91^ HISTORY Ol Mil COMMITTE1 ON SCIENC1 AND TECHNOLOGY 



can compete in the second car market for in-to\vn commuting in 5 to 

 7 years. Perhaps that is optimistic, but I hope not." 



David Freeman of the White House energy staff, later to become 

 Chairman of the TVA, gave enthusiastic support to the development 

 of electric vehicles in his 1977 testimony before the McCormack sub- 

 committee. Parenthetically, Freeman appeared without a necktie, 

 which he explained was not intended to be disrespectful to the com- 

 mittee but part of a program to emphasize summer energy conservation. 

 This prompted McCormack to observe: 



The last time I took my necktie off was when the Vice President of Con Edison 

 of New York came in without a tie. He wore a sport shirt, and said they were en- 

 couraging all their executive-, to wear sport shirts in the summertime and not turn 

 the temperature down too far. 



McCormack took the initiative to suggest a stretched-out schedule 

 for the electric car program. In legislation which the President even- 

 tually signed on February 25, 1978, the number of authorized vehicles 

 was increased from 7,500 to 10,000, and time period lengthened into 

 1986. 



The original timetable for electric vehicle development might have 

 been optimistic, in light of the complex component and technology 

 integration features, and the slowness with which batteries were per- 

 fected. Bolstered by an adverse GAO report, in 1979 Wydler (who had 

 supported President Ford's veto of the 1976 bill) also argued against 

 further expansion of the program in 1979. The 1978 bill called for 1,700 

 electric vehicles, but the DOE only asked for 700, so Harkin led the 

 drive to compromise on 1,100 by adding $8 million to the DOE budget 

 in 1979. Wydler unsuccessfully tried to eliminate the 400 extra vehicles. 

 But Harkin, strongly supported by McCormack, contended that light 

 delivery vans in use by stores, industry, universities and the Postal 

 Service justified additional demonstration vehicles. Harkin also argued 

 that the Wydler amendment would slow down the testing of new, 

 upgraded battery designs. The Wydler amendment was defeated by the 

 full committee in a voice vote. 



SOLAR, GEOTHERMAL, AND CONSERVATION INCREASES IN 1976 



The McCormack subcommittee had nine days of ERDA authoriza- 

 tion hearings in the spring of 1976. Even though the bill itself was not 

 approved until the following year, the subcommittee once again broke 

 new ground in providing new stimulus in the highly popular solar, 

 gcothermal and conservation areas. An indication of the increases in 

 operating funds voted in 1976 may be seen by the following table: 



