Statement
of U.S. Senator Russ Feingold
On the Energy and Technology Advancement Act of 2008
September 11, 2008
Mr. President, today I am introducing the Energy and Technology Advancement (ETA) Act of 2008. At its heart, this bill will increase partnerships between the federal government and businesses to help spur the commercialization of energy, forestry, and other technologies—in other words, to increase the “ETA,” or estimated time of arrival, for bringing new technologies to market.
This bill is among the bills I have introduced this week as part of my E4 Initiative, dubbed E4 because of its focus on Economy, Employment, Education, and Energy.
Particularly in the area of energy, we must do more to make new energy solutions, like next generation biofuels, a reality. My bill will help make the federal government a better business partner for the many businesses that are researching and developing innovative technology solutions our country needs. We are squandering the federal investment of billions into research and development by not doing enough to prevent new technologies from sitting on the shelf or being shipped to another country. Helping these new energy technologies get off the ground is not only a promising way to develop the next generation of energy technology that will help break our addition to oil, it will also help to spur job creation and enhance rural development.
One obstacle identified by the Forest Service’s Wisconsin-based Forest Products Lab which conducts forestry and energy technology research with businesses and others, is lack of federal support for moving technologies from the research and development phase to commercialization. My bill will bridge this gap by authorizing the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which includes the Forest Service, to work with businesses and provide access to resources to assist with getting technologies to market.
By encouraging the USDA to act as a “business incubator,” we can increase the rate of success and reduce the length of time for bringing technologies to the market. By providing a bridge to move new technologies beyond the research and development phase to commercialization, the federal government will accelerate the development of new technologies and create increased opportunities for small businesses, local and state government, and others.
All energy, forestry, and other technologies will benefit from my ETA Act because it will help new technologies come to the market. It does so by promoting the federal government as a better business incubator, encouraging the USDA to provide business support services, and authorizing USDA employees and private-sector employees to work together in federal or private experimental or product facilities. My bill will also increase cooperation between the federal government and innovative businesses by encouraging the USDA to allow rental of federal equipment and property for the development of new technology. The cost of the legislation is fully offset so as to not increase the federal deficit.
Lastly, a specific partnership encouraged by my Energy and Technology Advancement Act will spur the commercialization of biofuels. My bill requires the USDA to pursue a biorefinery pilot plant that will allow businesses to partner with the federal government to test various biofuels technologies derived from a variety of feedstocks, including woody and agriculture waste.
Certainly one of today’s greatest challenges—energy—is also one of tomorrow’s greatest opportunities. Today, the transportation sector accounts for 70% of our oil consumption. However, there are promising efforts to significantly lessen our dependence on oil by reducing fuel consumption through increased efficiency and by aggressively pursuing renewable fuels, or biofuels. The commercialization of biofuels will also create job opportunities, support rural development and industries such as forestry, and develop the next generation of fuels that are sustainable and from diverse sources.
I ask unanimous consent that a copy of the bill be included in the record.