Congress Forms Renewable Energy Caucus
Congressman Dan Schaefer (R-CO) established
the House Renewable Energy Caucus for the purpose of being proactive and
disseminating information on, and increasing congressional awareness of,
renewable energy research and development. A bipartisan group, with 51 members
and 14 official supporting organizations to date, it is intended to help
members of Congress stay informed of developments concerning renewable energy,
and serve as a clearinghouse of information.
The Caucus organizers are planning on holding
frequent events, the first of which was a presentation by Charles Gay, the
director of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. The associations that
have endorsed the Caucus include the NHA, American Energy Crop Association,
the American Solar Energy Society, American Wind Energy Association, Biomass
Energy Alliance, the Solar Energy Industries Association, and others. Eight
of the members of the Caucus serve on the House Committee on Science, which
has jurisdiction over all energy research, development, demonstrations,
and federal laboratories.
The House Renewable Energy Caucus will host
the Renewable Energy Expo in Washington, D.C., on April 24, 1996, from 12:00
p.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the House Cannon Building. The expo will feature renewable
energy industry associations showcasing their technologies. The Caucus members
and their staff, potential Caucus members, and the general public are expected
to be in attendance.
The NHA plans to participate in the Renewable
Energy Expo. At NHA’s booth, Dr. Robert Reeves, Professor Emeritus
of the Chemistry Department at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, will give
a demonstration of the hydrogen and fuel cell technologies. We also would
like to feature a hydrogen- or hydrogen-blend-fueled vehicle. This event
presents a great opportunity for NHA members to showcase hydrogen vehicles
on Capital Hill. We would like to have ride-and-drive demonstrations for
the members of congress and their staffs. There is no charge for exhibiting
your vehicle as part of the NHA exhibit. It may interest you to know that
there will be an ethanol vehicle on display.
A large turnout from the press is expected.
The 35-booth capacity has been filled by organizations and companies engaged
in renewable energy activities. The NHA will most likely be the only representative
from the hydrogen community. The presence of one or more hydrogen vehicles
to show the progress of hydrogen would help to build a strong constituency
and raise awareness of its viability, near-term marketability, and practicality.
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