Re: [Biofuel] FW: Important, Congress set to gut renewable energy programs
Title: Re: Important, Congress set to gut renewable energy programs Has anyone heard anything more about this? Did NREL get hit hard? Just looking for a follow up, who could I ask? Thanks Gregory I. Ocnos -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of David M. Brockes Sent: Wednesday, November 16, 2005 5:47 PM To: Awea-Windnet; Biofuel; Renewable-Energy Subject: [Biofuel] FW: Important,Congress set to gut renewable energy programs Importance: High Follow-up. David -Original Message- From: Bob Anderson [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wednesday, November 16, 2005 3:32 PM Subject: Re: Important, Congress set to gut renewable energy programs Importance: High Ive just returned from a meeting at NREL (where I am a small contractor). The lab expects a 40% cut in the Wind Powering America program. Bob Anderson On 11/16/05 1:45 PM, Van Jamison [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: FYI - Original Message - From: Patrick Judge mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ; [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wednesday, November 16, 2005 7:50 AM Subject: Fwd: Important, Congress set to gut renewable energy programs Congress to Terminate National Bioenergy Center Congress is getting ready this week to terminate the National Bioenergy Research Center and gut the Wind Research Program at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). NREL researchers who are CRES members sounded the alarm over the weekend after finding out on Friday that many of them may be out of work next month. Here is what I can piece together about what happened last week. On Tuesday the House of Representatives passed the House and Senate Conference Committee markup of the Energy Water and Development Appropriation Bill for 2006. The bill keeps federal funding for renewable energy research level with last year's spending. Unfortunately, it more than doubled the earmarks that take money out of the Wind Energy and Bioenergy Research Programs and direct it elsewhere. Earmarks are when individual representatives direct funding to particular projects in their districts. With passage of the Energy Bill earlier this year, these earmarks have been in the forefront of the news. In fact, the American Solar Energy Society said the Energy Bill was so full of pork barrel spending that ASES did not endorse it. Congressional leaders usually wait until the conference committee is meeting behind closed doors to introduce earmarks. They emerge as part of a much larger bill that is hundreds of pages long. It appears that in this case, the House of Representatives voted on this bill without many of its members having had time to read it. It took NREL staff a couple of days of read through the pile of paper and figure out what it will mean for the research programs. Some of the earmarks were listed together to support state initiatives, and others were buried in different portions of the massive spending bill. This year these added to $62 million in total, more than two thirds of the entire research and development budget for bioenergy. Then the staff had to calculate DOE's contractual obligations to its industry partnerships and the 10% cut that the agency takes from all programs to pay the salaries of its staff. Staff of the National Bioenergy Center, which number more than 90 people, were told Friday afternoon that all that the funding that would be left was sufficient only to cover their severance checks. The National Wind Technology Center is facing similar, severe cutbacks. It seems incredible, but Congress is getting ready to gut the two research programs in renewable energy technologies that have enjoyed the most success and commercial development just at a time when fossil fuel prices are their highest level in history. In the case of creating transportation fuels from biomass, these technologies represent our greatest near-term hope of reducing imports or fossil fuels. The Senate is scheduled to take up the appropriations bill today or tomorrow. Please call Senators Allard and Salazar today and ask them to vote no on the appropriations bill from the Energy and Water Committee. Tell them that renewable energy RD is one of this country's best investments. - Wayne Allard: call the Colorado office at 303-220-7414 or the Washington office at 202-224-5941, or send an email message at: http://allard.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=ContactHome - Ken Salazar: call the Colorado office at 303-455-7600 or the Washington office at 202-224-5852, or send an email message at: http://salazar.senate.gov/contact/email.cfm Russ Doty, CEO New World WindPower LLC PO Box 1734 Billings, MT 59103-1734 406-656-2763 email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] web site: http://www.newworldwindpower.com ___ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel
Re: [Biofuel] FW: Important, Congress set to gut renewable energy programs
It was all over the news here right before Christmas. I haven't heard anything since then -- I think the layoffs were going to start in January though. http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/energy/article/0,2777,DRMN_23914_4328252,00.html http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_3327991 http://www.9news.com/acm_news.aspx?OSGNAME=KUSAIKOBJECTID=48957dfa-0abe-421a-0002-1de4979db745TEMPLATEID=0c76dce6-ac1f-02d8-0047-c589c01ca7bf http://home.hamptonroads.com/stories/story.cfm?story=97438ran=116069 On 1/2/06, Greg Ocnos [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Has anyone heard anything more about this? Did NREL get hit hard? Just looking for a follow up, who could I ask? Thanks Gregory I. Ocnos -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of David M. Brockes Sent: Wednesday, November 16, 2005 5:47 PM To: Awea-Windnet; Biofuel; Renewable-Energy Subject: [Biofuel] FW: Important,Congress set to gut renewable energy programs Importance: High Follow-up. David -Original Message- From: Bob Anderson [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wednesday, November 16, 2005 3:32 PM Subject: Re: Important, Congress set to gut renewable energy programs Importance: High I've just returned from a meeting at NREL (where I am a small contractor). The lab expects a 40% cut in the Wind Powering America program. Bob Anderson On 11/16/05 1:45 PM, Van Jamison [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: FYI - Original Message - From: Patrick Judge mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ; [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wednesday, November 16, 2005 7:50 AM Subject: Fwd: Important, Congress set to gut renewable energy programs Congress to Terminate National Bioenergy Center Congress is getting ready this week to terminate the National Bioenergy Research Center and gut the Wind Research Program at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). NREL researchers who are CRES members sounded the alarm over the weekend after finding out on Friday that many of them may be out of work next month. Here is what I can piece together about what happened last week. On Tuesday the House of Representatives passed the House and Senate Conference Committee markup of the Energy Water and Development Appropriation Bill for 2006. The bill keeps federal funding for renewable energy research level with last year's spending. Unfortunately, it more than doubled the earmarks that take money out of the Wind Energy and Bioenergy Research Programs and direct it elsewhere. Earmarks are when individual representatives direct funding to particular projects in their districts. With passage of the Energy Bill earlier this year, these earmarks have been in the forefront of the news. In fact, the American Solar Energy Society said the Energy Bill was so full of pork barrel spending that ASES did not endorse it. Congressional leaders usually wait until the conference committee is meeting behind closed doors to introduce earmarks. They emerge as part of a much larger bill that is hundreds of pages long. It appears that in this case, the House of Representatives voted on this bill without many of its members having had time to read it. It took NREL staff a couple of days of read through the pile of paper and figure out what it will mean for the research programs. Some of the earmarks were listed together to support state initiatives, and others were buried in different portions of the massive spending bill. This year these added to $62 million in total, more than two thirds of the entire research and development budget for bioenergy. Then the staff had to calculate DOE's contractual obligations to its industry partnerships and the 10% cut that the agency takes from all programs to pay the salaries of its staff. Staff of the National Bioenergy Center, which number more than 90 people, were told Friday afternoon that all that the funding that would be left was sufficient only to cover their severance checks. The National Wind Technology Center is facing similar, severe cutbacks. It seems incredible, but Congress is getting ready to gut the two research programs in renewable energy technologies that have enjoyed the most success and commercial development just at a time when fossil fuel prices are their highest level in history. In the case of creating transportation fuels from biomass, these technologies represent our greatest near-term hope of reducing imports or fossil fuels. The Senate is scheduled to take up the appropriations bill today or tomorrow. Please call Senators Allard and Salazar today and ask them to vote no on the appropriations bill from the Energy and Water Committee. Tell them that renewable energy RD is one of this country's best investments. - Wayne Allard: call the Colorado office at 303-220-7414 or the Washington office at 202
[Biofuel] FW: Important, Congress set to gut renewable energy programs
Title: Re: Important, Congress set to gut renewable energy programs Follow-up. David -Original Message-From: Bob Anderson [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]Sent: Wednesday, November 16, 2005 3:32 PMSubject: Re: Important, Congress set to gut renewable energy programsImportance: HighIve just returned from a meeting at NREL (where I am a small contractor). The lab expects a 40% cut in the Wind Powering America program.Bob AndersonOn 11/16/05 1:45 PM, "Van Jamison" [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: FYI- Original Message - From: Patrick Judge mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ; [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wednesday, November 16, 2005 7:50 AMSubject: Fwd: Important, Congress set to gut renewable energy programsCongress to Terminate National Bioenergy CenterCongress is getting ready this week to terminate the National BioenergyResearch Center and gut the Wind Research Program at the National RenewableEnergy Laboratory (NREL). NREL researchers who are CRES members sounded thealarm over the weekend after finding out on Friday that many of them may beout of work next month.Here is what I can piece together about what happened last week. On Tuesdaythe House of Representatives passed the House and Senate ConferenceCommittee markup of the Energy Water and Development Appropriation Bill for2006. The bill keeps federal funding for renewable energy research levelwith last year's spending.Unfortunately, it more than doubled the earmarks that take money out of theWind Energy and Bioenergy Research Programs and direct it elsewhere.Earmarks are when individual representatives direct funding to particularprojects in their districts. With passage of the Energy Bill earlier thisyear, these earmarks have been in the forefront of the news. In fact, theAmerican Solar Energy Society said the Energy Bill was so full of porkbarrel spending that ASES did not endorse it.Congressional leaders usually wait until the conference committee is meetingbehind closed doors to introduce earmarks. They emerge as part of a muchlarger bill that is hundreds of pages long.It appears that in this case, the House of Representatives voted on thisbill without many ofits members having had time to read it.It took NREL staff a couple of days of read through the pile of paper andfigure out what it will mean for the research programs. Some of the earmarkswere listed together to support state initiatives, and others were buried indifferent portions of the massive spending bill. This year these added to$62 million in total, more than two thirds of the entire "research anddevelopment" budget for bioenergy. Then the staff had to calculate DOE'scontractual obligations to its industry partnerships and the 10% cut thatthe agency takes from all programs to pay the salaries of its staff.Staff of the National Bioenergy Center, which number more than 90 people,were told Friday afternoon that all that the funding that would be left wassufficient only to cover their severance checks. The National WindTechnology Center is facing similar, severe cutbacks. It seems incredible,but Congress is getting ready to gut the two research programs in renewableenergy technologies that have enjoyed the most success and commercialdevelopment just at a time when fossil fuel prices are their highest levelin history. In the case of creating transportation fuels from biomass, thesetechnologies represent our greatest near-term hope ofreducing imports or fossil fuels.The Senate is scheduled to take up the appropriations bill today ortomorrow. Please call Senators Allard and Salazar today and ask them to voteno on the appropriations bill from the Energy and Water Committee. Tell themthat renewable energy RD is one of this country's best investments.- Wayne Allard: call the Colorado office at 303-220-7414 or the Washingtonoffice at 202-224-5941, or send an email message at:http://allard.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=ContactHome- Ken Salazar: call the Colorado office at 303-455-7600 or the Washingtonoffice at 202-224-5852, or send an email message at:http://salazar.senate.gov/contact/email.cfmRuss Doty, CEONew World WindPower LLCPO Box 1734Billings, MT 59103-1734406-656-2763email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]web site: http://www.newworldwindpower.com ___ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
