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.
“SECURING AMERICA'S FUTURE ENERGY ACT OF 2001” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Energy was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E1568 on Aug. 3, 2001.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
SECURING AMERICA'S FUTURE ENERGY ACT OF 2001
______
speech of
HON. CHARLES W. ``CHIP'' PICKERING
of mississippi
in the house of representatives
Wednesday, August 1, 2001
The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 4) to enhance energy conservation, research and development and to provide for security and diversity in the energy supply for the American people, and for other purposes.
Mr. PICKERING. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased that the House is considering H.R. 4 today. This legislation is the first step in the development of a comprehensive national energy strategy.
Included in H.R. 4 is an amendment I offered at the full committee markup to have the Department of Energy conduct a study and review of the Federal Energy Savings Performance Contract Program. This program is an existing and innovative program that provides Federal agencies the opportunity to fund the installation of necessary energy efficiency measures. As the single largest consumer of energy, our Federal government facilities offer a significant opportunity to help us meet one of our national energy goals--increased efficiency. Our experience has shown that many of these government facilities have aging and energy inefficient equipment that require modernization in order to allow them to operate at peak efficiency.
We have learned over the past 10 years in the implementation of this program, like so many other government programs, that ``one size does not fit all.'' I believe that there are barriers and obstacles in current law and regulations, including some unnecessary red tape that prevents some Federal agencies from participating in the program. If flexibility is increased, this program could be used more effectively by Federal agencies. It is important that we take a look at the program, determine what barriers or obstacles exist, and implement appropriate changes. This provision provides for a 6-month review, report to Congress, and requires the Department to implement appropriate changes to increase program flexibility and effectiveness. As part of this report and review, it is our intention that the Department of Energy will consult with outside parties that have experience participating and working within the program as well as other Federal agencies.
I am hopeful that the end result of this effort will keep us on the road to increasing our nation's energy efficiency, and that the Federal government will indeed be a large contributor to this effort.
____________________
