Senate Proceeding on Oct 14th, 2009 :: 2:17:20 to 2:30:00
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2:17:06 to 2:17:26( Edit History Discussion )

Byron Dorgan: are 79, the nays are 17. three-fifths of the senators duly chosen and sworn having voted in the affirmative, the motion is agreed mr. dorgan: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from north

2:17:20 to 2:30:00( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Byron Dorgan

2:17:27 to 2:17:47( Edit History Discussion )

Byron Dorgan: mr. dorgan: the presiding officer: can we have order. please take your conversations the senator from north dakota. mr. dorgan bill an: mr. president, let me thank -- mr. dorgan: mr. president, let me thank my colleagues who voted for cloture for this legislation.

2:17:48 to 2:18:08( Edit History Discussion )

Byron Dorgan: it's really the appropriations bills, get them de individually. we are now past october 1, but inhe last two years, we actually had to appropriations bill. this year, thanks reid and his determination, and thanks to the chairman of the propriations committee, we are doing the bills one by one by one and we're going to get them finished.

2:18:09 to 2:18:30( Edit History Discussion )

Byron Dorgan: this is a bill that funds the energy and the water programs in the country, and it's a very important investment in this country. mr. president, i wanted to comment more generally about a few issues because this -- the legislation that we are moving, the conrence report just passed and when we get it through the house and the

2:18:31 to 2:18:52( Edit History Discussion )

Byron Dorgan: senate, now we're in i believe 30 hours post his significant dispiewr will become law -- signature and will become law. but the concerns i have about the issues here include not just programs in our bill but especially energy, and i wanted to talk just for a moment about the energy piece of this bill.

2:18:53 to 2:19:13( Edit History Discussion )

Byron Dorgan: this describes a very serious dilemma for our country. two-thirds of the crude oil used in the united states today is imported. two-thirds of the crude oil that we use comes from other countries, some of whom, by the way, don't like us very much. and our economy runs on energy. if, god forbid, tomorrow the

2:19:14 to 2:19:34( Edit History Discussion )

Byron Dorgan: supply of oil to this country were interrupted by terrorists or for some othe reason were interrupted, our economy would be in desperate trouble. we -- every single day the american people get energy for granted. we get out of bed and we turn a switch on and we expect there to be light. we, perhaps, plug in an electric raiser and expect -- razor and

2:19:35 to 2:19:56( Edit History Discussion )

Byron Dorgan: expect there to be electricity that drives the electric razor or perhaps an electric toothbrush. take a shower, expect the out water heater to have bn heated and through electricity or gas provide water for a shower. and then making coffee and breakfast, there's electricity assumed to be available. and then a key in the ignition of the vehicle and you get off and -- and drive and you're

2:19:57 to 2:20:18( Edit History Discussion )

Byron Dorgan: using energy once again. every part of our daily life is filled with the use of energy. now, the question is: how address this issue of an unbelievable reliance on foreign oil? that means that it threatens our national security and our energy security to be this reliant on

2:20:19 to 2:20:40( Edit History Discussion )

Byron Dorgan: foreign oil. and, mr. president, the reliance that we have has to be reduced so how do we do that? and even at the -- as we do that, at the same time we are trying to find a way to reduce the carbon footprint and reduce the amount of co2 that goes into the air to protect the planet's environment. so two things are working at the same time. i want to talk just for a bit

2:20:41 to 2:21:02( Edit History Discussion )

Byron Dorgan: about the legislation that we have done in the energy committee, not the energy and war appropriations panel that i chair but in the energy committee, chaired by senator bingaman, and i'm the second ranking democrat on that committee, i want to talk about what we have written as an energy bill and i want to about it just for a momenin the context of what is described

2:21:03 to 2:21:24( Edit History Discussion )

Byron Dorgan: by some as a requirement to merge an energy bill with a cap-and-trade climate change bill and bring both to the floor. i prefer we not do that, not because i don't think we should address climate change. i believe we should. i believe we're going to have to have a lower carbon future. what i think we should do is a two-step process that, number one, from a policy standpoint

2:21:25 to 2:21:45( Edit History Discussion )

Byron Dorgan: gives us the opportunity to reduce carbon, reduce co2 emissions into the area by changing our energy mix, number one, to renewable energy; and, number two, research and innovation and technology to reduce the carbon emitted wn we burn produce electricity. so just a couple of comments

2:21:46 to 2:22:06( Edit History Discussion )

Byron Dorgan: about that. the energy bill that we have enacted provides a lot of things. it provides a increase in renewable energy and it does that -- i'll take the other chart off -- itoes -- this is an example, of course, of wind turbines, taking electricity from the wind.

2:22:07 to 2:22:28( Edit History Discussion )

Byron Dorgan: and there's -- nears carbon output there. i mean, you don't -- there's no co2 in the air by taking electricity from the wind. the problem is, where we have a lot of wind is not where the load centers are that need the electricity. so from wind from texas to north dakota -- and by the way, north dakota ranks number one in wind. it is the saudi arabia of wind, we are told. and from texas across the southwest to california, where

2:22:29 to 2:22:49( Edit History Discussion )

Byron Dorgan: the sun shines all the time, or virtually all the time, if you can produce and maximize the production of renewable energy where it is available -- wind, solar, biomass and so on -- and then build the transmission capability to move it to the load centers that need it, you will dramatically change our energy capability in this country. the legislation that we have done in the energy committee

2:22:50 to 2:23:10( Edit History Discussion )

Byron Dorgan: accomplishes that. we have a significant transmission piece in that legislation that allows us finally at long, long last to build the transmission we need. you know, we built an interstate highway system aroundhis country so you can get in a vehicle and drive almost anywhere. but we've want built an interstate highway of transmission capabilities to move energy where it's needed.

2:23:11 to 2:23:31( Edit History Discussion )

Byron Dorgan: we have a patchwork of transmission that was built up over a period of time when there was an energy company that produced energy and then in a circle distributed energy to its market. that's the kind of transmission system we have. and we need to dramatically modernize the transmission so we can maximize the amount of renewable energy.

2:23:32 to 2:23:52( Edit History Discussion )

Byron Dorgan: now, it is a lot of -- there are a lot of things that are pp exciting in energy that can change our future. do you know right now there are a couple hundred people working on a process, dr. craig venters is involved, one of the great scientists in our country, one of the two people that created the human genome project,

2:23:53 to 2:24:13( Edit History Discussion )

Byron Dorgan: they're working on finding ways to create synthetic microbes that would actually consume a coal bed and turn the coal into methane. think of that. you create synthetic microbes that will essentially eat the coal -- that's not term -- they will consume the coal and leave in its wake methane. turn coal into methane.

2:24:14 to 2:24:35( Edit History Discussion )

Byron Dorgan: we've got others that are working, and dr. involved in this as well, on something called by the way, i started after 15 years of it being discontinued, i restarted the algae research in this -- in the legislation at the energy laboratories. dr. venter is working on

2:24:36 to 2:24:56( Edit History Discussion )

Byron Dorgan: developing strains of algae that will excrete lipids that become fuel. i mean, we know that what you can do, you can grow algae in water and -- and sunlight and co2 and get rid of co2 by growing algae and then destroy the algae by harvesting it and creating diesel fuel. dr. venter is looking at ways to produce algae that simply

2:24:57 to 2:25:17( Edit History Discussion )

Byron Dorgan: excretes the lipids, and with little transformation is a fuel. we've got so many things going on that are so i think ten years from now in the rear-view mirror, we will have seen dramatic changes in how we produce energy and how we but i do want to show a map of my state in which we have some

2:25:18 to 2:25:39( Edit History Discussion )

Byron Dorgan: projects that are extraordinary. this western half has substantial oil development. the largest discovery of -- of oil that is achievable using today's technology that's ever been discovered in the lower 48 states. 4.3 billion barrels of oil on this side of my state. we also have a substantial

2:25:40 to 2:26:00( Edit History Discussion )

Byron Dorgan: amount of coal, lignite coal, and we are -- we have the largest example, the largest commercial working example of co2 sequestration by capturing co2 from you a synthetic gas plant, putting in a pipeline and send it up to saskatchewan where they invest it in oil recovery deep into the ground and it improves the productivity of the

2:26:01 to 2:26:23( Edit History Discussion )

Byron Dorgan: oil wells in saskatchewan. so we actually capture the co2 from a plant that is processing coal into synthetic gas, ship it up to canada, sell it, as a matter of fact, and then it is deposited underground in enhanced oil recovery processes. that is, in my judgment, that's a very exciting thing. now, mr. president, here are

2:26:24 to 2:26:44( Edit History Discussion )

Byron Dorgan: fuels that we use. 48% of our fuel is now coal. nuclear is than that. natural gas, significant. hydroelectric and other renewables. so my point is we're not going to have a future without using coal. the question is, how do we use it?

2:26:45 to 2:27:06( Edit History Discussion )

Byron Dorgan: and i believe that the substantial investment in technology that will allow us to do zero-emission coal-fired plants -- and i believe we can do that -- capturing carbon and protecting our environment, i believe all of that is possible. even as we maximize the use of renewables -- wind, solar, biomass and more -- and move towards an electric drive

2:27:07 to 2:27:27( Edit History Discussion )

Byron Dorgan: transportation system and then continue to invest in a longer-term hide again fuel cell cell -- hydrogen fuel cell system. all of these things are what we can and should do. but the energy bill we passed out of the energy committee is a giant step of all the policy things we would do, maximizing renewables, building efficiency, all of the things that you would

2:27:28 to 2:27:48( Edit History Discussion )

Byron Dorgan: do to reduce car bofnlt and i think what we ought to do is bring that to the flo, have a debate, get it to the president, sign it, which is a giant step in the direction of climate change, and following that, bring the climate change bill to the floor and then address the issue of targets and timetables about what is achievable and what are our goals for protecting this country. some have heard me speak about this and say, well, he doesn't

2:27:49 to 2:28:11( Edit History Discussion )

Byron Dorgan: support any sort of climate change legislation. what i have said is i don't support cap-and-trade with quotes around trade i have said i don't support at this point providing a $1 trillion carbon securities market to wall street so the speculators and the investment banks can tradearbon securities tomorrow and tell us what our price of energy's going to be for us the next day.

2:28:12 to 2:28:32( Edit History Discussion )

Byron Dorgan: i have precious little faith in -- in those same people, by the way, who ran up the price of oil last year to $147 a barrel in day trading demand was down and supply was up. so, no, i don't support that trade side, using that mechanism, but i do support developing climate change legislation that has appropriate targets and timetables, that

2:28:33 to 2:28:53( Edit History Discussion )

Byron Dorgan: reduces our carbon output. we can do that. we will do that. i think there's generally consensus we should do that. all i'm saying is this, what we ought to do is bring to the floor the piece of legislation that w maximizing renewables, building the transmission capability, creating the building that's the lowest hanging fruit

2:28:54 to 2:29:14( Edit History Discussion )

Byron Dorgan: in energy, the lowest hanging fruit by far that costs the sles to retrofit -- less is to retrofit america's buildings. we do all of that in the energy bill that's now been waiting for some mons. and i -- i have talked to the majority leader, who has been a terrific advocate for the sound and thoughtful energy policies. i've talked to the president directly about this. it is not that i don't want to

2:29:15 to 2:29:36( Edit History Discussion )

Byron Dorgan: do climate change, and i know my colleagues are working hard on it, it is the fact that i want to make progress in policy. and the progress in policy first to maximize energy, maximize efficiency, do all those things that can change our -- our fuel mix, develop a lower carbon future, do that, put that in law -- because we've done that work in the energy committee --

2:29:37 to 2:29:57( Edit History Discussion )

Byron Dorgan: and then bring a climate change bill to the floor that i know is controversial but that we can work on developing targets and timetables for that lower carbo future. this i think is sometng that we should do and i think we can do, and i think it would, in my judgment, be the best fit for this country's future energy policy and for the policy that is necessary to lower the future

2:29:58 to 2:30:00( Edit History Discussion )

Byron Dorgan: co2 emissions into theirshed and protect the environment of