Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2012

Floor Speech

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Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chairman, I offer this amendment to help promote a dynamic energy market in America through continued development of our budding solar industry. My amendment conservatively would transfer $10 million from administrative costs within the Department of Energy and shift those to solar energy research and development within the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy account.

Certainly I understand the difficulty in drafting this bill, given the large allocation cuts for the Energy and Water Subcommittee, and I appreciate the chairman's work and the ranking member's work in helping America meet the energy and water challenges of our Nation, which are huge. Yet this bill cuts research in solar energy by more than one-third from last year and over 60 percent from the President's request, providing $166 million--$97 million below fiscal year 2011 and $291 million below the request.

The $10 million transfer I propose from administration to implementation represents less than 5 percent of the funds in the administrative budget of the Department of Energy. I want to make clear that this amendment does not target other programs that are critical to our Nation's energy needs. Rather than cut fossil fuels and nuclear power, this amendment asks the Department of Energy to tighten its administrative belt a little bit more to prioritize the administration's core mission, the promotion of a viable energy future for America, and to do it in a sector that is growing jobs in our country despite what we face in terms of international global competition.

While this amendment proposes a modest 5 percent cut from the Department's administrative accounts, these dollars will go far in supporting additional energy options for American consumers and companies.

Solar energy production has nearly tripled in the last 5 years. In 2006, we generated 508,000 megawatt hours. Today, we produce 1.4 million megawatt hours annually. And I can't wait until it is 100 million.

Ernst & Young predicts the cost of solar will decrease by as much as half next year. And while the U.S. economy is anticipated to increase jobs by just 2 percent over the next year, in the solar industry that number is 26 percent, according to Cornell University. As costs go down and production capacity grows, solar energy becomes a viable alternative to imported energy sources. And this is exactly what our country needs right now: a vibrant energy market that gives Americans choices and encourages economic growth here at home.

Now, some would argue that with numbers like these, solar energy doesn't need anything, any additional funding, but I disagree. It is precisely because of our investment in this fledgling, cutting-edge industry that is high tech that such successes are possible. We cannot allow America to be complacent. Right now we are in competition to be the energy leader of the future in this sector. For years, we were the leader in developing new technology, but we have been falling behind. And guess who has been right at our heels the whole time: China. China knows that our technology will power the future, and they are setting themselves up to be the new global leaders in solar. I can verify that.

As we sat back and patted ourselves here, China exponentially increased their funding for solar and other clean energy technology. In addition, they are providing 15-year tax holidays for firms that locate production there. So as we develop this very fledgling industry here, they are more than willing to outsource it there. So we must redouble our efforts and continue our investment in research and bring this market to scale in America.

Right now, we are powering homes and some bases with solar. We should be powering neighborhoods and entire communities. That's what it means to have the real thriving, new energy market that Americans are demanding, and the jobs that go with them.

This amendment will create increased efficiency within the Department of Energy and promote American industry and energy independence. I ask my colleagues to think about it and help me by supporting this amendment which merely takes less than 5 percent of the administrative budget of the Department of Energy, $10 million--we are not talking about billions here--and shifts it to the Solar Energy account. I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting the Kaptur amendment for solar.

I reserve the balance of my time.

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Ms. KAPTUR. I want to thank the chairman of the subcommittee very much, Mr. Frelinghuysen, as well as the ranking member, Mr. Visclosky, for allowing me this time.

I am going to ask for a vote on this amendment, but I am hoping that as this moves towards the Senate and final consideration that, as to some of those who just happened to get to the microphone earlier, we might find a way to move some of those dollars around to support an industry that truly is a cutting-edge industry for our country, which deserves the kind of support that this Congress should give to new technology to try to create good jobs in this country and help us wean ourselves off our chief strategic vulnerability--imported energy.

I ask my colleagues to support the Kaptur amendment on solar.

I yield back the balance of my time.

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