, to name just a few. We remind, I
guess ourselves, that we are always concerned that moving
forward with such requirements prior to gathering the proper
background data and information such as a comprehensive
assessment of which programs and projects will be affected may
lead to negative, unintended consequences. We suggest language
that would give the Secretary discretion as to which programs
and projects would be affected, but that was unfortunately not
accepted.
As well, we feel that the council is unnecessary as it is
duplicative of other groups currently in existence. The worst
possible scenario is us setting up a situation in which we have
different groups developing parallel standards, data collection
methods for the energy water interaction may be very difficult
to combine.
Such a task would involve some level of data manipulation,
which could very well lead to a loss of scientific integrity of
the findings.
Mr. Chairman, we have worked very hard in this committee to
avoid duplicative efforts exactly like this. I believe
streamlining an organization is one of the main motivations for
the National Water Research and Development Initiative Act that
was passed on the Floor earlier this year.
I have an amendment to this bill that could address our
concerns while incorporating the intent of your bill, Mr.
Chairman. As well we will have other amendments from our side
that we hope you will consider and accept as an improvement to
your bill.
And with that I yield back the balance of my time.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Hall follows:]
Prepared Statement of Representative Ralph M. Hall
Thank you Mr. Chairman. We agree with you that the energy/water
intersection is an important issue that needs to be taken into
consideration, and addressed by the DOE and other relevant agencies,
and we believe that your bill is a good starting point. However, there
are certain parts of your bill that we find to be potentially overly
burdensome to the DOE and could do more harm than good. In particular,
the bill, as it is currently written, and as it is written in the
manager's amendment, would place an additional energy/water requirement
on every energy research, development, and demonstration program and
project of the Department of Energy. This could include the gamut of
programs from Fossil Energy to ARPA-E to EERE to name just a few. We
remain concerned that moving forward with such requirements prior to
gathering the proper background data and information, such as a
comprehensive assessment of which programs and projects will be
affected, may lead to negative unintended consequences. We suggested
language that would give the Secretary discretion as to which programs
and projects would be affected, but that was, unfortunately, not
accepted.
As well, we feel that the council is unnecessary as it is
duplicative of other groups currently in existence. The worst possible
scenario is us setting up a situation in which we have different groups
developing parallel standards and data collection methods for the
energy-water interaction that may be very difficult to combine. Such a
task would involve some level of data manipulation, which could very
well lead to a loss of scientific integrity of the findings. Mr.
Chairman, we have worked very hard in this committee to avoid
duplicative efforts just like this. I believe streamlining and
organization was one of the main motivations for the National Water
Research and Development Initiative Act that was passed on the House
Floor earlier this year.
I have an amendment to this bill that could address our concerns
while incorporating the intent of your bill, Mr. Chairman. As well, we
will have other amendments from our side that we hope you will consider
and accept as an improvement to your bill.
With that I yield back the balance of my time.
Chairman Gordon. Does anyone else wish to be recognized?
Then I ask unanimous consent that the bill is considered as
read and open to amendment at any point and that the Members
proceed with amendments in the order of the roster.
Without objection, so ordered.
The first amendment on the roster is a Chairman's--
manager's amendment offered by the Chair. The Clerk will report
the amendment.
The Clerk. Amendment to H.R. 3598, amendment number 005,
offered by Mr. Gordon of Tennessee.
Chairman Gordon. I ask unanimous consent to dispense with
the reading.
Without objection, so ordered.
I recognize myself for five minutes to explain the
amendment.
The manager's amendment makes a series of changes
throughout H.R. 3598 that are the result of good suggestions
put forward by the Minority staff, and we thank you for those
insightful comments.
Section 2 of H.R. 3598 is amended to ensure that the
Secretary of Energy minimizes wasteful spending of taxpayer
dollars by collaborating and coordinating with other agencies
and within the programs of the Department to avoid duplication
of research efforts.
The amendment makes certain that the Secretary shall not
unnecessarily delay or disrupt programs or projects at the
Department.
The amendment also includes a requirement that the
Secretary report the findings and activities of the research
back to Congress not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment.
Some areas of specific technology considerations were
clarified, including technology development of carbon capture
and storage, the technologies that will mitigate impacts on
water from energy resource development. This amendment
strengthens the bill and adds the oversight necessary to ensure
that the Department addresses the critical connection between
energy and water.
We thank the Minority for more than 20 suggestions that we
have included in this amendment and underlying bill. I ask my
colleagues to support this amendment.
[The prepared statement of Chairman Gordon follows:]
Prepared Statement of Chairman Bart Gordon
The manager's amendment makes a series of changes throughout H.R.
3598 that are the result of good suggestions put forward by the
Minority staff, and we thank you for those insightful comments.
Section 2 of H.R. 3598 is amended to ensure the Secretary of Energy
minimizes wasteful spending of taxpayer dollars by collaborating and
coordinating with other agencies and within the programs of the
Department to avoid duplication of research efforts.
The amendment makes certain that the Secretary shall not
unnecessarily delay or disrupt programs or projects of the Department.
The amendment also includes a requirement that the Secretary report the
findings and activities of the research back to Congress not later than
one year after the date of enactment.
Some areas of specific technology considerations were clarified,
including technology development for carbon capture and storage and
technologies that will mitigate impacts on water from energy resource
development.
This amendment strengthens the bill and adds the oversight
necessary to ensure that the Department addresses the critical
connection between energy and water. We thank the Minority for the more
than 20 suggestions that we have included in this amendment, and in the
underlying bill.
I ask my colleagues to support this amendment.
Chairman Gordon. Is there further discussion on this
amendment?
Mr. Hall is recognized.
Mr. Hall. Mr. Chairman, I would like to thank you and your
staff for your willingness to work with us on your new bill.
You did do that, and while I am pleased with and also thank you
for the changes that were made, I am a little disappointed that
we couldn't work out. I would like to have had all the changes
we asked for, but we were hoping we could work out a few more.
In particular, one suggestion was made to add the words, as
you remember, ``as appropriate,'' to the end of section two,
``in general'' statement. We felt that this was necessary in
order to make clear that this bill is not intended to apply to
every energy research and development demonstration program of
the Department of Energy as it now reads. We feel that the
Secretary should have more discretion when applying this bill
to current and future R&D programs.
I yield back.
Chairman Gordon. Thank you, Mr. Hall. Just to, again, to
point out, the Minority received I think it was in March the
sort of an outline for this bill, and three weeks ago received
the bill, and we had gone through a Subcommittee markup on it.
Your amendment we did not receive until I think 4:30 last
night, and so I think--so we did not have time to fully digest
it. As the day has gone along, I think it is fair to say that
the Minority, Majority staff have been able to see that we are
in sync on many, many areas and that we want to continue to
work with you to try to clarify that language that we both
agree upon.
And I think, again, you had some suggestions. We just did
not have time to digest them, but as the day has gone along it
appears that we do have much----
Mr. Hall. I appreciate it, and I worked on that sucker all
day yesterday and more this morning about 4:15. I brought it,
directly brought it over here and hand-carried it to you.
Chairman Gordon. Well, thank you for your promptness.
If there is no more discussion, then the vote occurs on the
amendment. All in favor, say aye. Opposed, no. The ayes have
it, and the amendment is agreed to.
The second amendment on the roster is an amendment offered
by the Ranking Member, Mr. Hall. Are you ready to proceed with
your amendment?
Mr. Hall. I am. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the
desk.
Chairman Gordon. The Clerk will report the amendment.
The Clerk. Amendment to H.R. 3598, amendment number 016,
offered by Mr. Hall of Texas.
Chairman Gordon. I ask unanimous consent to dispense with
the reading.
Without objection, so ordered.
And I recognize the gentleman for five minutes to explain
his amendment.
Mr. Hall. I thank you, Mr. Chairman. I won't take--probably
won't take the five minutes. I am actually not going to offer
my amendment since we really haven't had a chance to discuss
the idea before now, and I understand that.
However, I would like the opportunity to speak on it just a
minute or to give you the general idea and then request that we
work together to address the concerns have--which my amendment
attempts to alleviate, and we will have some time to do that.
As I said earlier, the Energy Water Interaction is a very
important issue that needs to be taken into consideration and
addressed by the DOE and other relevant agencies. Our goal with
this amendment was to improve upon your bill by giving the
Secretary a little more guidance, a little more discretion, and
maybe a little more direction on how to carry out this
necessary research.
Like Ms. Giffords' solar technology roadmap bill, we would
start with a roadmap and then use its recommendations to help
guide RD&D. This amendment would direct the Secretary to
develop an energy water research and development roadmap to
define research, development, demonstration, and
commercialization efforts at DOE. The roadmap would follow the
same guidelines laid out in the Chairman's bill and generally
take into account the same specific considerations that are
incorporated in the Chairman's bill.
Additionally, the Secretary would have to lay out
technological milestones for each of the considerations listed
in the bill.
The amendment also includes mutually-agreed-upon language
that was included in the Chairman's manager's amendment on
collaboration, utilization of information, and reporting
requirements. After receiving the roadmap, the Secretary is
then required to implement the findings into a way that would
deliver the most, I guess, bang for the buck by directing RD&D
to those programs at DOE that are identified as the most energy
and water-intensive and that have the most potential to lessen
fresh water withdrawal, increase water use efficiency, and
utilize non-traditional water sources.
We understand that the DOE has been required to submit a
similar report to Congress under previous legislation. There
are currently available reports from the Subcommittee on water
availability and quality and the National Academies of Science
on the issue. We do not see this roadmap language as intended
to replace any work that has previously been done or to ignore
the work that could be forthcoming but instead intend for the
roadmap in this amendment to be an authoritative document that
can serve as a one-stop shop for the energy water nexus
research needs which incorporates these different reports.
And to that end the timeless and timelines set forth by the
roadmap in this manner would not delay implementation of the
R&D as it mirrors the Chairman's language, which starts in
fiscal year 2011. And the roadmap is to be developed some six
months of an enactment.
This amendment would also cut the five-year authorization
from $60 million a year for five years to $30 million a year
for five years. The electric power industry released a report
two years ago that proposes a research and development program
on the water energy nexus that would cost $3.75 million a year
for 10 years. The R&D program proposed would address at least
three of the special considerations outlined in the Chairman's
bill and in my amendment.
I realize that the electric power industry is not the only
energy sector that is affected, so a comprehensive R&D program
would be more costly for everyone than what this industry
report calls for.
Furthermore, I understand that the Chairman's intent may be
to establish a program that is more aggressive than industry
may propose on its very own. Even with all these considerations
the authorization level included in my amendment is an order of
magnitude much greater than the industry report. If the roadmap
is done correctly and there truly is collaboration and
cooperation within the Department and between federal agencies,
the funding level of $30 million per year should be more than
sufficient to address the needs of this bill.
And I yield back unless somebody wants a second reading.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Hall follows:]
Prepared Statement of Representative Ralph M. Hall
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'm actually not going to offer my
amendment, since we really haven't had a chance to discuss the idea
before now. However, I would like the opportunity to speak on it, to
give you the general idea, and then request that we work together to
address the concerns as have which my amendment attempted to alleviate.
As I said earlier, the energy/water interaction is an important
issue that needs to be taken into consideration, and addressed by the
DOE and other relevant agencies. Our goal with this amendment is to
improve upon your bill by giving the Secretary a little more guidance,
discretion, and direction in how to carry out this necessary research.
Like Ms. Giffords' Solar Technology Roadmap bill, we would start
with a Roadmap and then use its recommendations to help guide RD&D.
This amendment would direct the Secretary to develop an Energy-Water
Research and Development Roadmap to define research, development,
demonstration, and commercialization efforts at DOE. The Roadmap would
follow the same guidelines laid out in the Chairman's bill and
generally take into account the same specific considerations that are
incorporated in the Chairman's bill. Additionally, the Secretary would
have to lay out technical milestones for each of the considerations
listed in the bill.
The amendment also includes mutually agreed upon language that was
included in the Chairman's manager's amendment on: collaboration,
utilization of information, and reporting requirements.
After receiving the roadmap, the Secretary is then required to
implement the findings in such a way that would deliver the most ``bang
for the buck'' by directing RD&D to those programs at DOE that are
identified as the most energy and water intensive and that have the
most potential to lessen freshwater withdrawal, increase water use
efficiency, and utilize nontraditional water sources.
We understand that the DOE has been required to submit a similar
report to Congress under previous legislation, and that there are
currently available reports from the Subcommittee on Water Availability
and Quality and the National Academies of Science on this issue. We do
not see this roadmap language as intending to replace any work that has
previously been done or to ignore the work that could be forthcoming,
but instead intend for the Roadmap in this amendment to be an
authoritative document that can serve as a ``one-stop shop'' for the
energy/water nexus research needs which incorporates these different
reports. To that end, the timelines set forth for the roadmap in this
amendment would not delay implementation of the RD&D, as it mirrors the
Chairman's language which starts in FY 2011, and the Roadmap is to be
developed within six months of enactment.
This amendment would also cut the five-year authorization from $60
million a year for five years to $30 million a year for five years. The
electric power industry released a report two years ago that proposes a
research and development program on the water/energy nexus that would
cost $3.75 million a year for 10 years. The R&D program proposed would
address at least three of the special considerations outlined in the
Chairman's bill and in my amendment. I realize that the electric power
industry is not the only energy sector that is affected, so a
comprehensive R&D program would be more costly for everyone than what
this industry report calls for. Furthermore, I understand that the
Chairman's intent may be to establish a program that is more aggressive
than industry may propose on its own. Even with all these
considerations, the authorization level included in my amendment is an
order of magnitude greater than the industry report. If the roadmap is
done correctly, and there truly is collaboration and cooperation within
the Department and between federal agencies, a funding level of $30
million per year should be more than sufficient to address the needs of
this bill.
I yield back.
Chairman Gordon. Thank you, Mr. Hall. As I mentioned
earlier, the manager's amendment included 20 good suggestions
from the Minority. I think that we are in sync on much of what
you are talking about here. We just have not had the time to go
through it, and as always, we will continue to work with you to
perfect and improve this bill.
Mr. Hall. Thank you, sir.
Chairman Gordon. Does the gentleman wish to withdraw the
amendment?
Mr. Hall. I guess so.
Chairman Gordon. Our third amendment on the roster is the
amendment offered by the gentlelady from Pennsylvania. Ms.
Dahlkemper, are you ready to proceed with your amendment?
Ms. Dahlkemper. Yes, I am, Mr. Chairman. I have an
amendment at the desk.
Chairman Gordon. The Clerk will report the amendment.
The Clerk. Amendment to H.R. 3598, amendment number 003,
offered by Ms. Dahlkemper of Pennsylvania.
Chairman Gordon. I ask unanimous consent to dispense with
the reading.
Without objection, so ordered.
I recognize the gentlelady for five minutes to explain the
amendment.
Ms. Dahlkemper. Thank you, Chairman Gordon, Ranking Member
Hall, and fellow Members.
H.R. 3598, the Energy and Water Research Integration Act,
is a very timely bill which takes strong steps to see that we
make better use of both our energy resources and our water
resources. It does so by coordinating our efforts to consider
the use of water when we produce energy, as well as the energy
demands of supplying water. I applaud Chairman Gordon for his
leadership in this important initiative and once again, dealing
with the important and challenging topic of water resource
planning.
I believe conservation of water and energy are
complimentary components of any plan to ensure that both are
available in adequate supply to our nation's households and
businesses. Clearly, we cannot afford to waste either.
My amendment requests the Secretary of Energy, when
carrying out energy research, development, and demonstration
projects to consider increases in energy efficiency of water
distribution and collection systems and to consider
technologies for energy generation from water distribution and
collection systems as appropriate.
Thank you, and I yield back the remainder of my time.
Chairman Gordon. Thank you, Ms. Dahlkemper. More
importantly thank you for--this is a very good amendment to
this bill, and we are killing two birds with one stone. Thank
you.
Does anyone else wish to be recognized?
If there is no further----
Mr. Hall. Chairman.
Chairman Gordon. Mr. Hall is recognized.
Mr. Hall. And I thank you. I commend my colleague on her
work on this bill, however, I am not certain I am interpreting
the gentlelady's amendment correctly, and I may have a question
or so to ask.
The first provision would increase the energy efficiency of
water distribution and collection systems and--is my time up?
Chairman Gordon. No, sir.
Mr. Hall. I will ask you this question. Does this mean that
the Department of Energy is meant to do R&D on water
distribution and collection systems?
Ms. Dahlkemper. It means that they are going to look at
this as one of the parameters that is going to be considered as
this goes forward when they are, you know, incorporated as
appropriate for the project.
Mr. Hall. And do you feel that this is within their
purview?
Ms. Dahlkemper. Yes, I do.
Mr. Hall. Are you currently doing--are they currently doing
any R&D in this area? If you know.
Ms. Dahlkemper. I am not exactly sure what they are doing
in this area. I am just saying that needs to be----
Mr. Hall. Okay.
Ms. Dahlkemper. --something they look at as they go
forward.
Mr. Hall. Yeah, and I think that is reasonable, and I thank
you for that.
The second provision would require the Secretary to
consider technologies for energy generation from water
distribution and collection systems.
Ms. Dahlkemper. Uh-huh.
Mr. Hall. The way I am reading it it sounds like you are
describing putting turbines into the sewage system and getting
energy out of it. Is this correct? Is that correct?
Ms. Dahlkemper. Well, I think that is one of the new
technologies that could be looked at, and that is what I am
saying. It should be considered that we might allow water
systems to actually generate renewable electricity from normal
water and waste water pipelines.
Mr. Hall. What are the implications you ran into of putting
turbines inside highly-pressurized, enclosed pipe systems? I
know you did a study or had a study done on it.
Ms. Dahlkemper. I had a study done?
Mr. Hall. Someone did that gave you the information to
write the bill from.
Ms. Dahlkemper. Well----
Mr. Hall. We line people up in those chairs out there, you
know.
Ms. Dahlkemper. Sure. Sure. Well, I know that there is am
application being used on inline turbine generated energy from
hydropower, moving water, and this is the type, I think----
Chairman Gordon. Would staff like to add some additional
information to this question?
Counsel. Could you just clarify it? Are you asking about
what companies are already doing this?
Mr. Hall. No. Just what problems are putting turbines--it
seems to me----
Ms. Dahlkemper. What problems there are.
Mr. Hall. --there would be problems inside those highly-
pressurized, enclosed pipe systems.
Counsel. That is exactly why the research is needed to look
at this technology and see what is going to be the effects of
it.
Mr. Hall. That is a good answer.
Mr. Bartlett. Would the gentleman yield?
Mr. Hall. About as good an answer as I--well, sure.
Mr. Bartlett. Would the gentleman yield?
Mr. Hall. I don't want to, but I will.
Mr. Bartlett. Okay. Thank you. I would just like to ask if
this sewage is in the pipes under pressure because it is being
pumped?
Counsel. The company that this technology is being looked
at--the company right now that is looking at this technology
both pumps waste water as well as other kinds of water. So
right now they are looking to see what would be the impacts of
that.
Mr. Bartlett. If this water is running downhill, you will
get some energy from it. If you are putting this in a pipe that
is being pressurized by a pump, you ain't going to get no
energy because whatever--you will lose energy because the
energy you will get from that is going to be less than the
energy--this is the second law of thermo-dynamics, which you
will not violate.
So unless this stuff is running downhill, you are not going
to get any energy from this. Just putting it in a pressurized
pipe that is being pumped by a pump, you are going to have to
put a whole lot bigger pump on the other end, which is going to
consumer more energy than you are going to get out of your
little turbine in the flow. Am I wrong?
Counsel. Not--I don't believe so, not in that example. No.
Mr. Bartlett. Then you could only use sewage that is
running downhill. Is that my understanding?
Counsel. That is why the research is needed. Yes.
Mr. Bartlett. Okay. Thank you.
Mr. Hall. Do I still have the time?
Chairman Gordon. Yes, sir, Mr. Hall.
Mr. Hall. I don't know how we could hardly make it run
uphill. Would the gentlelady be amenable to one thing? That is
providing a little further clarification in report language?
You will have a chance to do that, and we all get help----
Ms. Dahlkemper. I would be glad to. I just think we need to
study, you know, where we have a potential resource.
Mr. Hall. Ensure that others don't misinterpret.
Ms. Dahlkemper. If we have it well-evaluated, and that is
what the purpose of this is, too, to evaluate this to really
see if there is a potential.
Mr. Hall. I think that would help my questions on it, and I
appreciate it, and I thank you. I yield back.
Chairman Gordon. Is there further discussion on the
amendment?
If no, the vote occurs on the amendment. All in favor, say
aye. Oppose, no. The ayes have it. The amendment is agreed
upon.
I understand that, Mr. Smith, you are going to combine
amendment four and five.
Mr. Smith of Nebraska. With unanimous consent I do request
that they be considered en bloc.
Chairman Gordon. Without objection, the Clerk report the
amendments.
The Clerk. Mr. Chairman, these are en bloc amendments by
Mr. Smith of Nebraska on amendment on H.R. 3598, amendment
number 006 and 007.
Chairman Gordon. I ask unanimous consent to dispense with
the reading.
Without objection, so ordered.
I recognize the gentleman for five minutes to explain his
amendments.
Mr. Smith of Nebraska. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I will try
to make this quick.
These amendments I am offering today are very
straightforward clarifications. One clarifies the bill should
not be the basis for any new federal regulations regarding
State, local, or tribal use of water. The other states this
bill shall not be used to increase the financial burden on
State, local, and tribal governments by restricting their water
use.
The purpose of this legislation is to ensure water and
energy usage are considered in existing DOE research programs
and support research furthering the continuing availability of
both water and energy. These are certainly laudable goals.
Unfortunately, the bill makes three references which could
be construed to lead to more regulations.
One, the modeling of issues relating to energy required to
provide water supplies, another, the interagency collaboration
section which may impact the Bureau of Reclamation and its
customers, and the third one, the Energy Water Architecture
Council, which is charged with developing data collection
standards and protocols for the energy required to provide
water supplies.
My amendments ensure the legislation accomplishes only its
stated intent and cannot be read to restrict the use of water
or energy by State and local governments. Any regulatory
reading could contradict the existing jurisdiction and
oversight of local stakeholders.
As a Representative of a District which leads in two water
energy-intensive industries, agriculture and biofuels, and
where water quantity is problematic, I am very sensitive to
these issues. I appreciate the Chairman and my fellow Committee
Members for sharing the concerns, those concerns, and believe
if the intent of this bill is to simply improve data
collection, then certainly there should be no concern with this
amendment.
Thank you, and I yield back the balance of my time.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Smith follows:]
Prepared Statement of Representative Adrian Smith
Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent for my two amendments to be
considered en bloc.
Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee,
The two amendments I am offering today are simple, good government
clarifications to the bill. One clarifies this bill should not be the
basis for any new federal regulations regarding State, local, or tribal
use of water. The other states this bill shall not be used to increase
the financial burden on State, local, or tribal governments by
restricting their water use.
The purpose of this legislation is to ensure water and energy usage
are considered in existing Department of Energy research programs and
support research furthering the continued availability of both water
and energy. These are laudable goals.
Unfortunately, this bill makes three references which could be
construed to lead to more regulations:
``modeling of issues relating to the energy required
to provide water supplies'';
The ``Interagency Collaboration'' section, which may
impact the Bureau of Reclamation and its customers; and
The Energy-Water Architecture Council, which is
charged with developing ``data collection standards and
protocols for the energy required to provide water supplies.''
My amendments ensure this legislation accomplishes only its stated
intent, and cannot be read to restrict the use of water or energy by
State and local governments. Any regulatory reading could contradict
the existing jurisdiction and oversight of local stakeholders.
As the Representative of a District which leads in two water and
energy intensive industries--agriculture and biofuels--and where water
quantity is problematic, I am very sensitive to these issues. I
appreciate the Chairman and my fellow Committee Members for sharing
those concerns, and believe if the intent of this bill is to simply
improve data collection, then my colleagues should have no problems
with adopting this amendment.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I yield back the balance of my time.
Chairman Gordon. Mr. Smith, it is my understanding that our
staffs have collaborated and that there is maybe some language
tweaking that needs to be done, and if you are in agreement
with that, then we would gladly accept your amendments.
Mr. Smith of Nebraska. Thank you very much.
Chairman Gordon. If there is no further discussion----
Mr. Hall. Mr. Chairman.
Chairman Gordon. Mr. Hall is recognized.
Mr. Hall. I have no further questions.
Chairman Gordon. Then the vote occurs on the amendment. All
in favor, say aye. Opposed, no. The ayes have it. The amendment
is agreed to.
The sixth amendment on the roster is an amendment offered
by the gentlelady from Texas, Ms. Johnson. Are you ready to
proceed with your amendment?
Ms. Johnson. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have an amendment
at the desk.
Chairman Gordon. The Clerk will report the amendment.
The Clerk. Amendment to H.R. 3598, offered by Ms. Eddie
Bernice Johnson of Texas, amendment number 087.
Chairman Gordon. I ask unanimous consent to dispense with
the reading.
Without objection, so ordered.
I recognize the gentlelady for five minutes to explain the
amendment.
Ms. Johnson. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, and Ranking
Member, for considering this amendment.
The amendment to H.R. 3598 addresses the section called
``Specific Considerations.'' This part of the bill provides
specific items for the research program that the Secretary of
Energy should consider supporting.
For example, new advanced cooling technologies for energy
generation are listed. Technologies that are life cycle cost
effective are also listed.
My amendment would state that a specific consideration
should also include technologies to treat and utilize produced
waters discharged from oil, natural gas, coal bed methane, and
mining activities.
Texas is a state that is rich in natural gas resources, and
I would like to ensure that research supported by this program
would also include water that may be used during the
exploration and mining for natural gas. As you know, I chair
the Subcommittee on Water Resource and Environment on the
Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and research on
water and energy production is an issue focus of mine. I am
glad to see this committee's interest in energy and water, and
I believe that H.R. 3598 will enable the Department of Energy
to support some vital areas of research.
Again, my amendment would only add that initial
consideration, which would include technologies to utilize,
produce waters that are discharged from natural gas mining
activities, and I want to thank Chairman Gordon and Ranking
Member Hall for considering my amendment. I urge its passage
and yield back the balance of my time.
[The prepared statement of Ms. Johnson follows:]
Prepared Statement of Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson
Thank you, Mr. Chairman and Ranking Member, for considering this
amendment.
The amendment to H.R. 3598 addresses the section called, ``Specific
Considerations.''
This part of the bill provides specific items for the research
program that the Secretary of Energy should consider supporting.
For example, new advanced cooling technologies for energy
generation are listed.
Technologies that are life cycle cost effective are also listed.
My amendment would add an additional Specific Consideration:
technologies that minimize impacts to the natural environment.
Protection of our natural resources is critically important,
especially in the context of energy generation.
When we do not plan carefully for deployment of large-scale energy
generation systems where water is involved, we can see devastating
environmental impacts.
Not long ago, I visited the place in Tennessee where the coal ash
spill occurred.
It will take many years before that beautiful area is restored.
Mr. Chairman, you know that I am the Chair of the Environment and
Water Resources Subcommittee of the Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure.
Research on water and energy production is an issue focus of mine.
I am very glad to see this committee's interest in these issues,
and I believe that H.R. 3598 will open research funds at the Department
of Energy to some vital areas of research.
Again, my amendment would add that the technologies that are
researched and developed, as part of this program, would minimize
environmental harms.
I want to again thank Chairman Gordon and Ranking Member Hall for
considering my amendment.
I urge its passage and yield back the balance of my time.
Chairman Gordon. Is there further discussion on the
amendment?
Mr. Hall. Mr. Chairman, we think it is a good amendment. We
support it.
Chairman Gordon. If there is no further discussion on the
amendment, then the vote occurs on the amendment. All in favor,
say aye. Opposed, no. The ayes have it. The amendment is agreed
to.
If Mr. Broun is prepared, we are going to temporarily skip
over amendment seven and go to amendment eight.
Mr. Broun. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have an amendment at
the desk.
Chairman Gordon. The Clerk will report the amendment.
The Clerk. Amendment to H.R. 3598, offered by Mr. Broun of
Georgia, amendment number 142.
Chairman Gordon. I ask unanimous consent to dispense with
the reading.
Without objection, so ordered.
I recognize the gentleman for five minutes to explain the
amendment.
Mr. Broun. Mr. Chairman, thank you for the time and
consideration of my amendment. In my home District I would like
to say we have three main issues; water, water, and water. Up
until the recent flooding that Georgia experienced, my home
state and most of the southeast was experiencing what most
people would kindly call a prolonged drought. In fact, some
even call it a century-long drought.
The Savannah River, which runs all along the eastern border
of my District in the State of Georgia, is not only a key
economic driver for the region as the Chairman can attest, but
is the lynchpin around which entire cities are based. And I
know that Georgia is not alone in our constant struggle with
the usage and protection of our water resources.
Just about every state from Florida to California and
Arizona to Maine has dealt and is dealing with their very own
local and regional water issues. It is because water is a vital
and ever-increasing role in our country, including in our
energy production, which is what this legislation is designed
to address.
I am asking the Committee to incorporate my amendment.
Earlier this year this Congress passed the Omnibus Public Land
Management Act. Among the many provisions and protections
included in this legislation was the National Water
Availability and Use Assessment Program. This program tasks the
United States Geological Survey with assessing the availability
and use of the Nation's water resources. This study would help
us gain a clearer understanding of the status of our water
resources and the land use, water use, and natural climatic
trends that affect them.
The goal of this program is to improve our ability to
forecast water availability for future economic and
environmental uses. Simply put the assessment will help
characterize how much water we have now, how water availability
is changing, and how much water we can expect to have in the
future.
The amendment that I have offered would delay the
implementation of section two of the underlying bill until the
USGS has completed their study and reported back to Congress
their findings. The findings to be brought forward in this
study will give the Secretary of Energy a well-defined,
narrowly-focused template to carry out section two of H.R.
3598.
Mr. Chairman, I strongly believe that water is one our
greatest resources, and we should do all that we can to utilize
it when possible but guard against waste and abuse at all
times. It is my hope that the pending USGS study will set out a
pathway to help us accomplish those goals, and my amendment
asks this committee to delay any new water-based energy
research and development studies until this report has been
submitted to Congress.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I yield back the balance of my
time.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Broun follows:]
Prepared Statement of Representative Paul C. Broun
Mr. Chairman, again thank you for the time and consideration of my
amendment.
In my home District, I like to say we have three main issues:
water, water and water.
Up until the recent flooding that Georgia experienced, my home
state and most of the southeast, was experiencing what most people
would kindly call a prolonged drought.
The Savannah River, which runs all along the eastern border of my
District and the State of Georgia, is not only a key economic driver
for the region, as the Chairman can attest, but it is the lynchpin
around which entire cities are based.
And I know that Georgia is not alone in our constant struggle with
the usage and protection of our water resources.
Just about every state from Florida to California, and Arizona to
Maine has dealt and is dealing with their very own, local and regional
water issues.
And it is because water's vital and ever increasing role in our
country, including in our energy production which is what this
legislation is designed to address, I am asking the Committee to
incorporate my amendment.
Earlier this year, this Congress passed the Omnibus Public Land
Management Act.
Among the many provisions and protections included in this
legislation, was the National Water Availability and Use Assessment
Program.
This program tasked the United States Geological Survey with
assessing the availability and use of the Nation's water resources.
This study would help us gain a clearer understanding of the status
of our water resources and the land-use, water-use, and natural
climatic trends that affect them.
The goal of this program is to improve our ability to forecast
water availability for future economic and environmental uses.
Simply put, the assessment will help characterize how much water we
have now, how water availability is changing, and how much water we can
expect to have in the future.
The amendment I have offered would delay the implementation of
Section 2 of the underlying bill until the USGA has completed their
study and reported back to Congress their findings.
The findings to be brought forward in this study will give the
Secretary of Energy of well-defined, narrowly focused template to carry
out Section 2 of H.R. 3598.
Mr. Chairman, I strongly believe that water is one of our greatest
resources and we should do all we can to utilize it when possible, but
guard it against waste and abuse at all times.
It is my hope that the pending USGA study will set out a pathway to
help us accomplish those goals, and my amendment asks this committee to
delay any new water-based energy research and development studies until
this report has been submitted to Congress.
Thank you Mr. Chairman, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. Baird. [Presiding] I thank the gentleman. Are there
other Members on our side that wish to be recognized?
If not, I will recognize myself briefly for a response on
behalf of Chairman Gordon. The gentleman's point is important.
Certainly we need to understand the availability of various
water resources, and there are studies underway, but it doesn't
necessarily mean that we have to wait for those studies before
we can move forward with this legislation.
There is ample information now about volumes of water that
are available. There is an urgent need because just some of the
numbers of some of the major energy projects whether they are
certain solar projects or carbon sequestration, et cetera, we
need, I think, to move this legislation forward rather than
waiting because we are using that water right now, and the more
we wait, the more water is getting used, and I think we can
move forward with both.
So I would respectfully urge defeat of this amendment.
Mr. Hall looks like he has something to offer, and I will
recognize Mr. Hall for five minutes.
Mr. Hall. I agree with the Chairman, and I yield back.
Mr. Baird. Are there others wishing to comment on this?
If no, the vote occurs on the amendment. All those in favor
will say, aye. Those opposed, no. In the opinion of the Chair
the no's have it. The no's have it.
We will go back to the seventh amendment now on the roster,
an amendment offered by the gentlelady from Illinois, Ms.
Biggert. Ms. Biggert, are you ready to proceed with your
amendment?
Ms. Biggert. Yes, I am. I have an amendment at the desk.
Mr. Baird. The Clerk will report the amendment, please.
The Clerk. Amendment to H.R. 3598, offered by Ms. Biggert
of Illinois, amendment number 009.
Mr. Baird. I ask unanimous consent to dispense with the
reading.
Without objection, so ordered.
I recognize the gentlelady for five minutes to explain the
amendment.
Ms. Biggert. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. My amendment would
strike the Energy Water Architecture Council in section three
of this bill.
While the concept is a laudable goal, it seems to me that
it duplicates work done by other federal departments, agencies,
and the private sector. The other bodies were created under
prior statutes including the Secure Water Act and are working
on these issues and DOE already participates in such group
efforts.
In fact, we found over 30 groups involved in water research
ranging from State, regional, and privately-coordinate
entities. The need for a new council isn't necessary when the
infrastructure already exists. Section 2C of the text
specifically calls for interagency collaboration at the
direction of the Secretary. I think that that serves as a
better foundation from which the same goals could be achieved
but without the extra layer of bureaucracy.
I support your efforts, you know, to better coordinate and
plan for water use and availability in the energy sector
through H.R. 3598, but I am not sure that another energy water
research group is the best use of the scarce research dollars
that we have.
And I would urge support for my amendment and yield back.
[The prepared statement of Ms. Biggert follows:]
Prepared Statement of Representative Judy Biggert
Mr. Chairman, my amendment would strike the Energy-Water
Architecture Council in Section 3 of this bill.
While the concept is a laudable goal, it seems to duplicate work by
other federal departments, agencies and the private sector.
It seems that other bodies created under prior statutes, including
the Secure Water Act, are working on these issues and DOE already
participates in such group efforts.
In fact, we found over 30 groups involved in water research--
ranging from State, regional and privately coordinated entities.
The need for a new council isn't necessary when the infrastructure
already exists. Section 2-C of the text specifically calls for
interagency collaboration at the direction of the Secretary. I think
that serves as a better foundation from which the same goals could be
achieved--but without the extra layer of bureaucracy.
Mr. Chairman, I support your efforts to better coordinate and plan
for water use and availability in the energy sector through H.R. 3598.
But I'm not sure another energy-water research group is the best use of
scarce resource dollars.
Thank you.
Mr. Baird. I thank the gentlelady. Are there Members on our
side wishing to comment?
If not, I will recognize myself for five minutes. Ms.
Biggert, I appreciate the concern about duplication of effort.
I think it is something we all share, however, in hearings on
this topic we heard from a number of agencies and witnesses
suggesting that the precise function of this bill and this
section of the bill looking at this nexus between energy and
water is not duplicated currently by other agencies or other
studies to our knowledge in vis-a-vis that nexus per se.
And as such while the general principle of trying to avoid
duplication makes sense, we don't believe that is applicable in
this particular case and hence, with regret I would urge defeat
of the amendment.
Mr. Hall I think had wanted to clarify his position on the
prior amendment. Mr. Broun, you will want--I apparently had
baffled my colleague with my eloquent rhetoric, and he believed
he was supporting something he wasn't supporting. So I will
give him a chance to clarify.
Mr. Hall. Yeah. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I don't know if I
ought to move to reconsider the vote which the vote was taken
and then support to Mr.--Dr. Broun. You bragged on him up until
the last three words.
Mr. Baird. That was my strategy.
Mr. Hall. And I didn't----
Mr. Baird. I learned it from a Texan.
Mr. Hall. --I wasn't properly listening. I support Dr.
Broun on this and almost any amendment he has, and I thank you
for your fairness. Thank you.
Mr. Baird. Mr. Broun.
Mr. Broun. Mr. Chairman, I just--Mr. Hall and I are--have--
I have the utmost respect for Mr. Hall, and he and I never are
going to have any problems, even if we disagree on something.
We will be very--I will still have respect for him, and I
appreciate him bringing that forward and clarifying that----
Mr. Baird. In this case he agreed with you.
Mr. Broun. --just for the record. Yes, he did. So--but
thank you, Mr. Hall, and thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Ms. Biggert. Mr. Chairman, would you yield?
Mr. Baird. I actually think Mr. Hall has the time, so he
would yield to you, but he also wants to speak to Mr.--to this
amendment as well. So, Mr. Hall controls the time here.
Mr. Hall. Mr. Chairman, I think this amendment will remove
the Energy Water Architecture Council from the bill, and this
council is redundant of other groups from, I guess from doing
the same work in developing standards and data collection
methods.
This type of duplication is what this committee has been
trying to eliminate in almost every bill we move through here.
Keeping the council in the bill would contradict almost
everything we have been working so hard to avoid. I urge my
colleagues to support this amendment to strike this section,
and I yield to Ms. Biggert.
Ms. Biggert. Biggert.
Mr. Hall. Yes, ma'am.
Ms. Biggert. Thank you, Mr. Ranking Member Hall. I would
just like to actually ask unanimous consent to submit for the
record the existing water research programs of which is three
pages with the 30 that I talked about.
Mr. Baird. Without objection.
[The information follows:]
Existing Water Research Programs
State Water Resources Research Institute Program--
Plans, facilitates, and conducts research to aid in the
resolution of State and regional water problems. Promotes
technology transfer and the dissemination and application of
research results. Provides for the training of scientists and
engineers through their participation in research. Provides for
competitive grants to be awarded under the Water Resources
Research Act.
Water and Energy Technology Team (WETT) at Lawrence
Berkeley National Laboratory encompasses efforts to: Better
understand the fundamental science, applied technology, and
economics of the water/energy nexus, focusing on the
interaction between human and natural systems; Develop new
technologies, practices, and approaches for working with key
players involved throughout the water/energy interrelationship;
In an integrated and comprehensive manner, compare the
technical feasibility and economic efficiency of newly
developing technologies, practices, and policies to existing
ones; and Optimize and test new technologies, practices, and
policies that promote water and energy sustainability.
Ground Water Protection Council--Forum held on water/
energy sustainability in conjunction with its 2009 Annual
Forum. Co-sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy.
Water Information Coordination Program (WICP)--
Ensures collaborative efforts among federal agencies to improve
water information for decision making about natural resources
management and environmental protection.
Universities Council on Water Resources (UCOWR)--
Facilitates water-related education at all levels in order to
promote meaningful research and technology transfer on
contemporary and emerging water resources issues, compile and
disseminate information on water problems and solutions, and
inform the public about water issues with the objective of
promoting informed decisions at all levels of society. UCOWR
holds an annual conference that provides a forum to explore key
and timely topics of interest to water resources researchers
and educators.
American Water Works Association (AWWA)--AWWA is
entering into a partnering agreement with the WaterSmart
Innovations conference and plans to co-sponsor the 2009 event
scheduled for October 7-9, 2009.
Cooperative Water Program--the primary federal
science agency for water-resource information. USGS monitors
the quantity and quality of water in the Nation's rivers and
aquifers, assesses the sources and fate of contaminants in
aquatic systems, develops tools to improve the application of
hydrologic information, and ensures that its information and
tools are available to all potential users.
National Streamflow Information Program--Provides
stream flow information and understanding required to meet
local, State, regional, and national needs.
Groundwater Resources Program--Provides the objective
scientific information and develops the interdisciplinary
understanding necessary to assess and quantify the availability
of the Nation's groundwater resources.
Hydrologic Research and Development (HRD) Program--
Provides the primary support for the National Research Program
in the hydrologic sciences and for the Water, Energy, and
Biogeochemical Budgets program.
Water Environment Federation--A not-for-profit
association that provides technical education and training for
thousands of water quality professionals who clean water and
return it safely to the environment. WEF events include
conferences, webcasts, and seminars.
UCSB Forum on Energy and Water Sustainability--
Western Forum on Energy & Water Sustainability will bring
together policy-makers, researchers, energy and water
utilities, as well as other important stakeholders, to generate
a dialogue that can provide a pathway for concrete solutions:
technical, economic, social and political. Topics include
Technological solutions to increase water use efficiency:
state-of-the-art solutions that can be implemented today, or in
the near- or long-term provided there are breakthroughs in
technology or policies that support their development.
National Water-Quality Assessment Program (NWQA)--
Provides an understanding of water-quality conditions; whether
conditions are getting better or worse over time; and how
natural features and human activities affect those conditions.
U.S. Department of Agricultural--Natural Resources
and Conservation Services--NRCS West National Technology
Support Center hosts a team of technical specialists that cover
a broad range of water quality and quantity issues.
Southern Regional Water Program--Prioritized current
water quality needs and established multi-state implementation
teams to address seven major Focus Areas.
Pacific Northwest Regional Water Program
WaterEnergy--A reseller for water treatment and
energy conservation solutions.
Toxic Substances Hydrology Program--Provides
objective scientific information on environmental contamination
to improve characterization and management of contaminated
sites, to protect human and environmental health, and to reduce
potential future contamination problems.
Water Research Foundation--An international, non-
profit organization that sponsors research to enable water
utilities, public health agencies, and other professionals to
provide safe and affordable drinking water.
National Water Research Institute--Sponsors projects
and programs focused on ensuring safe, reliable sources of
water now and for future generations.
State
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ)
Texas Environmental Flows Science Advisory
Committee--Serves as an objective scientific body to advise and
make recommendations to the Environmental Flows Advisory Group
on issues relating to the science of environmental flow
protection and develop recommendations to help provide overall
direction, coordination, and consistency.
University of Arizona's Department of Civil
Engineering and Engineering Mechanics were recently awarded a
$2 million grant from the National Science Foundation to
research energy water reuse and supply systems.
Sandia National Lab, Energy-Water Nexus in Michigan
Santa Clara Valley Water District, California--Hosted
the Department of Water Resources Energy Workshop to help Bay
Area water and wastewater agencies identify opportunities for
saving energy without impeding water service to customers.
Texas A&M University in Qatar has recently
established a major program called the Qatar Sustainable Water
and Energy Utilization (QWE). The program will establish a
center of scientific and technical excellence dedicated to
support Qatar in addressing pressing water and energy problems.
Water Information Program provides water information
to the communities of Southwest Colorado.
Colorado Energy Research Institute of the CO School
of Mines--Maintains liaison with the state to identify
important regional energy and energy-related minerals problems,
including their relationship to the use of the waters of the
states.
Connecticut--the Office of Policy and Management--
Prepares state-wide or inter-regional plans for the physical,
social, and economic development of the state. The plan may
include land use and water considerations and as well as energy
capabilities and requirements.
California--The Nevada County Water Agency--Contracts
with the U.S., State of CA, any municipality, district, public
or private corporation, or any person in the sale or
acquisition of water for the purpose of conserving and
transporting waters for beneficial uses and purposes, including
the generation of electric energy.
West Virginia--Creates the Division of Energy as a
State agency under the Department of Commerce. The division
holds public hearings and meetings to receive input regarding
proposed energy policies and development plans that address
efficiency of energy use, traditional and alternative energy,
water as a resource and a component of energy production,
energy distribution systems, the sighting of energy facilities,
the increased development and production of new and existing
domestic energy sources, increased awareness of energy use on
the environment and the economy, energy infrastructure, the
development and implementation of renewable, clean, technically
innovative and advanced energy projects.
Institute of Water Research (IWR) at Michigan State
University--Provides timely information for addressing
contemporary land and water resource issues through coordinated
multi-disciplinary efforts using advanced information and
networking systems.
Florida--Department of Environmental Protection, The
Office of Water Policy--The office addresses statewide water
management issues in coordination with the water management
districts and other agencies. Examples include water plans for
the DEP and water management districts, minimum flows and
levels for the state's water resources, and regional water
supply planning.
California Sustainability Alliance, Water Energy
Committee--Evaluates the potential energy, water, and carbon
and other societal benefits that could be achieved by
displacing higher energy water supplies in Southern California
with local recycled water supplies.
Ms. Biggert. Thank you.
Mr. Hall. I yield back my time.
Mr. Baird. Thank you. Are there any others wishing to
comment on the amendment?
If no, the vote occurs on the amendment. All those in
favor, say aye. Those opposed, no. In the opinion of the Chair
the no's have it. The no's have it.
Are there any other amendments?
If no, then the vote occurs on the bill.
Mr. Bilbray. Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Baird. Mr. Bilbray it sounds like.
Mr. Bilbray. While the Chairman isn't here, I figured I
would compliment him for----
Mr. Baird. Would someone get the Chairman?
Mr. Bilbray. I just don't--I don't want us to go by this
bill without pointing out that one of the things this bill does
well, it ties energy and water supply together. Too often they
are divided, and I just hope those of us that always talk about
water remember that we always talk about the liquid stuff, but
in reality if we are going to have safe drinking water, it is
more important to have clean, cost-effective electricity than
to have fresh water available, you know, in a natural form. The
fact is if you do not have clean, inexpensive electricity, you
can't either transport that water that you have or you can't
create it locally.
And so this nexus of tying the two together is absolutely
essential, and I hope to see that this comes out, and we talk
about the way we can use different technologies, but a great
example is the fact that in San Diego we are pumping massive
amounts of water from 500 miles away, though we have just now
rebuilt our nuclear power plant in San Onofre, nobody even
thinks about why we don't go to peak production with a zero
emission technology like nuclear. We are on off--because they
said, well, what are you going to do with the power with off
peak?
What we could do is deceleration and eliminate all of the
impact of pumping and transporting and digging the canals, but
no one is taking the two and sticking them together, and I
think this technology can do that. This technology can go
beyond that and look at things like the fact of why are we
using fresh water to sequester and carbon footprints when we
got the algae technology that can grow in saltwater and be able
to sequester the emissions from our power plants or from other
locations.
So by putting these two things together I think is really a
great step, and I hope every time somebody in this committee
talks about water, we always remember, but where is going to be
the clean, inexpensive electricity to be able to pump the water
and create the water, and I think this committee will help do
it.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Baird. Point well taken, and of course, the bill works
in the opposite direction as well. As we look for alternative
energy sources we need to look at the water impacts of those
sources. And so I think the gentleman's points are well taken.
Any other comments?
If not then, the--did we actually have the vote? The vote
occurs on the bill, H.R. 3598, as amended. All those in favor
will say, aye. All those opposed, no. In the opinion of the
Chair the ayes have it.
I recognize Mr. Tonko to offer a motion.
Mr. Tonko. Yes. Mr. Chair, I move that the Committee
favorably report H.R. 3598 as amended to the House with the
recommendation that the bill do pass. Furthermore, I move that
the staff be instructed to prepare the legislative report and
make necessary technical and conforming changes and that the
Chair take all necessary steps to bring the bill before the
House for consideration.
Mr. Baird. Thank you, Mr. Tonko. The question is now on the
motion to report the bill favorably. Those in favor of the
motion will signify by saying, aye. Opposed, no. The ayes have
it, and the bill is favorably reported.
Without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid upon
the table. Members will have two subsequent calendar days in
which to submit supplemental, Minority, or additional views on
the measure.
I want to thank the Members for their attendance and the
staff on both sides for their good work. This concludes our
Committee markup.
[Whereupon, at 3:55 p.m., the Committee was adjourned.]
Appendix:
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H.R. 3598 as amended, Amendment Roster