The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“SOLAR TECHNOLOGY ROADMAP ACT” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Energy was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E2622 on Oct. 23, 2009.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
SOLAR TECHNOLOGY ROADMAP ACT
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speech of
HON. DAVID WU
of oregon
in the house of representatives
Thursday, October 22, 2009
The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union had under consideration of the bill (H.R. 3585) to guide and provide for United States research, development, and demonstration of solar energy technologies, and for other purposes:
Mr. WU. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of H.R. 3585, the Solar Technology Road-Map Act. I want to commend Chairman Gordon for his efforts to bring this bill to the floor, and Ms. Giffords for her continued leadership on solar technology.
H.R. 3585 provides funding for solar technology research, development and demonstration activities. It also creates a committee to develop a road map that will assess the near-, mid- and long-term needs for solar research. This assessment will become the basis for future investments in solar energy by the Department of Energy.
My district is a great example of the potential for solar energy. Not because of the amount of sun it receives, but because of the number of jobs it has created. Solar World, a solar panel manufacturer, has its U.S. headquarters located in Hillsboro, Oregon and employs 1,000 people building solar panels and produces enough PV panels to supply the entire North and South American markets. With our state's unemployment rate hovering above 11 percent, this company's investment in our state during these difficult times is welcome news. It is my hope that a continued investment in solar energy will result in thousands of more jobs in the coming years.
We have been working to diversify our energy portfolio to create and develop renewable energy sources and reduce our dependence on foreign fossil fuels. This bill will create further research opportunities for solar technology and will create a plan that will guide our future investments in solar energy.
This bill will help build upon the success of previous investments. It is about economic competitiveness and job creation as much as it is about clean renewable energy and less dependence on imported fuels. Again I thank Chairman Gordon and Ms. Giffords for their leadership.
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