Wednesday, June 27 | 10 AM: House Energy and Commerce Committee
Hearing on Energy Efficiency and Conservation Markup
NO WEBCAST
Agenda
- To promote greater energy efficiency;
- To facilitate the transition to a smart electricity grid;
- To clarify the amount of loans to be guaranteed under title XVII of the Energy Policy Act of 2005;
- To promote the development of renewable fuels infrastructure;
- To promote advanced plug-in hybrid vehicles and vehicle components; and
- To enhance availability of energy information.
10 AM: House Science and Technology Committee
Biofuels, Solar Energy, Carbon Capture and Global Change Markup
WEBCAST
HR 906 — Global Change Research and Data Management Act of 2007
HR 1933 — Department of Energy Carbon Capture and Storage Research, Development and Demonstration Act of 2007
HR 2773 — Biofuels Research and Development Enhancement Act
HR 2774 — Solar Energy Research and Advancement Act of 2007
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HR 906
10:30 Gingrey amendment agreed to.
10:34 Woolsey amendment commissions a study how global warming is affecting ice sheets. Amendment agreed to.
10:37 Eddie Bernice Johnson amendment.
10:49 Ralph Hall wants to thank the coal lobby.
10:50 Comb-over Republican: I am disappointed we're not doing coal to liquids in this energy bill. I met with Dingell and Boucher and believe we have a commitment to move forward with coal to liquids later in the year. There is no substitute for coal for the next 25 years or so. We will defer this fight to the fall.
10:52 Akin: I don't understand math or science.
10:55 Rohrabacher: What we're doing today goes exactly in the opposite and wrong direction. Those of us who are so adamant this false theory. We are fixating ourselves on CO2. We should look at the byproducts that are harmful to human beings, whether its methane or particulates. CO2, this theory that we have too much CO2 and it's changing the climate. We leave the health of humans behind. CO2 has never been identified by any source as a threat to the health of human beings. CO2 in fact is plant food. It causes plants to grow more robustly. There have been times in the past that there is more CO2 in the air. The amount of CO2 in the air is the equivalent of 6 inches on a football field; the human contribution is 1/2 inch. We want to use coal, we want to make sure we're energy independent. Focusing on sequestering CO2 is the wrong way to go. There are ample scientists from MIT and around the world that say yes, we're producing CO2 but the vast majority is produced by nature, and the warming is primarily caused by solar activity as it is on Mars and the other planets and there have been scientists who have pointed it out and not been refuted by the scientific community. It's a waste of money and harmful to the health of human beings by fixating on a theory that CO2 is warming the planet.
10:59 Bartlett: I'm enthusiastic about this bill but we shouldn't be too enthusiastic about the future of coal. We have 250 years of coal, but if we increase use at 2%, we only have 85 years. If we convert to fuel, we go down to 50 years; if there's a global market, there's only 12 1/2 years of coal. It will make a valuable contribution but a limited contribution.
11:01 Udall: I'll continue to disagree with Mr. Rohrabacher on global warming theory but my understanding is that when we sequester CO2 we also sequester mercury, SOX and other harmful elements.
Rohrabacher: It seems to me that we're playing into a popular item of the day with CO2 and we do that at the expense of people's health. However, if we can do both, I'm all in favor of that.
Udall: There are new liquid fuel technologies that capture carbon as char that can be used to fertilize. We are indebted to petroleum byproducts for fertilize.
Rohrabacher: So we're going to be eating it instead of breathing it. Again it shows it's not harmful to your health.
Udall It has been suggested people are temporary carbon sinks so maybe we should eat more carbon.
11:04 Gordon The good news this is just one of four bills.
H.R. 1933
Matheson amendment to clarify the language of sites to look for sequestration to include high-altitude regions. Amendment agreed to.
Ross (AR) amendment with a rambling, incoherent description. Amendment agreed to.
Eddie Bernice Johnson amendment for demonstration grant program to capture CO2 emissions from fossil-fuel powered electricity plants. Bilbray supports.
11:20 McCall amendment for Coal-to-Liquid technology research without carbon sequestration. Democrats oppose. Recorded vote requested. Amendment fails 22-15.
11:31 Bill is submitted.
H.R. 2773: Biofuels
Lampson This bill is great.
11:48 Hall amendment for R&D to combine biofuels with coal-to-liquids. Recorded vote requested. Amendment fails.
11:55 Hall amendment to recognize "biogas" as a biofuel. (Biologically generated methane?) Amendment agreed to.
12:01 Matheson amendment agreed to.
12:01 Biggert amendment to limit to 5 years any biofuel research centers grants and other matters on biofuel research. Amendment agreed to.
12:06 Woolsey and Bartlett amendment to constrain biofuel development with considerations for food costs. Amendment agreed to.
12:09 Hill amendment for R&D retrofit corn ethanol plants to allow them to switch to cellulosic stocks. Amendment agreed to.
12:11 Bartlett amendment changes requirement of study on feasibility of a 5% biodiesel percentage of total diesel in US to only 2.5%. The 5% is just hype. Amendment agreed to.
12:24 Hall amendment to change cellulosic production support from low biofuel-producing states to all states. Lampson opposes as oversubsidizing already subsidized states. Roll call vote requested. Amendment fails 11-17.
12:29 Bill is reported.
H.R. 2774 -- Solar Energy Research and Advancement Act of 2007
12:41 Bartlett amendments agreed to.
12:55 Inglis amendment to kill solar panel installation training program funds. Roll call vote requested. Amendment fails 7-17.