Water Resources Development Act Of 2007
Floor Speech
WATER RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT ACT OF 2007 -- (House of Representatives - April 19, 2007)
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Mr. WALDEN of Oregon. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.
I want to first commend the gentleman from Minnesota. He has a tough job; he has done it well on this committee. I have enjoyed my work over the years on issues where we have agreed. I bring this motion to recommit to the floor for a couple of reasons.
The first deals with the issue of global warming and America's energy independence. I was appointed recently to the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. We have had a lot of hearings there and in the Energy and Commerce Committee and in the Energy and Air Quality Subcommittee about how do we make America both energy independent and reduce our carbon emissions and greenhouse gas emissions.
Obviously, coming from the Pacific Northwest, we are blessed in that a large percentage of our electrical generation comes from these large hydropower projects. Hydropower for America means no greenhouse gas emissions, virtually, virtually none. I suppose you could say there is some in the creation of the cement that goes into the concrete that makes up the dams, but once they are built, they are 90 percent efficient and no carbon emissions. So, obviously, there is discussion out there in the courts and elsewhere about reducing hydropower by eliminating dams.
I think it would help us in our work, in both the Select Committee on Energy and Independence, and on global warming, to know what the impacts are and if you remove the hydropower system in any course or place, what the impacts on domestic energy cost to consumers would be; what would the need be to import more energy as replacement, because obviously that is one of the issues that we look at. If you take out a particular power generation capacity, and especially one that is 90 percent efficient and doesn't emit green house gases, then what's the carbon footprint for the replacement power?
We would look at that and call for a report on the types of fossil-based fuels or other energy sources, perhaps including clean nuclear, to replace this power that would likely be utilized.
In addition, we ask for a report on maintenance of the lock system as well, which is extraordinarily important. I want to point out that in 2004 alone, more than 160 million tons of carbon emissions were avoided in the United States when 268 million megawatt hours of hydroelectricity were generated. Hydropower offsets more carbon emissions than all other renewable energy sources combined.
If they were to be removed, the dams in the Northwest, it would take six and a half 500-megawatt coal-fired plants to replace the energy generated, not that anybody is talking about replacing them all. That, though, would increase CO
2 emissions by 47.4 billion pounds, 47.4 billion pounds.
Let's look at this in replacement of shipping terms, if we don't take care of locks. In the Columbia and Snake River system, certainly in the Columbia River, certainly at John Day, there are issues about these antiquated locks that are having real maintenance needs, and yet we lack funding in some cases to deal with it.
A tow of four 3,500-ton grain barges equates to 400 trucks each at 400 horsepower. For example Tidewater Barge Company, a single example, Tidewater ships about 6 million tons up and down the Columbia River each year. These 6 million tons would require 171,200 trucks if the barging capability was removed. Over 171,000 trucks. So you can see why I am concerned about lock maintenance and the need to continue down that path. This motion to recommit would do that.
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Mr. WALDEN of Oregon. Certainly anything that would be required here, because it does require the Corps to inventory, develop and maintain all lands, properties, et cetera, for the potential of producing hydropower. Obviously, though, we waive no environmental laws. Anything that would be authorized or result or interpreted that way from this language would require appropriation. There would be all the reviews that are required for any other law.
I urge support of the motion to recommit.
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