By: Seliger S.R. No. 712       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.             _______________________________          President of the Senate                I hereby certify that the     above Resolution was adopted by     the Senate on May 23, 2017, by the   following vote:  Yeas 29, Nays 2.                 _______________________________          Secretary of the Senate