Jon Tester

Is it your opinion that work will be able to be used in the recertification project to help drive costs down?

I am curious to get your perspective as to whether you see this country ever becoming energy-independent.

Is this a signal that biomass innovation is not a priority?

I think it is patently unfair to come in and say that this is your fault because we are buying generators across the pond.

A project that I started working on 12 years ago that was $100 million is--two of them. They were each $100 million projects. Now they're each $300 million projects.

Is progress being made at an adequate rate that you are happy with?

I do not think we are talking about that near enough as we go forth with nuclear power.

I think you came into the Department of Energy with energy policy that was antiquated and lacked diversity.

A lot of our forests are red and dead. A lot of that material cannot be made into plywood or 2 by 4's or anything.

These are important projects, and they need to be finished. In order to be finished, we need to have the resources.

What is the major roadblock with achieving our independence with transportation fuels in a faster way?

Coal is going to be around for a while.

That is somewhat distressing to me, and I know it is to you too.

it's not only time; it's liability, too, because during that 2-year period, the liability shifts to local cities, towns, counties.

I think we need to look at that because there are lots of people, not only in Montana, but around the country who are faced with the same challenge.

Being from a coal State like Montana, how we capture carbon, whether we are making limestone out of it or putting it underground for storage, long-term storage is one way.

the fact is, if we don't get the levee certified, if they don't have the means to do it, and the flood insurance goes up, houses don't get sold--it further depresses an already depressed economy.

The DOE is flat-lining the budget for biomass and bio-refineries research and development as one of the two programs in the whole energy efficiency budget to not receive an increase.

Yes, thank you, Madam Chair.

I appreciate you bringing forth the limestone example.

NAMI is also pleased that Congress included Senator Shaheen's legislation based on a New Hampshire NAMI suicide prevention training initiative...

I think that we have tremendous opportunity, as the Secretary has pointed out, and I do not want to see that opportunity go by the wayside.

All we want in the end--all you want, all I want--is to have a place that is safe to live in.

the CARD Clinic up in Libby is doing a great job and if EPA utilizes them to the best of their ability, they can be a great asset for you in that community because they are on the ground.

If we do not have this, we do not survive.