Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2015

Floor Speech

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Mr. PERRY. Mr. Chairman, I would like to begin by thanking Chairman Simpson and Ranking Member Kaptur for their diligence in this legislation.

Mr. Chairman, I think every single American can agree that reducing our dependence on foreign oil is something that--and all foreign sources of energy--should be something that we should pursue, and in that vein, renewables is a significant component, but this bill cuts hydropower over $20 million.

Mr. Chairman, this amendment would seek to restore funding specifically--not to all renewables--but to hydropower, and it is offset with a Department of Energy administrative cost. That is where the money is coming from. According to the budget office, the amendment actually reduces outlays by $8 million.

Now, hydropower is available in every region of the country. It is not just the east coast. It is the whole way across the country, to the point that 2,200 hydropower plants provide America its most abundant source of clean, renewable electricity and accounts for 67 percent of domestic renewable generation or 7 percent of the total electricity generated. This could increase that 15 percent, creating over 1 million jobs by 2025--1.4 million, according to my figures.

Mr. Chairman, hydroelectricity is predictable. You can count on it. It is not variable. You don't have to count on the wind blowing. You don't have to count on the Sun shining. Twenty-four hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, as long as the rain is falling and the rivers are flowing, we are generating power.

You don't need a bank of batteries. You don't need the wind to be blowing. You don't need an alternative source of base load powers being generated. It provides it at a relatively low-maintenance cost.

As a matter of fact, Mr. Chairman, I would contend that it is the most efficient and economic form of renewable energy. It is unobtrusive. It is not bothering anybody. It is sitting there. You don't have to worry about birds flying into it or bats being killed on its blades. The fish swim right through it.

Now, it does face a significant regulatory approval process. There is much red tape, which equates to up to 15 years in permitting cycles, and that is a detractor that needs to be addressed, so much so that there are now 60,000 megawatts of preliminary permits and projects awaiting final approval and are pending before the commission in 45 of our 50 States--45 of our 50 States.

We can have this electricity if we can get through this red tape, Mr. Chairman. Of our 80,000 dams in the United States, 600--600 of them--have an immediate capability to produce energy at this moment.

Harnessing conventional hydroenergy will create a truly renewable and green energy source for our country. It is not just about Pennsylvania, and it is not just about the Fourth District that I represent. It is about all of our country becoming energy independent on renewable.

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

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Mr. PERRY. Mr. Chairman, I look forward to working with the chairman in the future on this and would ask, at this point, unanimous consent to withdraw the amendment.

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