Mark Udall: “The amendment is quite simple. It restores authorization levels for the Department of Energy solar and renewable energy…”

“The amendment is quite simple. It restores authorization levels for the Department of Energy solar and renewable energy and energy efficiency research programs to the levels of the fiscal 2000 year request. Mr. Chairman, our colleagues have heard me speak about the reasons why we need to invest more in renewable energy and energy efficiency programs. They benefit our economy by stimulating private sector activity and adding jobs, they reduce our reliance on imported oil, and they have a positive impact on air and water quality. I want to just provide a few examples for the record of what these increased levels will accomplish: $10 million will go into research on photovoltaic energy systems. While sales of PVs are at a billion dollar level this year, these systems cannot reach their true potential until we learn how to reduce their cost and increase their efficiency. Another $10 million will go to wind energy systems. These systems again have dropped in price by about 80 percent, but we still have another 40 to 50 percent to go before wind energy can compete economically with other forms of energy.”