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.
“H.R. 6” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Energy was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E2473-E2474 on Dec. 8, 2003.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
H.R. 6
______
HON. JOHN SHIMKUS
of illinois
in the house of representatives
Monday, December 8, 2003
Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to compliment the Chairman of the Conference Committee, Mr. Tauzin of Louisiana, and my colleagues on the Committee from both the House and the Senate for an excellent job under extremely difficult circumstances. I am very pleased that we have been able to resolve their differences and reach an agreement on this extremely important legislation. Our national energy security requires that we move rapidly to utilize all of our existing fossil energy resources in ways that are both more efficient and more protective of our public health and environment.
Two sections of the conference bill clearly are aimed at these objectives. Section 932(d) establishes a new program of research, development, demonstration and commercial application for integrated clean power and energy research. Section 935 establishes a similar program for research on innovative coal-burning technologies and advanced combustion systems.
I have been told that a new oxygen fuel technology shows great promise with respect to these critical research goals. This new technology, as I understand it, uses oxygen instead of air to produce combustion of coal and other fossil fuels in electric utility and industrial boilers. This prevents entry of nitrogen from the air in the normal combustion process, which provides both fuel efficiency and emission reduction benefits. The reliance on oxygen, combined with more efficient use of fossil fuels, also takes a step in the direction of renewable energy sources. I understand that the new oxygen-fuel technology has already been employed successfully in large industrial furnaces and has proved effective in small scale boiler testing conducted under a CRADA agreement with the Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory. If these results can be confirmed in boilers on a commercial production scale, the new technology offers substantial benefits for U.S. domestic and international energy and environmental policy.
Regarding the research provisions of the conference legislation, these provisions are intended to fund additional research for emerging, innovative fossil fuel technologies, such as the new oxygen-fuel technology. These provisions, with respect to technologies such as the oxygen fuel technology, will fund projects involving both new and existing (retrofitted) boilers on a commercial scale, where appropriate.
It is important to continue research in clean coal technologies. The continued use of coal, in an environmentally friendly way, will lead to a balanced energy policy for our Nation.
____________________
