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