Gordon Supports Groundbreaking Energy Independence Efforts
August 4, 2007, WASHINGTON – Legislation authored by U.S. Rep. Bart Gordon was included in congressional efforts to lower gas prices and decrease the nation’s dependence on foreign sources of energy.
“Our future lies in our ability to develop a wide-range of energy technologies, improve energy efficiency and use cleaner sources of energy,” said Gordon, chairman of the House Science and Technology Committee and a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
“As it stands now, our dependence on foreign energy is a threat to our national security and it hinders our ability to stay competitive.”
Today, The U.S. House of Representatives approved H.R. 3221, the New Direction for Energy Independence, National Security and Consumer Protection Act. The bill now goes to the Senate for consideration.
The bill is comprised of numerous bills that have passed out of House committees, such as Gordon’s Science and Technology Committee.
H.R. 3221 includes a provision authored by Gordon that would establish an Advanced Research Projects Agency at the Department of Energy. ARPA-E, as the agency would be known, would aim to spur innovation and decrease the nation’s dependence on foreign energy by developing and commercializing revolutionary, clean energy technologies. The agency would recruit the best and brightest science and technology researchers and give them flexibility to develop cutting edge technologies that can be pushed from the lab into the marketplace.
The bill also incorporates a bill Gordon introduced to raise the energy efficiency standards for home appliances, such as refrigerators and clothes washers. The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers, American Water Works Association, Alliance to Save Energy and Natural Resources Defense Council have endorsed Gordon’s bill.
The bill also would help to bring alternative energy sources to Americans to power their homes or fuel their cars. The bill includes a provision to boost research and development of biofuels and solar, geothermal and other sources of renewable energy.
