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“INTRODUCTION OF THE MARINE AND HYDROKINETIC RENEWABLE ENERGY PROMOTION ACT OF 2010” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Energy was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E1813 on Sept. 29, 2010.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
INTRODUCTION OF THE MARINE AND HYDROKINETIC RENEWABLE ENERGY PROMOTION
ACT OF 2010
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HON. JAY INSLEE
of washington
in the house of representatives
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Mr. INSLEE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Marine and Hydrokinetic Renewable Energy Promotion Act of 2010, a bill to promote the development of renewable energy from our oceans and rivers, using the tides, currents, waves and even the thermal properties of our oceans to generate electricity. I also want to acknowledge the work of Chairman Brian Baird, my friend and Washington state colleague, who joins me in introducing this important legislation.
This bill will bolster research and development in marine renewable energy, to ensure the industry overcomes existing barriers to deployment so that our ocean and tidal currents can deliver power to homes and businesses in American communities. Improved federal research programs are key to meeting our long-term energy security and climate mitigation goals, and creating American jobs in the marine hydrokinetic industry.
A study by University of Washington, Virginia Tech Advanced Research Institute, and Electric Power Research Institute that was published in HydroReview stated that marine renewable resources could yield 51,000 MW of power--equivalent to 34 conventional coal-fired power plants. Yet at this time, our nation's commitment to this technology lags behind countries in Europe and Asia.
In Washington state, the private sector, universities, research institutions and public utilities are already working to bring affordable, reliable and abundant electricity to major urban load centers located near Puget Sound. But these, and similar efforts across the country, need national support in order to truly realize the benefits of commercial-scale marine hydrokinetic projects in the United States.
This bill will expand the renewable energy research and development program at the U.S. Department of Energy, so that Americans do not lose out on the global race to create and manufacture marine renewable energy technologies. To do so, the bill creates a competitive demonstration grant program to test technologies, devices and systems at a variety of scales to facilitate commercial application. The environmental research program established in this bill will also help us best monitor the environmental impacts of these projects, to help disseminate information on ways to identify and avoid any negative environmental impacts to protect our marine environment. Additionally, the bill will expand a Department of Energy research program to set up MHK test facilities in the United States, which are critical in our efforts to demonstrate a wide range of technologies, and evaluate the technical viability of each new and emerging type of technology at different scales.
In closing, I also want to thank the expert staff on the Science and Technology Subcommittee on Energy and Environment for their extensive knowledge of this issue and hard work. I urge my colleagues to cosponsor this bill, and hope that we can work together to move it towards passage as soon as possible.
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