IV 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 153 

Expressing the sense of the Congress regarding the need for a nationwide 

diversified energy portfolio, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 22, 2007 

Mr. GILCHREST (for himself, Mr. CASTLE, Mr. GILLMOR, Mr. MCHUGH, Mr. 

MORAN of Virginia, Mr. BARTLETT of Maryland, Mr. SHAYS, and Mr. 

KIRK) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred 

to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of the Congress regarding the need 

for a nationwide diversified energy portfolio, and for 

other purposes. 

Whereas most studies to date indicate that global oil supplies 

will peak between now and 2040 and that United States 

oil production peaked around 1970 at close to 

10,000,000 barrels per day and has been generally declining ever since, to about 5,000,000 barrels per day in 

2005; 

Whereas, according to the Energy Information Administration, the United States uses approximately 20,800,000 

barrels of oil per day; 


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•HCON 153 IH 

Whereas in 2005 the United States imported 66 percent of 

its oil and petroleum products, and the United States 

economy depends heavily on oil for fuel and for a multitude of uses, including road surfacing and the manufacturing of chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and other consumer 

products; 

Whereas global demand for energy is expected to grow from 

about 80,000,000 barrels per day to 118,000,000 barrels 

per day by 2030, and United States demand for energy 

is projected to grow by more than 20 percent by 2040; 

Whereas currently available, key alternative technologies supply the equivalent of only about 1 percent of United 

States consumption of petroleum products, and the Department of Energy projects that even by 2015, they 

could displace only the equivalent of 4 percent of projected United States annual petroleum product consumption; 

Whereas, according to the Government Accountability Office’s 

report entitled ‘‘Crude Oil: Uncertainty about Future Oil 

Supply Makes It Important to Develop a Strategy for 

Addressing a Peak and Decline in Oil Production’’, hitting peak oil production could cause a worldwide recession; 

Whereas energy efficiency technologies exist to enable homes 

and buildings, vehicles, and appliances to more efficiently 

use energy; a wide range of alternative energy technologies exist, are under development, and may be developed; and these technologies must be rapidly deployed on 

a commercial and broad scale to reduce the negative impact of an imminent peak and sharp decline in oil production; and 


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•HCON 153 IH 

Whereas, absent another market force, the level of effort 

dedicated to overcoming challenges will depend in part on 

sustained high oil prices to encourage sufficient investment in and demand for alternatives: Now, therefore, be 

it 

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 

2 concurring), That— 

3 (1) the Congress and Executive Branch should 

4 aggressively pursue the development and rapid, com5 mercial deployment of a diverse portfolio of new and 

6 existing energy technologies that are most appro7 priate for each region and locale in the United 

8 States, including— 

9 (A) clean coal; 

10 (B) anaerobic digesters and methane; 

11 (C) biofuels, including biodiesel, ethanol, 

12 woody biomass, and municipal waste; 

13 (D) wind; 

14 (E) solar; 

15 (F) ocean energy; 

16 (G) hydrogen fuel cells; 

17 (H) natural gas; and 

18 (I) fusion and fission technologies; 

19 (2) the Congress should pursue development of 

20 policies to promote major energy efficiency initia21 tives, including— 


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•HCON 153 IH 

1 (A) increasing vehicle fuel economy stand2 ards; 

3 (B) the installation and use of energy effi4 cient light bulbs; 

5 (C) the installation of solar panels; 

6 (D) strengthening policy promoting the use 

7 energy efficient appliances; 

8 (E) hybrid vehicles; 

9 (F) the use of public transportation; and 

10 (G) the building and purchase of energy 

11 efficient homes and buildings; 

12 (3) the Congress should pursue policies that 

13 create a sustainable market for the commercial de14 ployment of alternative and energy efficiency tech15 nologies that are most appropriate for nationwide or 

16 regional and local application; and 

17 (4) the Congress, the Executive Branch, and 

18 State and local governments, as well as utilities and 

19 other industry leaders should be actively engaged in 

20 consumer education initiatives surrounding available 

21 approaches to energy diversity and efficiency. 

Æ 


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