OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

Energy And Water Research Integration Act

Floor Speech

Date: Dec. 1, 2009
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Energy Natural Resources

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Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 3598, the bill now under consideration.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from New York?

There was no objection.

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.

Demand for energy and water resources is stressing our environment and our economy. Innovation and technologies which address the nexus between these two resources is critical to the future of our country. H.R. 3598 requires the Secretary of Energy to consider water-related issues in the Department's energy efficiency and energy technology research programs. Additionally, H.R. 3598 creates an energy-water architecture council that will facilitate the collaboration of industry, of academia, and of the Federal Government in improving energy and water resources data collection, reporting, and technological innovation.

Chairman Gordon and Ranking Member Hall of the Science and Technology Committee have worked hard to improve this bill on its way to the floor. To ensure appropriate use of taxpayer dollars, the bill now includes direction to the Secretary of Energy to develop a strategic plan which will focus the Department's efforts on the most energy- and water-intensive programs and projects with the most potential to achieve the purposes of this bill.

This legislation is the product of recommendations heard in five Science and Technology Committee hearings on water and several reports from the National Academies, the Government Accountability Office, the National Science Technology Council, and the Department of Energy. With letters of support from the Water Innovations Alliance, NanoH2O, Inc., and the Alliance for Water Efficiency, this legislation takes important steps to deal with our country's water and energy resource challenges.

I encourage all of my colleagues to join me in support of H.R. 3598.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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