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10.3. Role of the Energy. Materials, and International Security Division

The Energy, Materials, and International Security Division is comprised of three Programs: Energy and Materials; Industry, Technology, and Employment; and International Security and Commerce.

The Energy and Materials Program is responsible for assisting the Congress in understanding the technological possibilities for developing our energy and materials resources and the consequences of these developments for society. In this way, the Program can help the Congress ensure rational resource development such that economic growth is maintained, undesirable side effects are kept to a minimum, and the resource base is sustained for future generations. The Program covers those technologies that concern the extraction, delivery, and use of energy and materials. Although primarily directed at domestic resources, the Program also is concerned with world markets and policies, including imports and exports of energy and materials.

The Industry, Technology, and Employment Program examines how technology affects the ability of U.S. industry to contribute to a healthy national economy. Its responsibilities include consideration of the competitiveness of U.S. industries in international markets, trade and economic development issues, the number and nature of employment opportunities, needs for worker education, training and retraining, and ways to ease adjustment in structural economic transitions. The ITE Program is concerned with the competitive position of both basic and new industries, with the development and dissemination of pre-competitive technologies, and with the quantity, nature, and quality of jobs including issues of training an retraining.

The International Security and Commerce Program deals with national security, space technology, international relations generally, and international technology transfers. The Program's work in national security includes an assessment of likely impacts of technological considerations on national security, which includes international stability, diplomacy, alliance relations, and arms control, as well as deterrence and defense. Assessment of defense industrial/technological base issues is an increasing part of ISC's work. The work on space technology involves a range of issues, such as space transportation, international cooperation and competition in civilian space activities, and space debris, in which technological progress, civilian exploration, commercial uses of space, and national security must be reconciled. ISC's work in technology transfer combines several perspectives: the national security and foreign policy considerations that lie behind export controls, a concern for the health and competitiveness of U.S. industry in international markets; and a concern for the objective of managing technology transfer in such a way as to contribute to favorable international economic development.

10.4. Accomplishments of the Energy. Materials, and International Security Division

In FY 1991, the Energy, Materials, and International Security Division published 11 assessment reports:

Energy in Developing Countries

Technology Against Terrorism

Energy Efficiency in the Federal Government

Global Arms Trade

Redesigning Defense

Exploring the Moon and Mars

Energy Technology Choices: Shaping our Future

Verification Technologies

Competing Economies: America, Europe, and the Pacific Rim

Improving Automobile Fuel Economy

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The Division also produced 3 background papers:

American Military Power: Future Needs, Future Choices

Orbiting Debris: A Space Environmental Problem

Adjusting to a New Security Environment: The Defense Technology and Industrial
Base Challenge

In addition, the Division testified 18 times and prepared 2 staff papers.

Listed below are several examples of direct legislative use of the Division's work: Energy and Materials

1. OTA's report, Improving Automobile Fuel Economy: New Standards. New Approaches, was used extensively in the draft legislation on increasing Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) Standards being considered as an amendment to S. 1220, the National Energy Security Act of 1991. In the course of this work, OTA provided extensive briefings and testimony for the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, the House Energy and Commerce Committee, the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee. OTA staff also informally analyzed draft CAFE legislation for Senators Bryan, Johnston, and Gore and provided extensive briefings for Senators Johnston and Levin. Throughout the year, OTA staff briefed a wide range of Senate and House members and staff on alternative fuels and automotive fuel economy and other energy technology issues being addressed in the assessment and testified several times on these subjects. Several of OTA's options have provided middle ground in the debate over CAFE standards.

2. The Senate Committee on Government Affairs relied on the findings of the report Energy Efficiency in the Federal Government: Government by Good Example?, and OTA's assistance in developing S. 1040, the Government Energy Efficiency Act of 1991. OTA interacted with staff of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and Power in development of the Federal energy portions of H.R. 776, the National Energy Efficiency Act of 1991. Throughout the year, OTA staff briefed Senate and House staff on prospects and policy options for improving Federal energy efficiency.

3. OTA's report, U.S. Oil Import Vulnerability: The Technical Replacement Capability, covers a broad range of technologies and policies for reducing the risks of dependence on oil imports. The report was released at a press conference of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and was widely cited by Senators on both sides during the cloture debate on S. 1220, the National Energy Security Act of 1991. During the course of the study, OTA provided informal technical briefings for Senate and House committee staff on technologies and policy initiatives for reducing oil imports to assist them in drafting legislation.

4. The OTA reports, Energy Technology Choices: Shaping Our Future and U.S. Oil Import Vulnerability: The Technical Replacement Potential, and ongoing work being carried out under the project, U.S. Energy Efficiency: Past Trends and Future Opportunities, have all been used extensively in Senate Energy and Natural Resource and House Energy and Commerce Committee deliberations on national energy policy. OTA has also testified this year on the President's National Energy Strategy, modifying the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, and setting national energy policy goals, energy R&D, energy efficiency, and

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5. As a continued follow-up to the Report, Energy and Developing Countries, and in the course of the on-going preparation of the final report, Fueling Development: Energy and Technology in Developing Countries, OTA has provided background for legislation on foreign aid and trade policy related to energy technology through a series of briefings and testimony to Committee and Members' staff. These include a staff briefing organized by the Energy and Environmental Study Conference and testimony before the House Committee on Banking, Finance and Urban Affairs, Subcommittee on International Development, Trade, Finance, and Monetary Policy.

6. OTA's Background Paper Biological Effects of Power Frequency Electric and Magnetic Fields was cited in reference to increased research funding for EPA by Subcommittees of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology and in draft legislation to coordinate and expand Federal research efforts and public information programs relating to EMF. In addition OTA continues to respond to requests for information and advice on EMF issues from individual members' offices.

7. OTA's reports, New Electric Power Technologies: Problems and Prospects for the 1990s, Nuclear Power in an Age of Uncertainty, and Starpower: The U.S. and International Quest for Fusion Energy continue to be used widely by energy R&D authorizing committees as a reference source. In particular, these reports were referred to frequently in the House Committee on Science and Technology's Subcommittees on Energy and on Environment authorization hearings on the DOE R&D budget. In addition OTA staff were consulted frequently by Committee staff in the consideration of related bills being considered by the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and the House Committee on Energy and Power.

8. Based on work from the ongoing assessment, Materials Technology: Integrating Environmental Goals with Product Design, OTA staff have consulted frequently with the staff of the House Energy and Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Transportation and Hazardous Materials as they have drafted legislation reauthorizing the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). OTA staff provided the Subcommittee with briefing materials on toxic use reduction, as well as a critique of their draft RCRA bill.

Industry. Technology, and Employment

1. Senator Kennedy, speaking of his The High Skills, Competitive Workforce Act of 1991 said: "...it also draws heavily on OTA's report Worker Training: Competing in the New International Economy, which provided a great deal of valuable information utilized in drafting the bill." Senator Kennedy also commended OTA staff: "In addition to the written report, the OTA staff has been enormously helpful throughout the many months in shaping the legislation." Worker Training's detailed analysis of a training levy -- including state implementation, and specification that the levy be used to support such activities as basic skills instruction -- and its findings about the benefits of melding technology diffusion with training are reflected in the bill. Worker Training's findings also support a number of other provisions of the Bill, e.g.: Labor Department grants to trade associations and other industry organizations and state agencies for employment-based training (Section 411(b); to make permanent the exemption from taxation of employer provided educational assistance (Section 424); and high skills training consortia (Section 601).

2. OTA's report Worker Training also contributed to the formulation of Congressman Grandy's apprenticeship bill. The report waş liberally quoted at Ways and Means