Providing For Consideration Of H.R. 3585, Solar Technology Roadmap Act

Floor Speech

Providing For Consideration Of H.R. 3585, Solar Technology Roadmap Act

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Mr. TONKO. I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 3585, the Solar Technology Roadmap Act of 2010.

As a Representative and certainly as an engineer, I wholeheartedly embrace the soundness of planning. The road map here represents planning that provides for the most effective use of taxpayer and consumer dollars and also provides for the most commonsense approach to a situation that has really caused a great interest in America.

The previous administration spent down a surplus while it could have been investing in a sound energy plan. We now have no choice but to enter this clean energy race, which is global in nature. America will fall into deeper deficit in tougher times if it does not participate in the innovation economy driven by energy and environment reform.

This bill will unleash the potential of the American solar tech industry and boost our economy by creating jobs in this expanding new sector. It requires the Department of Energy to establish a solar road map committee to write and oversee a solar technology road map. The solar technology road map will lay out a detailed plan for solar tech research and development, help improve the performance and reliability of solar technology, and decrease the cost of solar for consumers and businesses.

Research and development funding will not only stimulate our economy and be the wave of energy innovation for the future, but it is also through R&D that we will be able to solve environmental issues, ensure the next wave of energy innovations occur right here in America, and provide those all-important American jobs to grow our economy and assist and relieve our American working families.

Solar has the potential to shave overall electricity prices for consumers as well as enhance capacity. This bill is crucial to catalyze both of these activities. In fact, this body previously passed a similar piece of legislation that I sponsored, H.R. 3165, the Wind Energy Research and Development Act. That bill looked at improving and making more efficient the materials used for construction of wind turbines.

In my district alone, there are numerous businesses and academic institutions such as the College of Nanoscale and Science Engineering at the University of Albany, which I toured this just this week, where thin film improvements are greatly enhancing and improving the opportunity for market penetration of many nanoscale applications such as solar energy. We will advance with this legislation and grow jobs and grow our economy and not reject the innovation that was rejected in the previous administration.

As the vice Chair of the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition, or SEEK, which is newly formed this year, we recognize that H.R. 3585 is an important bill and is therefore a legislative priority. As such, I want to thank the gentlelady from Arizona for developing such a great bill, one that speaks volumes to bettering our Nation's economy, speaking to our energy policy and our environment.

I encourage a strong vote in favor of its passage.

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