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.
“WIND ENERGY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ACT OF 2009” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Energy was published in the House of Representatives section on pages H9351-H9352 on Sept. 9, 2009.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
WIND ENERGY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ACT OF 2009
Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill
(H.R. 3165) to provide for a program of wind energy research, development, and demonstration, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 3165
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Wind Energy Research and Development Act of 2009''.
SEC. 2. WIND ENERGY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of Energy shall carry out a program of research and development to--
(1) improve the energy efficiency, reliability, and capacity of wind turbines;
(2) optimize the design and adaptability of wind energy systems to the broadest practical range of atmospheric conditions; and
(3) reduce the cost of construction, generation, and maintenance of wind energy systems.
(b) Program.--The program under this section shall focus on research and development of--
(1) new materials and designs to make larger, lighter, less expensive, and more reliable rotor blades;
(2) technologies to improve gearbox performance and reliability;
(3) automation, materials, and assembly of large-scale components to reduce manufacturing costs;
(4) low-cost transportable towers greater than 100 meters in height to capitalize on improved wind conditions at higher elevations;
(5) advanced computational modeling tools to improve--
(A) the reliability of aeroelastic simulations of wind energy systems;
(B) understanding of the interaction between each wind turbine component;
(C) siting of wind energy systems to maximize efficiency and minimize variable generation;
(D) integration of wind energy systems into the existing electric grid to ensure reliability; and
(E) understanding of the wake effect between upwind and downwind turbine operations;
(6) advanced control systems and blade sensors to improve performance and reliability under a wide variety of wind conditions;
(7) advanced generators, including--
(A) medium-speed and low-speed generators;
(B) direct-drive technology; and
(C) the use of advanced magnets in generator rotors;
(8) wind technology for offshore applications;
(9) methods to assess and mitigate the effects of wind energy systems on radar and electromagnetic fields;
(10) wind turbines with a maximum electric power production capacity of 100 kilowatts or less;
(11) technical processes to enable--
(A) scalability of transmission from remotely located renewable resource rich areas; and
(B) optimization of advanced infrastructure design, including high voltage transmission; and
(12) other research areas as determined by the Secretary.
SEC. 3. WIND ENERGY DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of Energy shall conduct a wind energy demonstration program. In carrying out this section, the Secretary shall ensure that--
(1) the program is of sufficient size and geographic diversity to measure wind energy system performance under the full productive range of wind conditions in the United States;
(2) demonstration projects carried out under this program are--
(A) conducted in collaboration with industry and, as appropriate, with academic institutions; and
(B) located in various geographic areas representing various wind class regimes; and
(3) data collected from demonstration projects carried out under this program is useful for carrying out section 2(b).
(b) Cost-Sharing.--The Secretary shall carry out the program under this section in compliance with section 988(a) through (d) and section 989 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005
(42 U.S.C. 16352(a) through (d) and 16353).
SEC. 4. EQUAL OPPORTUNITY.
In carrying out this Act, the Secretary of Energy shall--
(1) coordinate with the Office of Minority Economic Impact and with the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization; and
(2) provide special consideration to applications submitted by institutions, businesses, or entities containing majority representation by individuals identified in section 33 or 34 of the Science and Engineering Equal Opportunities Act (42 U.S.C. 1885a or 1885b).
SEC. 5. COMPETITIVE AWARDS.
Awards under section 2 and section 3 shall be made on a competitive basis with an emphasis on technical merit.
SEC. 6. COORDINATION AND NONDUPLICATION.
To the maximum extent practicable the Secretary of Energy shall coordinate activities under this Act with other programs of the Department of Energy and other Federal research programs.
SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Energy to carry out this Act $200,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2010 through 2014.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Tonko) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hall) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York.
General Leave
Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 3165, the bill now under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from New York?
There was no objection.
Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I am pleased that today we are considering H.R. 3165, the Wind Energy Research and Development Act of 2009.
The United States has enough wind energy resources to meet all of our electricity needs several times over, but experience over the last several years has shown that many significant technical issues remain before wind can serve as a major provider of base-load electricity. This bipartisan bill will establish a far more comprehensive research, development and demonstration program for wind technologies at the Department of Energy than currently exists. It is based on several recent assessments of the challenges that need to be overcome for wind power to reach its full potential in the United States and has been fully endorsed by the American Wind Energy Association.
If enacted, H.R. 3165 would become the first law to set an authorization level for wind research and development since DOE's immediate predecessor, the Energy Research and Development Administration, was established in 1975. As we continue to develop a national energy strategy, this will provide crucial guidance for the Department in the years ahead.
I would like to thank my colleagues on the Science and Technology Committee on both sides of the aisle for working with me to make this bill as strong as possible. In particular, I have great thanks for our chairman of the committee, who has made a stalwart effort in advancing our legislation.
In addition to the two Democratic amendments offered, we approved all five Republican amendments offered by voice vote. Thus, the bill ensures geographic diversity, coordination across the Federal Government, and a merit-reviewed award process, among other important provisions.
I ask my colleagues in the House to support H.R. 3165, and look forward to working with our counterparts in the Senate to get this to the President's desk as soon as possible.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I rise today in support of H.R. 3165, the Wind Energy Research and Development Act of 2009.
Wind energy has been and continues to be a very important part of the electricity-generating portfolio in this country, and in particular in my State of Texas, which I understand is the largest producer of wind energy in our country. However, the technology can be improved upon to make the wind turbines, systems and farms more efficient and more effective at producing energy.
Renewable energy from wind currently makes up almost 2 percent of the energy generated in this country, but industry experts believe that number can be as high as 20 percent. H.R. 3165 can help this country reach that goal.
The bill addresses the key research areas needed to expand our country's production of wind energy, and I thank Mr. Tonko for his work on this important renewable energy source and for working with both sides of the aisle to move this bill unanimously out of the Science Committee and before the House today.
With that, I reserve the balance of my time.
{time} 1045
Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Smith).
Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3165, the Wind Energy Research and Development Act of 2009.
My home State of Nebraska is sixth in the Nation in wind energy potential, yet lacks in transmission capacity and development for additional generation. As this legislation made its way through the Science and Technology Committee, we adopted my amendment, which will allow for research and development into ways to efficiently and cost effectively create high-voltage transmission for renewable energy.
America needs a comprehensive national energy plan. An all-of-the-
above approach to our energy policy, one which includes offshore oil and gas production, as well as the advancement of technologies to develop alternative sources of energy such as wind power, needs to be on the table.
Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, as we continue to grow our dependency on wind power to meet this Nation's energy needs, it is important, critically important that we move forward aggressively with all efforts towards energy efficiency. This measure will do that. I strongly encourage our colleagues to support H.R. 3165.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from New York (Mr. Tonko) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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