Providing For Consideration Of H.R. 3585, Solar Technology Roadmap Act
Floor Speech
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Mr. POLIS. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 846 provides a structured rule for consideration of H.R. 3585, the Solar Technology Roadmap Act. The rule waives all points of order against consideration of the bill except those arising under clause 9 or 10 of rule XXI and provides 1 hour of general debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking member of the Science and Technology Committee. It provides that the amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the Science and Technology Committee shall be considered as an original bill for the purpose of amendment and shall be considered as read.
The rule waives all points of order against the substitute except those arising under clause 10 of rule XXI.
The rule makes in order only those amendments printed in the Rules Committee report. Such amendments may be offered only in the order printed in the report and shall be offered by the Member designated in the report, shall be considered as read, and shall not be subject to demand for division of the question. All points of order against such amendments are waived except those arising under clause 9 or 10 of rule XXI.
The rule provides one motion to recommit with or without instructions. The Chair may entertain a motion to rise only if offered by the Chair of the Committee on Science and Technology, and the Chair may not entertain motions to strike out the enacting clause.
Mr. Speaker, for the last 2 weeks right down the street on the National Mall, 20 teams of university students competed in the biannual Department of Energy's solar decathlon. These teams competed not just for victory but for innovation and public awareness as well.
Every 2 years, teams from all over the globe prove unequivocally, either rain or shine, under the all-too frequently cloudy skies of Washington, D.C., our Nation's Capital, that solar power is not only here for the future, but is here and ready to go today. These teams showcase both cutting-edge technology and technology that has been around for decades. Technology that creates jobs, promotes energy independence, combats climate change just simply isn't getting the attention it deserves from several blocks away here on the Hill.
The solar decathlon itself is noticing an interesting trend that speaks to what's occurring on a global scale. Teams like the two-time winners from my congressional district, the University of Colorado, unfortunately aren't finding the support that they need, and the University of Colorado had to cancel their program to compete this year, while teams from Europe and elsewhere continue to find the budget to compete and to win.
Right now because of the policies we have and have not passed, our country is starting to lose the innovation race in technology. Europe, China, and other countries are leapfrogging us in the race to refine the technology that will power our future.
This past Monday, The Wall Street Journal's ``Power Plays'' section highlighted America's competitiveness problem, which has been seen and felt by the many solar and clean-tech companies in my district for years.
Our technology is draining away to countries who know how to support and foster its growth. The Wall Street Journal highlighted how China is taking the lead in solar energy investment and drastically cutting the price of the technology and its development, making it harder for U.S. companies to compete.
Mr. Speaker, up until now Congress' attitude towards renewable energy and solar has been wanting. We failed time after time to support the small businesses, the technology, and the policies that could have and should have changed our Nation's energy outlook years ago.
American solar businesses have had to deal with the uncertainty of not knowing what government policies will be in place from one year to the next; production in investment tax credits have ebbed and flowed with no real consistency.
As someone with a background in business, I know this simply just doesn't work. Whether you're figuring out your payroll or trying to secure investments, without long-term certainty with regard to the playing fields, you have a hard time accomplishing either. Our policies towards solar research have been equally sporadic with no real directive to lead our research or investment.
We desperately need to focus our research and focus our investments, and this legislation will do that.
Mr. Speaker, simply put, this bill is a game changer. This bill is the focus, this bill is the directive that we as a Nation need in order to realize the great potential that solar energy has had for decades and will have for our future. By creating this road map, we will have the foremost experts in the world focusing our research, focusing our policies, and focusing our vision on what is possible and what will be achieved; and in doing so, we will encourage investment by providing the long-term assurance that the market is so desperately looking for.
I reserve the balance of my time.
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Mr. POLIS of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, by creating a solar technology road map committee made up of experts representing a variety of perspectives from the private industry, the solar technology industry, from the national laboratories, one of which borders my district, the National Energies Laboratory in Golden, Colorado, from academia and from the relevant Federal, State, as well as local agencies, we can ensure that we have all the stakeholders on board with a forward-thinking strategic plan for using our Federal solar energy research, rolling out development and demonstration, and making sure that funds are spent effectively and efficiently.
The road map that this bill will create is a model that's tried and true. This bill's road map is modeled on the successful National Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors which has been instrumental in helping the semiconductor industry and semiconductor technology advance rapidly over the past two decades. The progress in the semiconductor industry has helped make the technology exponentially more cost competitive and has grown the industry to help establish America as the international leader in semiconductors, just as we have the opportunity to be the true international leader in solar technology.
Like solar technology, the semiconductor industry at one point in time also needed focus. It needed a road map to point it in the right direction, a road map to ensure that its investments were being used wisely and efficiently, allowing us to compete with other countries. This bill will do the same for the solar industry.
Mr. Speaker, the Solar Technology Roadmap Act has gained a wide variety of bipartisan support, support from institutions and organizations from many different perspectives on the energy issue.
I strongly urge passage of this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.
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Mr. POLIS of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, my colleague from North Carolina earlier alluded to her concern that, if we passed this bill and others, our economy will begin to resemble the Third World. She particularly cited, she said, the Third World, particularly South American countries. I would like to remind my colleague that South American countries, in particular Argentina and Brazil, have been on a tear of growth. They have had economic growth. Their currencies have gained value against the dollar. And I hope that our country can enjoy the same kinds of economic growth that in particular Brazil and Argentina have enjoyed this last year. And certainly the technology industry, in having a road map for our solar industry, can be an important part of that economic growth.
Mr. Speaker, this bill is a responsible and well thought out and proven approach to moving our Nation away from its addiction on fossil fuels and towards independence. This is a mission that will help us address some of the largest challenges we face, reducing our dangerous dependence on foreign oil and cutting greenhouse gas emissions.
Time and time again, it has been shown that solar energy is a tremendous win in terms of national security, lessening our reliance on foreign oil. Whether having emergency response centers powered individually during disasters or having additional solar supplying the grid during blackouts, we are learning that energy security means homegrown renewable energy.
What good does it do for us to be dependent on Europe or China for our energy in the future just as we are today on Saudi Arabia? I think not. We can change our future and take ownership of our future here today. The unfortunate truth of the matter is right now Europe and China are winning the technology wars to dominate our renewable energy future; and this will become worse with every day that we fail to act.
Today, Congress can take action to change our future and take ownership of our future for America. We need to realize that the technological gains of China and Europe are a good thing, but not if they are to the detriment of our own small businesses, our own investment, and our own jobs.
There is one factor that every place with a booming clean energy industry has in common. It's not just the sun, which we have in our country, it's not just the wind, which we have, it's not just the biomass, which we have in spades; but it is the policies, the policies that underlie creating a playing field that enables the growth of the solar technology industry.
You may think that California and Colorado are the number one and number three, respectively, renewable energy States in the country because they are sunny or windy. But, in fact, we in Colorado, and the State of California is number one, are in their place because they have the right policies, the right policies to attract investors, the right policies to grow clean energy jobs, friendly State leadership from the Governor to the State legislature, to counties. To prove this point, coming in at number two is actually the somewhat cloudy State of New Jersey, due to their State leadership of embracing a renewable energy economy.
In Colorado, this fact has been known for years. Our State and my hometown of Boulder know the benefits of policies that attract technological advancement, support small businesses and create jobs all because they promote investments in renewable energy.
In fact, today the American Solar Energy Society will unveil a new national report that shows the economic and employment boom that clean energy could provide if only we enact the right policies, which we can through the road map that we have contained in this bill. Policies like net metering, interconnection standards, Property Assessed Clean Energy Bonds and the expansion of distributed generation are the next steps of policies that will give our Nation the benefits that clean energy has given to places like Colorado.
That's why, Mr. Speaker, this bill has been officially endorsed by business groups across the board, like the National Association of Manufacturers, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Solar Energy Industries Association, and the National Semiconductor Association.
In passing the Solar Technology Roadmap Act, we are passing on confidence to investors that our support will be around for the long haul. It is predictable. We are saying to small clean energy businesses that you can hire more employees, and we are saying to researchers that without a doubt you will be inventing technologies that will make our country cleaner and will make our Nation stronger in the world.
Establishing a research road map and prioritizing Federal funding for solar research will help commercialize new solar technologies and make clean, renewable energy sources more affordable and accessible for all Americans. Solar technology offers tremendous opportunity for America, the potential to create tens of thousands of good, high-paying, clean energy jobs that we are currently losing to overseas companies as we build our energy independence future.
The U.S. has some of the best solar resources of any industrialized nation in the world, both intellectual as well as geophysical. Yet while America is currently a leader in solar technology development, other countries, like Spain, Germany and China, are devoting much more of a concerted effort and attention to deployment, putting the U.S. competitive position in jeopardy.
The Solar Technology Roadmap Act has diverse and bipartisan support.
Finally, Mr. Speaker, I want to recognize Chairman Gordon of the Science and Technology Committee for his commitment to this important issue, and my friend from Arizona (Ms. Giffords) for her hard work championing this legislation to ensure that America retains and grows its position as a leader in solar technology and job creation for the future.
I urge a ``yes'' vote on the previous question and the rule.
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