Ed Markey: “Renewable energy now provides 10 percent of the energy in our country. But it is still in its nascent stage. Whether it…”

“Renewable energy now provides 10 percent of the energy in our country. But it is still in its nascent stage. Whether it be solar voltaic, which has dropped dramatically from upward of 26 cents a kilowatt hour down to 8 or 9 cents a kilowatt hour just over the past decade; wind, which has dropped from 30 cents a kilowatt hour down to 4 or 5 cents a kilowatt hour in the last 10 years, we are seeing dramatic changes in the way in which electricity and energy are generated in this country. Unfortunately the bill as it is presently constructed still tilts dramatically toward the older technologies. There is $236 million in this budget for fission technology. This is a 40-year-old technology that is already out in the marketplace with one of the wealthiest industries in the United States, the electric utility industry, perfectly capable of doing all additional research on that technology. In addition, there is $230 million in here for fusion technology. Money is here for coal research. Money is here for all kinds of research on the older technologies.”