ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2008 -- (Extensions of Remarks - June 22, 2007)
The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 2641) making appropriations for energy and water development and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2008, and for other purposes:
* Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the Hinchey-Wolf amendment. My constituents need electricity in their homes, their businesses and their communities. This amendment will deprive my constituents and the people of Pennsylvania of low-cost energy.
* In 2005, the Republican-led Congress passed the bipartisan Energy Policy Act, 275-156. In section 1221 of the Energy Policy Act, the Department of Energy was required to identify and report a National Transmission Congestion and Constraint Study.
* The study identified two areas as inadequate: the Mid-Atlantic region, which encompasses my district, and the southwest-southern California region. With no coincidence, in 2002 these same areas were identified as problem areas. They were identified in two separate studies, 5 years apart, because there is an overwhelming need to build the infrastructure to supply the increasing demand for energy. The lack of necessary infrastructure in these areas imposes billions of dollars on consumers annually and leaves the citizens of the country vulnerable to rolling blackouts.
* On April 26, 2007, the Department of Energy issued two draft versions for transmission corridors, one traversing my home State and its neighboring regions and the other in southern California. The public comment period remains open for written submissions until July 6. In addition, the Energy Policy Act requires studies every 3 years.
* This amendment would require a needless, burdensome study, which in effect, would study two previous and congruent studies. At best, with this amendment, we are questioning whether or not to repeal sections of a successful, bipartisan bill, extensively debated and enacted less than 2 years ago, when the process so clearly works, the need is clearly there and the effects of inaction are so clearly dire. Let's allow the process to work. Let us have faith in our positive work in the Energy Policy Act.