Part II Renewables Section of Senate Energy Bill Just Released!

Just posted are the Senate Energy Bill Title2 Renewable Energy
provisions.  There’s a mixed bag for ocean renewables as summarized in the following cursory overview:

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Bill to Eliminate Production Tax Credit for Offshore Wind

This past Friday the 13th (5/13/05), Senators Alexander and Warner introduced the so-called Environmentally Responsible Wind Power Act, S.1034.  Among other things, the bill disqualifies offshore wind projects from receiving the 1.8 cents Production Tax Credit (PTC) and gives adjacent states within a project "viewshed" the power to veto a proposed offshore project in the adjacent state.  This article, Bill takes Aim At Subsidies for Wind (May 17, 2005) discusses the bill a little more and notes that the American Wind Energy Association denounced the bill at its annual conference now taking place in Denver.

Although wave energy projects are not yet eligible for a production tax credit, a bill like this one is a likely death knell for that possibility.  A PTC, for all offshore renewables, either wave or wind, is vital to development of these projects and attracting potential investors.  The Alexander-Warner bill is currently under consideration by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee so if any of your Senators serve on that committee, please urge them to reject the proposed legislation.

Senate Energy Bill Mark Up Starting Soon!

Alert:  The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee will mark up nine of 13 sections of its comprehensive energy bill next week, with a markup of the remaining sections to be held the following week.

    Next Tuesday through Thursday, the committee will mark up the sometimes contentious electricity and coal sections, as well as non-controversial bipartisan language regarding efficiency, hydrogen, Indian energy, personnel and training, and research and development.

    The markup also will include at least a portion of the bill’s nuclear title, but it is unclear what portion will be taken up and whether it will be heavily debated.  Republican and Democrat committee staff continue to work on the remaining portion of the nuclear section and provisions related to incentives for clean energy technologies, renewable energy, fuel and vehicles, and oil and gas. The plan is to mark up these sections during the week of May 23.

     Several contentious issues still need to be resolved, including federal authority to site and permit liquefied natural gas import facilities, the relicensing of hydroelectric facilities, and energy development in the coastal Outer Continental Shelf.

    The committee’s goal has been to finish work on the bill before lawmakers leave for the Memorial Day recess. President Bush has called on Congress to pass a bill for him to sign before the start of the August recess.

     Text of the provisions that will be marked up next week will be made available on the committee’s Web site Friday morning, while language to be marked up the week of May 23 will be made available on the Web site May 20.
                                                                                                                    Source: CongressDaily

Testimony from Offshore Energy Hearing (4/19/05)

On April 19, 2005, the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources held hearings on Offshore Energy, including the future of alternative energy resources on the Outer Continental Shelf.  Witness testimony from the Senate Hearing may be viewed here.  Section 2010  of the House Energy Bill (HR 6) addresses alternative energy uses on the Outer Continental Shelf, though we still do not know whether the Senate version will mirror the House provisions.

We’ll be tracking these provisions for you at the Ocean Renewable site and analyzing their implications for ocean energy development.   But we appreciate input from our members on these provisions which you can email to carolyn.elefant@gmail.com or post below in the comments area.

Secretary Abraham’s KeyNote Address at Energy Ocean 2005

Below, former DOE Secretary Abraham with Dan White, Energy Oceans 2005 organizer and Richard Meyer, head of Ocean Energy Council; Former DOE Sec. Abraham  addresses a crowd at Energy Ocean 2005 (4/27/05).