Hal Rogers: “The Obama administration has not been shy about its desire to wipe out our Nation's use of fossil energy resources.…”

“The Obama administration has not been shy about its desire to wipe out our Nation's use of fossil energy resources. Mining permits in Kentucky and eastern America have ground to a halt. Oil and gas leasing on Federal lands and our Outer Continental Shelf are stagnant, onerous regulations are shuttering power plants, and EPA officials have gone on the record expressing a desire to crucify the fossil industries, which have been the backbone of our energy security for decades and continue to today. And how does this administration propose to fill the gaping hole they've left in our energy security? By throwing billions of taxpayer dollars down a black hole at pie-in-the-sky renewable pet projects like Solyndra. I agree with my colleagues that we must balance the expansion of conventional fuels--coal, natural gas, oil, and nuclear--to provide energy today with investment into renewable energies to power our future. And that's exactly what the underlying bill seeks to do, Mr. Chairman. The funding provided for fossil energy research and development will support investments in carbon capture, carbon storage, and other advanced energy systems so our country can more efficiently use centuries worth of coal and natural gas already at our disposal. Meanwhile, we continue to support reasonable levels in the EERE account that have seen exponential increases in recent years.…”