85R24994 BPG-D     By: Craddick H.R. No. 1833       R E S O L U T I O N          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 IEA's "climate-stabilizing" 450 Scenario, more   than half of total worldwide and U.S. energy demand would still be   met by fossil fuels in 2040; and          WHEREAS, The U.S. Department of Energy has reported that   "carbon capture, utilization, and storage technologies provide a   key pathway to address the urgent U.S. 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 U.S. 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 CCUS 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 Project, and the Gulf Coast Carbon Center at The   University of Texas at Austin; and          WHEREAS, Legislation was introduced in the 114th U.S.   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 U.S. 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 House of Representatives of the 85th Texas   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 House of Representatives   respectfully urge Congress to provide appropriations to the U.S.   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 House of Representatives   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 chief clerk 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.