Today, Congressman Michael C. Burgess (TX-26) voted in favor of a national energy policy. The conference report on H.R. 6, The Energy Policy Act of 2005 passed the House of Representatives by a bipartisan vote of 275-156. Congress has been working on legislation that would put such a policy in place since 2001, and it was ranked as a high priority for the 109th Congress. Both the House and Senate passed their respective versions of the bill earlier in the year, before conferring and bringing the final version for a vote today.

From a national perspective, the bill decreases American’s dangerous dependence on foreign oil by increasing domestic exploration and development on non-park federal lands and by authorizing expansion of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to 1 billion barrels.

“With our ever-increasing dependence on foreign oil, I knew it was vital to our national security, and our economy, to make the United States self-sufficient when it comes to our energy needs,” stated Rep. Michael C. Burgess. “The time has come that we completely revamp our system and focus on a national policy that will benefit all Americans.”

The Energy Act of 2005 is of particular interest to North Texas because it 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.

The Act also helps the State of Texas by preserving ERCOT’s (Electricity Reliability Council of Texas) exemption from Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) regulation allowing this authority to continue to reside at the state level with the Public Utility Commission.

“In Texas, we are fortunate that the grid operation and reliability is managed by ERCOT,” stated Rep. Michael Burgess. “ERCOT has put tough, enforceable reliability standards in place which have ensured that Texans have ample access to electricity,” stated Burgess.

An amendment penned by Congressman Michael Burgess is included in the final conference bill. The amendment will increase the domestic supply of natural gas, “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,” explained Rep. Burgess. “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 addition, the energy bill requires that dual gasoline-alternative fuel federal fleet vehicles are operated using the alternative fuel system and encourages the hybrid retrofit and conversion of conventional vehicle engines. Congressman Burgess, a proud owner of a Toyota Prius is a strong supporter of hybrid vehicles. This year's energy bill also strongly supports President Bush's hydrogen initiative.

While the conference report enhances production from traditional energy sources, it also encourages the use of clean-coal, wind and other renewable while promoting energy efficiency.
Several energy efficiency groups have praised the provisions in the energy conference report. The Alliance to Save Energy estimates those provisions would shave between 10 and 40 percent off the anticipated growth of energy demand by 2015, and the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy predicts that conservation measures will save 50,000 megawatts (MW) of peak electricity demand by 2020. That is the equivalent of 170 300-MW power plants.

One key conservation component included in the bill is the emissions reduction technology grant program, which will help reduce the amount of air pollution emitted from trucks and trains when idling. Mobile source emissions - cars, trucks and trains - are the source of much of the air pollution in the Metroplex. Additionally, the program provides incentives for truck stop electrification allowing heavy duty trucks to “plug-in” at a rest stop to operate air conditioners and other devices rather than leave the engine running.

“In addition to the thousands of cars and trucks on our roads, there is significant railroad traffic through Tower 55 in Fort Worth and the Alliance Corridor in Denton and Tarrant Counties,” noted Congressman Michael Burgess. “This emissions reduction provision will help to clean up our air in North Texas,” said Rep. Michael Burgess.

The Act increases funding for the Department of Energy’s “Clean Cities” program, which provides grants to state and local governments to acquire alternative fueled and fuel cell vehicles, hybrids and ultra-low sulfur diesel vehicles. This will assist localities reduce emissions from automobiles and comply with the Clean Air Act requirements.

“The bill was a longtime in the making, but well worth the wait,” stated Congressman Michael Burgess. “This is a win-win for my constituents.”