Kaptur Statement at Hearing on Applied Energy

Good morning, Dr. Danielson, it is good to see you again.  Dr. Lyons, Secretary Smith and Hoffman, good morning. Thank you all for being here today to update the Subcommittee on your programs.

Today we consider the applied research and development portfolios at the Department of Energy—Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Nuclear Energy, Fossil Energy and the office that at least in theory, links them all together Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability — all critical areas of our nation’s energy portfolio.   

I have long sited our reliance on foreign energy as a grave economic and national security concern—over the last decade, we have spent $2.3 trillion importing foreign oil, making rich some of the worst global players at the expense of our own citizens.

The recent events in Ukraine have provided an abject lesson, lest we forget our own country’s challenges, on the importance of reliable energy to the world’s ability to defend the borders of sovereign nations. The dependence of Ukraine and much of Europe on Russian energy imports have complicated the international response to Russia’s annexation of Crimea. 

With this in mind, Secretary Smith, I hope you can help us understand the circumstances surrounding the availability of our country’s resources and the implications of exporting these assets. Further, and somewhat parochially, I would like to explore what you can tell me about infrastructure in the Great Lakes Region when we get to questions.

I represent a part of the country that has worked very hard to develop all types of energy—from the PV solar manufacturing in Toledo, oil refining in Oregon, and nuclear energy in Oak Harbor, to offshore wind in Lake Erie, advanced batteries in Cleveland, and we are now seeing a boom of natural gas in Eastern Ohio.  But by and large, we have to compete in the harshest of free markets.  We lack the advantages of a national lab driving development and investment, or a power authority providing subsidized power to our homes and businesses.  For my district and state, energy supply is a significant financial strain on the citizens and businesses striving to make it through each day.  So, I am particularly interested in work that drives down costs and supports regional equity.

I expect today that you will address how each of your programs is meeting the nation’s challenge related to our energy sector.  In an era of budget austerity, I am focused on understanding the technological challenges that face each of these industries so that collectively we can make informed and wise decisions to shepherd our resources toward those areas with the largest return.

Dr. Danielson, your Advance Manufacturing Office is at the forefront of reinvigorating the country’s manufacturing capability, an issue of intense national importance. I am very concerned about indications that America is losing her competitive advantage in many emerging energy technologies. I am interested to hear about opportunities to not only remain competitive, but to restore our position as the global leader in new energy technology.  Similarly, I look forward to hearing how we protect our investments in research and development form intellectual property poaching and ensure that our efforts further domestic manufacturing, rather than commercialization overseas.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman for the time.