In this issue:
HOUSE PASSES BIPARTISAN LEGISLATION TO SUPPORT HYDROPOWER PROJECTS
On July 9th, the U.S. House of Representatives approved H.R. 5892, the "Hydropower Regulatory Efficiency Act." The legislation passed the House with unanimous support (372-0). Representatives Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Diana DeGette (D-CO) introduced the legislation to help facilitate the development of new hydropower projects across the country.
The legislation will reduce Federal Energy Regulatory Commission oversight for hydropower projects of less than 5,000 kilowatts, and provide some regulatory relief for plants of up to 10,000 kilowatts of capacity. Hydropower currently accounts for nearly eight percent of America’s electricity generation portfolio, and roughly 70 percent of current non-federal hydropower providers have a capacity of less than 5,000 kilowatts.
House Energy and Commerce Committee estimates project that new hydropower development projects could produce up to 60,000 MW of new hydropower capacity and create over 700,000 jobs by 2025. "Hydropower is an important component of our all-of-the-above energy strategy: it creates jobs and helps power our homes and businesses," said House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI). "I applaud my colleagues on both sides of the aisle on their efforts to cut through the red tape in order to get more of these projects up and running."
To review the bill, go to: http://thomas.loc.gov, and search by bill number. Similar bipartisan legislation has been pending in the Senate since March 2011. To read a summary of that legislation, visit: http://www.energy.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/republican-news?ID=2b889337-9dc2-4906-b97a-6643d846a466
Paul Fakes covers public policy-related energy issues for ASME. He can be reached at fakesp@asme.org
HOUSE SCIENCE COMMITTEE HIGHLIGHTS NASA DERIVED TECHNOLOGIES
The House Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics held a hearing last week entitled, "Spurring Economic Growth and Competitiveness through NASA Derived Technologies," which explored the direct economic and societal benefits of federal investments in space exploration and strategies to promote further commercial development of NASA-derived technologies. Witnesses included NASA’s Chief Technologist, Dr. Mason Peck, as well as representatives from some of NASA’s commercial partners, such as Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, Zephyr Technology, and Moog Inc.
Subcommittee Chairman Steven M. Palazzo (R-MS) opened the hearing by noting the need to educate the public at large about the benefits of space exploration, "In the public media, discussions of NASA’s general contributions to society are often distilled down to Tang and Teflon. Yet, NASA-derived technologies have paved the way for innovative advances in the medical field, environmental stewardship, and public safety. Today’s hearing will only skim the surface in highlighting the direct economic and societal benefits investment in NASA has generated. Since 1976, NASA has documented well over 1,700 successful examples of technology transfer and commercialization. But despite decades of demonstrated success, NASA’s budget has remained essentially flat even as other R&D agencies are seeing increases. Investment in NASA’s technology transfer activities, however, has seen a drastic decline in recent years."
In addition to highlighting technological advances brought by space exploration, the hearing also examined the strategies and programs NASA uses to disseminate technology into the private sector, and explored the challenges the private sector has in working with NASA to more quickly transition ideas into new products.
Dr. Richard Aubrecht, Vice President of Moog Inc. said, "Congress should insist NASA have clear statements of objectives to be accomplished with target dates. The model of NASA investing in really hard problems and challenging American companies has enabled the development of many core, pre-competitive technologies. This model is an example of where a federal investment in technology development has an enormous impact on the overall economy."
An archived webcast of the hearing and links to full witness testimony are available at: http://science.house.gov/hearing/subcommittee-space-and-aeronautics-hearing-spurring-economic-growth-and-competitiveness
Paul Fakes covers public policy-related research and development issues for ASME. He can be reached at fakesp@asme.org
ALLISON M. MACFARLANE BECOMES 15TH NRC CHAIRMAN
Dr. Allison M. Macfarlane, designated by President Obama as Chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, was sworn in on July 9th as the 15th person chosen to lead the agency charged with regulating the civilian use of nuclear materials. She will serve a term ending June 30, 2013.
"This is a singular honor. I am grateful to the President for nominating me and to the Senate for confirming my selection," said Macfarlane after a small private ceremony attended by the agency’s other commissioners and several senior NRC staff. "The agency faces multiple challenges. I look forward to working collegially with my fellow commissioners and the excellent, dedicated staff at the NRC to address these issues," added Macfarlane.
Macfarlane, 48, holds a doctorate in geology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Most recently she was an associate professor of environmental science and policy at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va. She has held fellowships at Radcliffe College, MIT, and Stanford and Harvard Universities. From 1998-2000, she was a Social Science Research Fellow-MacArthur Foundation Fellow in International Peace and Security. She has served on National Academy of Sciences panels on nuclear energy and nuclear weapons issues.
From 2010 to 2012, she served on the Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future, created by the Administration to make recommendations about a national strategy for dealing with the nation’s high level nuclear waste. Her research has focused on environmental policy and international security issues associated with nuclear energy, especially the back-end of the nuclear fuel cycle. In 2006, MIT Press published a book she co-edited, Uncertainty Underground: Yucca Mountain and the Nation’s High-Level Nuclear Waste, which explored technical issues at the proposed waste disposal facility at Yucca Mountain, NV. Macfarlane is the third woman to serve as chair of the commission, the 33rd member to serve on the panel, and the only individual with a background in geology to serve on the commission.
Macfarlane has chosen Phillip Niedzielski-Eichner, currently Assistant Deputy Undersecretary of Energy for Counterterrorism and Counterproliferation, to serve as her chief of staff beginning July 23rd. He was recently chosen by Energy Secretary Steven Chu to lead an internal working group to formulate a strategy for storing and disposing of nuclear waste from the country’s 104 nuclear reactors.
Additional information about Chairman Macfarlane’s confirmation is available at: http://public-blog.nrc-gateway.gov/
Paul Fakes covers public policy-related energy issues for ASME. He can be reached at fakesp@asme.org
ENERGY-WATER NEXXUS POSITION STATEMENT RELEASED
In late June, the ASME Board on Government Relations and the ASME Center for Research and Technology released a position statement on the energy-water nexus.
In the paper, the two ASME entities, "recommend the development of a national policy that addresses the interdependencies of reliable sources and efficient uses of energy and water. As worldwide demand for both energy and water continues to increase, policies are needed that consider the interdependencies of these critical resources. Trends in energy and water supplies indicate that threats and concerns to energy production as well as quantity and quality of water within the U.S. could reach a crisis situation within the next 10-15 years. The energy-water-nexus represents a strategic issue for maintaining as well as improving the quality of life in the U.S. and around the globe. Energy is used to treat drinking water, filter and decontaminate wastewater, heat and cool our homes and office buildings, heat up materials for manufacturers and generate steam within power plants."
The statement also points out that, "Innovation in the energy sector for adapting to water resource constraints and growing energy demands will be crucial to the U.S. Thermoelectric power plants (facilities that use heat to generate power) require varying amounts of water and are the largest users of water, defined by fresh water withdrawals from water resources in the U.S. The challenge is to continue to provide enough energy for growing populations, while also conserving water. Creative policies, with buy-in from all stakeholders, are needed for reduced water usage solutions, without disruptions in energy delivery or service."
To review the full statement, please visit: http://www.asme.org/about-asme/advocacy-government-relations/position-statements
Paul Fakes covers public policy-related energy issues for ASME. He can be reached at fakesp@asme.org
EIA REPORT: COAL- AND NATURAL GAS-FIRED POWER GENERATION EQUAL IN APRIL 2012 FOR FIRST TIME
Recently published electric power data show that, for the first time since the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) began collecting the data, generation from natural gas-fired plants is virtually equal to generation from coal-fired plants, with each fuel providing 32 percent of total U.S. electric power generation. In April 2012, preliminary data show net electric generation from natural gas was 95.9 million megawatthours (MWH), only slightly below generation from coal, at 96.0 million MWH.
The 2011 and 2012 data are preliminary and are subject to change (final 2011 data will be released this fall, and 2012 data will be revised at that time). Preliminary data are derived from a survey of a sample of large power plants, and final data come from a census of all power plants. For 2010, the difference between preliminary and final net generation data from all sources was 0.1 percent.
In addition, there are strong seasonal trends in the overall demand for electric power. In April 2012, demand was low due to the mild spring weather. Also in April, natural gas prices as delivered to power plants were at a ten-year low. With warmer summer weather and increased electric demand for air conditioning, demand will increase, requiring increased output from both coal- and natural gas-fired generators.
For additional information, refer to: http://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.cfm?id=6990#
Paul Fakes covers public policy-related energy issues for ASME. He can be reached at fakesp@asme.org
NSF LAUNCHES VIDEO SERIES HIGHLIGHTING TOP OLYMPIC ATHLETES AND THE TECHNOLOGY THAT EFFECTS THEIR GAMES
For the London 2012 Olympic Games, the National Science Foundation (NSF), NBC Learn (the educational arm of NBC News) and NBC Olympics, a division of the NBC Sports Group, are launching a series of ten videos highlighting the engineering that is part of the Olympics, as told by top athletes and engineers. "Science of the Summer Olympics," the fourth and latest installment in the "Science of Sports" franchise, explores the science, engineering and technology that are helping athletes maximize their performance at the 2012 London Games. "The work of engineers not only affects Olympic sports, it also helps us perform ordinary activities in better ways," said Thomas Peterson, NSF assistant director for engineering. "This series will illustrate how engineers can impact both sports and society, and we hope it will inspire young people to pursue engineering."
Each segment features a top athlete sharing his or her sports experiences, paired with perspectives from leading engineers about the technologies that aid the athletes or the mechanics that explain their craft. Some examples include: using the principles of fluid dynamics to explain how swimmers move more quickly through the water and explaining the unique biomechanics that help sprinters become faster. The segments feature some of the world's top athletes and record holders, including: Missy Franklin, swimmer; Queen Underwood, boxer; Sarah Robles, weightlifter; Jenny Simpson, runner; Oscar Pistorius, runner; Usain Bolt, runner; and, Bryan Clay, decathlete.
Each segment also features engineers from some of the world's top universities and institutions, including ASME Fellow Timothy Wei, University of Nebraska-Lincoln; ASME members Rory Cooper, University of Pittsburgh and 1988 Paralympics bronze medalist; Nikhil Gupta, NYU-Poly; Samuel Hamner, Stanford University; and Cris Pavloff, Advanced Technology Engineer for BMW.
The videos can be found at: http://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/summer_olympics/index.jsp
Paul Fakes covers public policy-related research and development issues for ASME. He can be reached at fakesp@asme.org
THE ARTICLES CONTAINED IN CAPITOL UPDATE ARE NOT POSITIONS OF ASME OR ANY OF ITS SUB-ENTITIES, UNLESS SPECIFICALLY NOTED AS SUCH. THIS PUBLICATION IS DESIGNED TO INFORM ASME MEMBERS ABOUT ISSUES OF CONCERN BEING DEBATED AND DISCUSSED IN THE HALLS OF CONGRESS, IN THE STATES, AND IN THE FEDERAL AGENCIES.
EDITOR: ASME Government Relations, 1828 L Street, NW, Suite 810, Washington, DC 20036-5104.