By: Seliger  S.R. No. 712          (In the Senate - Filed May 2, 2017; May 3, 2017, read first   time and referred to Committee on Business & Commerce;   May 21, 2017, reported favorably by the following vote:  Yeas 8,   Nays 0; May 21, 2017, sent to printer.)Click here to see the committee vote     SENATE RESOLUTION     WHEREAS, Fossil fuels, including coal, natural gas, and oil,   currently meet more than three quarters of primary global energy   demand around the world and in the United States; and          WHEREAS, According to the International Energy Agency, under   current energy and environmental policies, fossil fuels will   continue to play a role of this magnitude for the next quarter   century or more; even assuming global adoption of policies   consistent with the agency's "climate-stabilizing" 450 Scenario,   more than half of total worldwide and United States energy demand   would still be met by fossil fuels in 2040; and          WHEREAS, The United States Department of Energy has reported   that "carbon capture, utilization, and storage technologies   provide a key pathway to address the urgent United States and global   need for affordable, secure, resilient, and reliable sources of   clean energy"; environmental advocates who recognize the value and   enduring role of fossil fuels as an essential source of energy have   come to support the accelerated development and broad deployment of   carbon capture technologies for fossil fuels as part of a   sustainable energy future; similarly, fossil energy advocates who   have recognized the role carbon capture can play in creating new   opportunities support the development and deployment of carbon   capture technologies for fossil fuels; and          WHEREAS, The United States and Texas have abundant supplies   of fossil energy, the production and use of which provide important   economic, energy, and national security benefits to our nation and   our state; Texas is the nation's largest producer of natural gas,   oil, lignite coal, and fossil fuels in total, and it has the   nation's largest proved reserves of both natural gas and oil, as   well as the ninth-largest recoverable reserves of coal; it is the   nation's largest consumer of coal for electricity generation and   the largest consumer of natural gas for both electricity generation   and industrial use; 77 percent of the electricity generated in   Texas is produced from the use of fossil fuels; and          WHEREAS, Reliable and affordable electricity is vital to   economic growth and job creation and to the well-being of all   citizens; according to the United States Department of Energy, "A   diverse portfolio of energy resources is critical to U.S. energy   and national policy . . . being more robust and resilient in   comparison to a system that is heavily dependent on a limited set of   energy resources . . . [and] helps insulate the economy from   certain risks, including price volatility and risks from supply   disruptions"; and          WHEREAS, Texas is a leader in the research and development of   technologies that provide clean, safe, and reliable power   generation, and it is committed to continued research and   development of carbon reduction strategies for fossil fuels,   including existing and emerging carbon capture, utilization, and   storage technologies such as geological sequestration, mineral   carbonation, and the beneficial use of captured carbon dioxide; and          WHEREAS, In Texas, many academic, private, and governmental   initiatives and institutions are engaged in efforts to address the   environmental, health, and economic impacts of energy production   and use through collaborations on applied CO2 research, practical   applications, workforce development, and public education; among   them are the Petra Nova Project at the W. A. Parish Electric   Generating Station in Fort Bend County, the Texas Clean Energy   Project in Ector County, the NET Power project in Harris County, the   Energy and Environment Initiative at Rice University, the Texas   Carbon Management Program, and the Gulf Coast Carbon Center at The   University of Texas at Austin; and          WHEREAS, Legislation was introduced in the 114th United   States Congress to enhance and extend current federal tax   incentives, under Section 45Q of the Internal Revenue Code, that   sustain and promote such collaborations and encourage private   industry in energy generation, manufacturing, and agriculture to   adopt and deploy existing and emerging technologies that increase   carbon capture, utilization, and storage; environmental and energy   advocates have come together in support of this legislation in a   groundbreaking coalition of environmental advocacy groups, labor   unions, and energy producers from the coal, oil and gas, ethanol,   and algae-biomass industries; moreover, the legislation has   received strong bipartisan support in both the United States Senate   and the United States House of Representatives; and          WHEREAS, Congress and the president are also currently   considering a large-scale federal infrastructure initiative to   strengthen our nation's transportation, public works, and energy   infrastructure, which could also serve as a vehicle for advancing   "jobs-ready" carbon capture projects; the United States Department   of Energy has determined that "a combination of tax incentives and   research, development, demonstration, and deployment (RDD&D) will   be critical to developing transformational carbon capture   technologies and to driving down the costs of capture"; and          WHEREAS, The Lone Star State has long been committed to a   forward-looking energy strategy that maximizes both environmental   quality and economic opportunity; now, therefore, be it          RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 85th   Legislature, hereby respectfully urge the Congress of the United   States to enact legislation to expand and extend the current   federal tax credit for carbon capture, utilization, and storage   under Section 45Q of the Internal Revenue Code; and, be it further          RESOLVED, That the Texas Senate respectfully urge Congress to   provide appropriations to the United States Department of Energy   sufficient to achieve and sustain a robust carbon capture research,   development, demonstration, and deployment program and to support   the inclusion of economically and environmentally beneficial   carbon capture projects in any forthcoming federal infrastructure   initiative; and, be it further          RESOLVED, That the Texas Senate respectfully urge Congress to   support policies to increase the operational efficiency, and   thereby the environmental performance, of existing   electric-generating units and to support the preservation of a   fuel-diverse electric generation portfolio critical to our   domestic economic, energy, and national security; and, be it   further          RESOLVED, That the secretary of the senate forward official   copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to   the president of the Senate and the speaker of the House of   Representatives of the United States Congress, and to all the   members of the Texas delegation to Congress with the request that   this resolution be entered in the Congressional Record as a   memorial to the Congress of the United States of America.     * * * * *