Page images
PDF
EPUB

Mr. DARGUZAS. That's right. I think with the U.S. coal industry there is more in my home State of Illinois, there's more energy in my home State than there is in Saudi Arabia.

Mr. REGULA. Well, and coal resources are just enormous. It's a combustion energy problem.

Okay, well, thank you very much.

Mr. DARGUZAS. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. REGULA. It's quite an education.

[The statement of Mr. Darguzas follows:]

March 7, 1996

Interior Appropriations and Related Agencies

FY 97 Appropriations

The Honorable Ralph Regula

Chairman

Subcommittee on Interior and Related Agencies

Committee on Appropriations

United States House of Representatives

B0308 Rayburn House Office Building

Washington, D.C. 20515

U.S. Department of Energy

Fossil Energy Programs

Coal Research and Development

Advanced Clean/Efficient Power Systems

Advanced Pulverized Coal-Fired Power Plant

Low Emission Boiler Systems (LEBS)

Testimony Submitted by Joseph N. Darguzas

Sargent & Lundy, L.L.C.

55 E. Monroe

Chicago, IL 60603

312-269-6902

Thank you very much for this opportunity to express my opinion concerning what I believe to be an extremely critical issue facing the United States and our energy independence. As a Registered Professional Engineer in many states and as a citizen of the United States, my professional opinion is that continued Federal and State participation in fossil energy development and demonstration projects is essential.

In my own home state, Illinois, we have a multi-million dollar program supporting fossil energy advancements. My own company, Sargent & Lundy, has invested millions of dollars in research, development and demonstration programs. However, we cannot afford to continue to compete against foreign companies who have the backing of their central governments without the backing of our federal government.

Others today have spoken in support of the Clean Coal Technology program and advancements in the efficient use of natural gas. You will undoubtedly also receive much written testimony supporting those efforts. We also endorse those fossil energy programs. Today, I would like to also speak in support of another program having near-term benefits, the Low Emission Boiler Systems (LEBS) program.

We support the continuation of the FY 96 line item for Advanced Pulverized Coal-Fired Power Plant development of the Low Emission Boiler Systems (LEBS) for FY 97. This will allow the benefits of previous years' funding to be realized and this phase of the LEBS project work to be completed.

[blocks in formation]

of utmost importance to the future of the U.S. economy is the advancement of low cost, low emission technologies now being developed through the Combustion 2000 LEBS project. In the near term, this will provide lower cost electricity and will be ready for commercialization in the year 2000 when tougher environmental regulations will be in

place.

Funding significantly lower than the current levels will cause project delays that will result in this window of opportunity being lost to foreign competition. It would also leave U.S. companies at a disadvantage in competing in emerging foreign markets.

Please consider the following points concerning LEBS:

Environmentally Sound

70% lower No, emissions than conventional systems
over 98% SO, removal

reduces carbon emissions by 15%

generates useful byproducts to several industries

Technology Leadership

Continued use of U.S. technology and ingenuity

maintain world leadership role by developing "state-of-the-art" equipment
and services

create strategic competitive advantage for U.S. technology

Improve Employment Picture

create near term jobs

promote industrial growth and long term employment

Economical Power

provides low cost electricity to consumers, approximately $.03KW-HR
economic benefit of spin-off jobs will be far reaching

Your continued support for the LEBS/Prairie Energy Project and the entire fossil energy
budget will be greatly appreciated.

Joseph N. Darguzas

Sargent & Lundy, L.L.C.

03/07/96

THU 10:30

[TX/RX NO 8764]

002

Written Testimony of Gregory Thomas, Affordable Comfort Housing Performance Association,
to the House Appropriations Committee Interior Subcommittee for the Department of Energy,
Energy Conservation Budget
March 15, 1996

Mr. Chairman and members of the Subcommittee, I thank you for the opportunity to provide written testimony on the fiscal year 1997 Department of Energy budget. This testimony will focus on the benefits provided to consumers and businesses by the Department of Energy's energy conservation activities.

Background

The Affordable Comfort Housing Performance Association (ACHPA) was formed in 1995 to help create a long term, consumer driven market for high quality housing performance services. Housing performance is defined as those services which increase the comfort, health and safety, efficiency, and durability of housing through the treatment of the house as a whole system.

In this respect ACHPA represents the people and business who insulate and air seal houses, install high performance HVAC equipment, seal ductwork, test the performance of housing, install ventilation systems, do housing research, manage housing and energy programs, or otherwise work to improve housing performance.

The Affordable Comfort Housing Performance Association was formed as a project of Affordable Comfort Inc., the group responsible for the ten year old Affordable Comfort Conference, the largest North American conference on residential energy efficiency and housing performance.

Over the past 20 years, a science of building performance has developed. This building science is now guiding us in the creation of new treatments for houses which suffer from poor performance, including problems with comfort, moisture, peeling paint, roof ice damage, comfort problems, and high bills. ACHPA is working towards the development of an industry based on the diverse sources of real consumer value provided by these diagnostic treatments (treatments based on the pre and post testing of various of air leakage, duct leakage, moisture and humidity levels and other measurements). These additional sources of value include health and safety, comfort, building durability, and energy and resource efficiency. These unrecognized non-energy sources of consumer value may be an order of magnitude more significant than just the energy savings.

There is currently a significant opportunity to simultaneously create a public identity for housing performance services and support the continued development of a contractor infrastructure capable of selling and providing high value housing performance services. The Department of Energy's focus on technology deployment significantly supports this effort by focusing consumer attention and providing new tools and treatments for use by contractors. Because of the low levels of consumer understanding of the potential benefits, housing performance contractors currently spend significant time and money educating customers prior to making a sale.

Existing Homes Programs

The largest potential market for contractors is the existing housing market. The following initiatives contribute significantly to the development of consumer driven investment in improving the performance of our nation's housing.

Technology Development

ACHPA supports the Department of Energy's efforts to develop new efficiency technologies which can benefit the performance of our nation's housing. For example, efforts by the Department to create and

« PreviousContinue »