Last night, U.S. Reps. Joe Barton (R-Ennis) and Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-Flower Mound) voted in favor of a successful measure in the House Energy and Commerce Committee to send the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to the House floor for a vote next week. The legislation is a balanced and bipartisan bill that seeks to lower energy prices for consumers, spur the economy and create hundreds of thousands of new jobs, and take unprecedented steps to promote greater energy conservation and efficiency.

Barton, who chairs the committee, has been among the staunchest supporters of a comprehensive energy bill in Congress. “I am very proud of the bill that our committee produced,” Barton said. “It will provide an energy policy for the American people to lower our gas prices, promote a cleaner environment, increase our nation’s electric power capacity, and provide leadership in conserving energy.”

Rep. Burgess highlighted a part of the bill that is of particular interest to North Texas which ensures that energy production in the Barnett Shale, an unconventional natural gas source in the North Texas region, can continue to provide natural gas for Texas and the nation.

Burgess also offered an amendment about increasing the supply of natural gas, which the committee passed. “My amendment would authorize a study to identify and quantify low pressure/low volume natural gas resources and develop incentives to keep them in production,” he stated. “As natural gas demand continues to rise faster than natural gas supply, I believe that that maximizing production from low-pressure gas is an efficient, environmentally friendly way to increase our domestic natural gas supply.”

“In Texas, we are fortunate that the grid operation and reliability is managed by ERCOT, the Electricity Reliability Council of Texas. ERCOT has put tough, enforceable reliability standards in place which has ensured that Texans have ample access to electricity,” stated Burgess in discussing another impact that the bill will have on Texas.

The energy bill preserves ERCOT's exemption from Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) regulation and ensures that regulation of ERCOT continues to reside with the Public Utility Commission of Texas.

The energy bill requires that dual gasoline-alternative fuel vehicles are operated using the alternative fuel and encourages the hybrid retrofit and conversion of conventional vehicle engines. This year's energy bill doubles the authorization amount over last year's conference report for the hydrogen program to $1 billion in 2010.

“I’m particularly proud of one provision which would authorize two new ‘Clean School Bus’ programs,” Barton said. “The programs would provide $100 million to retrofit existing diesel buses with new pollution control technology and authorize $200 million in grants for replacement of older school buses with clean alternative fueled and ultra low sulfur fueled buses. Last year? in Waxahachie, I personally worked with the school district to retrofit several of their school buses, and the program has been a phenomenal success,” Barton added.

“I strongly support tax incentives for the purchase of hybrid and alternative fuel vehicles,” remarked Burgess, who is the owner of a Toyota Prius Hybrid car.
“Energy means opportunity because it means economic growth and jobs for working people. It means food on their tables, clothes on their backs, and college for their kids. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 will launch more jobs as we promote innovation, new conservation requirements, and new domestic energy sources,” Barton said. “I am looking forward to working with Congressman Burgess and our colleagues to pass the bill through Congress and sending it to President Bush to be signed into law this year.”