Jay Inslee: Washington's 1st Congressional District

2 April 2003

U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee’s three energy amendments passed today in the House Resources Committee. The amendments will be included in the energy bill to be considered on the House floor in coming weeks. Inslee’s first amendment creates standards and a process for wind energy generators to locate on Bureau of Land Management lands, thereby streamlining what is now a very complicated and ill-defined process. The amendment also cuts in half the amount of royalties or fees wind energy generators pay to the government, which are similar to assistance the Majority party is giving to the oil, gas, and coal industries.

Inslee’s second amendment sets a national priority for Federal agencies to enhance the use of energy efficient technologies in carrying out their mission by using, to the extent practicable, energy efficient vehicles and energy efficiency improvements in buildings. The third amendment sets a national goal that the generation capacity of renewable energy on public lands in the United States should be at least 10,000 megawatts within ten years after the date of enactment of this act. The text of Inslee’s amendment’s follow below:

1. AMENDMENT TO THE COMMITTEE OFFERED BY MR. INSLEE

At the end of title VIII (page 143, after line 12) insert the following:

SEC.___. PERMITTING OF WIND ENERGY DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS ON PUBLIC LANDS.

1. REQUIRED POLICIES AND PROCEDURES.—The Secretary of the Interior shall process right-of-way applications for wind energy site testing and monitoring facilities on public lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management in accordance with policies and procedures that are substantially the same as those set forth in Bureau of Land Management Instruction Memorandum No. 2003-020, dated October 16, 2002.
2. LIMITATION ON RENT AND OTHER CHARGES.—
   1. IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of the Interior may not impose rent and other charges with respect to any wind energy development project on public lands that, in the aggregate, exceed 50 percent of the maximum amount of rent that could be charged with respect to that project under the terms of the Bureau of Land Management Instruction Memorandum referred to in subsection (a).

   2. TERMINATION. Paragraph (1) shall not apply after the earlier of—
      1. the date on which the Secretary of the Interior determines there exists at least 10,000 megawatts of electricity generating capacity from non-hydropower renewable energy resources on public lands; or(B) the end of the 10-year period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act.
   3. STATE SHARE NOT AFFECTED.—This subsection shall not affect any State share of rent and other charges with respect to any wind energy development project on public lands.

2. AMENDMENT TO THE COMMITTEE OFFERED BY MR. INSLEE

At the end of title VIII (page 143, after line 12) insert the following:

SEC.____. ENHANCING ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN MANAGEMENT OF FEDERAL LANDS.

1. SENSE OF THE CONGRESS.—It is the sense of the Congress that Federal agencies should enhance the use of energy efficient technologies in the management of natural resources.
2. ENERGY EFFICIENT BUILDINGS.—To the extent practicable, the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Commerce, and the Secretary of Agriculture shall seek to incorporate energy efficient technologies in public and administrative buildings associated with management of the National Park System, National Wildlife Refuge System, National Forest System, National Marine Sanctuaries System, and other public lands and resources managed by the Secretaries.
3. ENERGY EFFICIENT VEHICLES.—To the extent practicable, the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Commerce, and the Secretary of Agriculture shall seek to use energy efficient motor vehicles, including vehicles equipped with biodiesel or hybrid engine technologies, in the management of the National Park System, National Wildlife Refuge System, National Forest System, National Marine Sanctuaries System, and other public lands and resources managed by the Secretaries.

3. AMENDMENT TO THE COMMITTEE OFFERED BY MR. INSLEE

At the end of title VII (page 143, after line 12) insert the following:

SEC.____. SENSE OF THE CONGRESS REGARDING GENERATION CAPACITY OF ELECTRICITY FROM RENEWABLE ENERGY RESOURCES ON PUBLIC LANDS.

It is the sense of congress that the Secretary of the Interior shall, within the next ten years after date of enactment of this Act, seek to have approved non-hydropower renewable energy projects located on the public lands with a generation capacity of at least 10,000 megawatts of electricity.