Perry arrives at critical time for energy funding

Department of Energy Secretary Rick Perry visited the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory on Tuesday, which he oversees along with the other national laboratories in America.

Perry has hit the road to highlight all of America’s energy innovation, stopping at many of the laboratories and several new energy businesses. Traveling here to Washington state, Perry heard from the pioneering Americans who work on the front lines of America’s energy incubators at PNNL.

His visit comes at a pivotal moment. When Congress reconvenes, it will consider a proposal to fund U.S. energy innovation — the very technology, science and research that drives our country’s future. And Perry’s support will be critical for its passage.

DOE’s $32 billion budget goes to maintaining and refurbishing America’s nuclear stockpile, impeding global nuclear proliferation, cleaning up nuclear waste, rebuilding our aging nuclear infrastructure and overseeing the crown jewels of government science — our national laboratories.

Our nation’s 17 national laboratories support, sustain and secure Americans across the country — providing jobs, national security and economic stability and reducing energy costs for consumers.

In fact, the energy and energy efficiency sectors employ about 6.4 million Americans. In 2016, these sectors increased by almost 5 percent, leading to 300,000 net new jobs — or roughly 14 percent of all jobs created in the country last year.

The national labs, especially PNNL, have contributed to this job growth while simultaneously developing cost-saving new technologies. In the past, their innovations have helped to perfect the internal combustion engine, created nuclear power and brought down the costs of solar power.

In Washington state, PNNL contributes $24.5 million in state and local taxes and $404 million to state payrolls, not to mention the $348 million worth of domestic goods and services that PNNL purchased last year.

Over a hundred businesses have roots with PNNL, 69 of which employ an additional 2,326 people in the state. PNNL itself employs more than 4,000 people.

With proper funding and a sustained commitment, we will ensure that revolutionary discoveries continue.

At a time that our competitors, especially China, are providing huge government support for their energy industry and technologies, the United States needs to keep investing in our own national laboratories and our own technologies.

Perry is no newbie to energy. He has more experience with nuclear than one would think. When he was governor, Perry attempted to triple nuclear power in Texas and to open a nuclear waste repository.

Texas is also the home of the Pantex Facility in Amarillo, an important part of the Department of Energy's nuclear weapons complex.

Perry acknowledged that humans have had a role in climate change, and he has championed wind energy, especially in his home state.

So as Congress considers the funding that supports our nation’s energy growth, they should understand that it would result in investments in American jobs and ingenuity, and bolstering the nation’s economy.

But if energy funding diminishes, the effects will echo badly throughout the public and the private sectors.

This story was originally published August 15, 2017 at 2:02 PM with the headline "Perry arrives at critical time for energy funding."