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ERDA Fiscal Year 1978 authorization. Part 1. Hearings before the Subcommittee and Energy Research and Development of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, United States Senate, Ninety-Fifth Congress, First Session on S. 1340, S. 1341, and S. 1811

Book ·
OSTI ID:6868481

March 7, 1977 was the first day of the hearings before the Subcommittee to examine the fiscal year 1978 ERDA authorization request. President Carter's revised budget request for ERDA reduced the original budget submitted by the Ford administration by $87 million in budget authority and $39 million in budget outlays. The revised budget provided additional authorizations for such near-term energy R and D programs as energy conservation, solar heating and cooling, and increased utilization of fossil fuels through development of such near-term technologies. A quarter of a billion dollars were shifted from longer-range, higher-risk programs like fusion, the fast-breeder reactor, and solar electric and transferred to programs such as energy conservation, solar heating and cooling, and fossil fuel. Significant items retained in the revised budget include $300 million in budget authority for an alternative fuels demonstration program, and $8 million in budget authority for continuation of the ''Energy Extension Service''. The second session, March 9, 1977, includes testimony about ERDA programs dealing with environment and safety, and physical research. The Mar. 17 hearing on geothermal and solar energy was conducted for the purpose of bringing the subcommittee up to date on the Government programs. Energy conservation is felt to be the least disruptive to increase energy supplies; this was examined during the Mar. 22 hearing. Testimony was received on Mar. 23 about development of technologies to recover oil left in the ground, natural gas trapped in shale and tight-rock formations, projects to utilize our Nation's vast coal and oil shale deposits. The session on Mar. 24 heard testimony dealing with nuclear energy development. (MCW)

OSTI ID:
6868481
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English