Byron Dorgan: “I believe that the reliable, efficient, and clean generation of electricity is vital to the American economy. The…”

“I believe that the reliable, efficient, and clean generation of electricity is vital to the American economy. The Congress has made important investments in fossil energy research to improve the efficiency and reduce emissions of large, central power generation technologies. In recent years the Appropriations Committee has recommended increases in what, I believe, are complementary and equally important technologies that generate power on a smaller, distributed generation scale. These smaller technologies, including microtubines, fuel cells, reciprocating engines and industrial turbines, range in size from only a few hundreds of kilowatts up to 30 megawatts and offer many benefits. For example, fuel cells and microturbines can be deployed in urban areas to provide power where the construction of additional transmission and distribution lines is not practical because of the crowded conditions. Ironically, these same systems are well suited for use in rural areas, as well, where the cost of constructing electric lines to serve only a few customers may be prohibitive. These onsite power generation systems are highly reliable.”