un \\< ED ENI Kt.^i I E< HNOLOGI] S 



Dollar amounts in millions] 



919 



President'-. Committee Total com- 



budgee in 1976 increase mittcc bill 



Solar $162.5 $66 $229.2 



Geothermal. 50.1 25.0 75.1 



Conservation 120.0 82.5 202.5 



But despite the generosity of the subcommittee in its recommen- 

 dations, there were some stormy scenes within the subcommittee 

 during its hearings. After the customarily complimentary references 

 to ERDA Administrator Seamans in his first 1976 appearance on 

 January 22, Ottinger lashed out: 



I do not feel that I can join in the accolades my colleagues have expressed with 

 respect to the job on this budget. 



Ottinger wanted to know why Dr. Seamans wasn't going to bat more 

 strongly for solar, geothermal, and conservation R. & D. He charged 

 that ERDA was ignoring the will of Congress in not fighting harder 

 for conservation funding. When Dr. Seamans pointed to a 65 percent 

 increase, Hechler responded "Peanuts times peanuts equals peanuts." 

 Thornton, the author of an ingenious conservation program called 

 the "Energy Extension Service," remarked jocularly: 



There are people in my part of the country who consider that the greatest 

 conservationist of all times was Herbert Hoover, because while he was President 

 factories were closed, automobiles were not running, and there was very little 

 consumption of energy. 



When McCormack presented his bill on the House floor on May 19, 

 1976 he observed : 



We walked a veritable tightrope between two diverse groups. On the one hand 

 we face those guardians of the Federal Treasury who would criticize us for irrespon- 

 sibly throwing money at a program without carefully scrutinizing the merits of each 

 proposed activity. On the other hand, there are those Members who feel that rapid 

 development of alternative energy technologies is so important that we risk making 

 mistakes in program management to spur the activities on at a hectic pace — fully 

 anticipating that there will be wastes and failures. 



THE HOUSE AGAIN UPS THE ANTE ON SOLAR ENERGY 



A fight broke out on the House floor on solar energy. Rep- 

 resentative James M. Jeffords (Republican of Vermont) introduced a 

 popular amendment to add $116.2 million for solar energy tech- 

 nologies — fully 50 percent beyond the steep subcommittee increases. 

 Ottinger, who had played a key role in getting the subcommittee 

 increases approved, broke ranks and jumped onto the Jeffords band- 



