SMI VP P.J. Dougherty Testifies before House Natural Resources Subcommittee

June 24, 2011
By Jessica Borek

SMI's P.J. Dougherty testifying on June 23

Washington D.C. – P.J. Dougherty, Vice President of Strategic Marketing Innovations Inc. (SMI) and its renewable energy subsidiary, Helios Strategies, testified before the House Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources yesterday. The hearing focused on the following four pieces of legislation intended to expedite the permitting processes for renewable energy projects:

 

  • H.R. 2170 (D. Hastings [WA]), Streamlining Federal review to facilitate renewable energy projects, "Cutting Federal Red Tape to Facilitate Renewable Energy Act"

  • H.R. 2171 (Labrador [ID]), To promote timely exploration for geothermal resources under existing geothermal leases, and for other purposes, "Exploring for Geothermal Energy on Federal Lands Act",

  • H.R. 2172 (Noem [SD]), To facilitate the development of wind energy resources on Federal lands, "Utilizing America's Federal Lands for Wind Energy Act"

  • H.R. 2173 (Wittman [VA]), To facilitate the development of offshore wind energy resources, "Advancing Offshore Wind Production Act"

"It was an honor to have the opportunity to testify," Dougherty said. "The continued development of renewable energy to meet our country's growing electricity needs has become an issue of national security.

The legislation brought before the subcommittee is on the right track to diversifying our energy supply in a responsible and efficient manner that will lead to greater energy self-sufficiency in the U.S."

SMI's P.J. Dougherty testifying on June 23 Dougherty's testimony was drawn from nearly twenty years of experience as a senior official at the Department of Energy, with a focus on clean energy technologies and practices. He joined SMI's Helios division in 2008.

Dougherty described his general support for all four pieces of legislation, though he offered several recommendations to improve each bill. Specifically, he recommended that H.R. 2170 include an adaptive management approach similar to the language in S.630, the Marine and Hydrokinetic Renewable Energy Promotion Act of 2011, which provides for Department of Energy grants to help with the costs of evaluating the environmental effects of projects. " This language would ensure the intent of H.R. 2170 is applied to accommodate different sizes of pilot projects across technologies," Dougherty told the subcommittee.

To view Dougherty’s testimony in its entirety, click HERE.

To view the hearing in its entirety, click HERE.

Strategic Marketing Innovations, Inc. (SMI) is a Washington, D.C. based consulting firm that has been assisting clients with government relations and strategy requirements since 1993. SMI has a long and successful record of accomplishment in meeting the public policy, strategic planning, federal funding, and federal marketing needs of small to Fortune 500 companies, universities, federal agencies and nonprofits worldwide. To learn more, visit www.strategicmi.com.

Helios Strategies, a division of SMI, Inc., is dedicated to help clients develop and demonstrate clean energy technologies through government program and industry marketing support. Our experienced team works with the Federal Government to secure funding and shape policy to promote legislation that encourages clean energy development and deployment. To learn more, visit www.heliosstrategies.com.

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