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SENATE RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, Fossil fuels, including coal, natural gas, and |
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oil, currently meet more than three quarters of primary global |
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energy demand around the world and in the United States; and |
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WHEREAS, According to the International Energy Agency, |
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under current energy and environmental policies, fossil fuels |
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will continue to play a role of this magnitude for the next |
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quarter century or more; even assuming global adoption of |
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policies consistent with the agency's "climate-stabilizing" 450 |
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Scenario, more than half of total worldwide and United States |
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energy demand would still be met by fossil fuels in 2040; and |
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WHEREAS, The United States Department of Energy has |
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reported that "carbon capture, utilization, and storage |
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technologies provide a key pathway to address the urgent United |
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States and global need for affordable, secure, resilient, and |
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reliable sources of clean energy"; environmental advocates who |
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recognize the value and enduring role of fossil fuels as an |
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essential source of energy have come to support the accelerated |
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development and broad deployment of carbon capture technologies |
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for fossil fuels as part of a sustainable energy future; |
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similarly, fossil energy advocates who have recognized the role |
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carbon capture can play in creating new opportunities support the |
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development and deployment of carbon capture technologies for |
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fossil fuels; and |
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WHEREAS, The United States and Texas have abundant |
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supplies of fossil energy, the production and use of which |
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provide important economic, energy, and national security |
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benefits to our nation and our state; Texas is the nation's |
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largest producer of natural gas, oil, lignite coal, and fossil |
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fuels in total, and it has the nation's largest proved reserves |
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of both natural gas and oil, as well as the ninth-largest |
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recoverable reserves of coal; it is the nation's largest consumer |
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of coal for electricity generation and the largest consumer of |
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natural gas for both electricity generation and industrial use; |
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77 percent of the electricity generated in Texas is produced from |
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the use of fossil fuels; and |
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WHEREAS, Reliable and affordable electricity is vital to |
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economic growth and job creation and to the well-being of all |
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citizens; according to the United States Department of Energy, "A |
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diverse portfolio of energy resources is critical to U.S. energy |
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and national policy . . . being more robust and resilient in |
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comparison to a system that is heavily dependent on a limited set |
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of energy resources . . . [and] helps insulate the economy from |
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certain risks, including price volatility and risks from supply |
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disruptions"; and |
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WHEREAS, Texas is a leader in the research and development |
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of technologies that provide clean, safe, and reliable power |
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generation, and it is committed to continued research and |
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development of carbon reduction strategies for fossil fuels, |
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including existing and emerging carbon capture, utilization, and |
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storage technologies such as geological sequestration, mineral |
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carbonation, and the beneficial use of captured carbon dioxide; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, In Texas, many academic, private, and |
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governmental initiatives and institutions are engaged in efforts |
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to address the environmental, health, and economic impacts of |
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energy production and use through collaborations on applied CO2 |
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research, practical applications, workforce development, and |
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public education; among them are the Petra Nova Project at the W. |
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A. Parish Electric Generating Station in Fort Bend County, the |
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Texas Clean Energy Project in Ector County, the NET Power project |
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in Harris County, the Energy and Environment Initiative at Rice |
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University, the Texas Carbon Management Program, and the Gulf |
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Coast Carbon Center at The University of Texas at Austin; and |
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WHEREAS, Legislation was introduced in the 114th United |
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States Congress to enhance and extend current federal tax |
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incentives, under Section 45Q of the Internal Revenue Code, that |
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sustain and promote such collaborations and encourage private |
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industry in energy generation, manufacturing, and agriculture to |
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adopt and deploy existing and emerging technologies that |
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increase carbon capture, utilization, and storage; environmental |
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and energy advocates have come together in support of this |
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legislation in a groundbreaking coalition of environmental |
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advocacy groups, labor unions, and energy producers from the |
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coal, oil and gas, ethanol, and algae-biomass industries; |
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moreover, the legislation has received strong bipartisan support |
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in both the United States Senate and the United States House of |
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Representatives; and |
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WHEREAS, Congress and the president are also currently |
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considering a large-scale federal infrastructure initiative to |
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strengthen our nation's transportation, public works, and energy |
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infrastructure, which could also serve as a vehicle for advancing |
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"jobs-ready" carbon capture projects; the United States |
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Department of Energy has determined that "a combination of tax |
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incentives and research, development, demonstration, and |
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deployment (RDD&D) will be critical to developing |
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transformational carbon capture technologies and to driving down |
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the costs of capture"; and |
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WHEREAS, The Lone Star State has long been committed to a |
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forward-looking energy strategy that maximizes both |
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environmental quality and economic opportunity; now, therefore, |
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be it |
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RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 85th |
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Legislature, hereby respectfully urge the Congress of the United |
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States to enact legislation to expand and extend the current |
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federal tax credit for carbon capture, utilization, and storage |
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under Section 45Q of the Internal Revenue Code; and, be it |
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further |
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RESOLVED, That the Texas Senate respectfully urge Congress |
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to provide appropriations to the United States Department of |
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Energy sufficient to achieve and sustain a robust carbon capture |
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research, development, demonstration, and deployment program and |
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to support the inclusion of economically and environmentally |
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beneficial carbon capture projects in any forthcoming federal |
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infrastructure initiative; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the Texas Senate respectfully urge Congress |
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to support policies to increase the operational efficiency, and |
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thereby the environmental performance, of existing |
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electric-generating units and to support the preservation of a |
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fuel-diverse electric generation portfolio critical to our |
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domestic economic, energy, and national security; and, be it |
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further |
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RESOLVED, That the secretary of the senate forward |
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official copies of this resolution to the president of the United |
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States, to the president of the Senate and the speaker of the |
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House of Representatives of the United States Congress, and to |
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all the members of the Texas delegation to Congress with the |
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request that this resolution be entered in the Congressional |
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Record as a memorial to the Congress of the United States of |
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America. |
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_______________________________ |
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President of the Senate |
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I hereby certify that the |
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above Resolution was adopted by |
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the Senate on May 23, 2017, by the |
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following vote: Yeas 29, Nays 2. |
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_______________________________ |
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Secretary of the Senate |