have felony on biofu biofuels. we made, the largest purchase, we believe, in this country, this summer. if cost has been cut in half approximate in the last two years just in those test amounts. and we are convinced that as the military brings a market here that the cost of biofuels will be competitive with existing fossil fuels. and finally, one of the things that we got to talk about at the hearing, is that this really is one of the core competencies of the united states navy. we move from sale to coal and from coal to fuel and we powered every time in the -- every time there were concerns about was the navy trading one form of very certain energy for another that was uncertain and more costly? every time, the change has proven to be correct and so, i appreciate your help that the opportunity to testify on the ship which represents the both the navy and marine corp in their efforts but also the opportunity to talk about how we are planning to use these biofuels and the way that we believe the costs will come down

have run on biofuels. we made, as i pointed out at the hearing, the largest purchase, we believe, in american history, 450,000 gallons for use in the realm of the pacific exercise this summer. the cost has been cut in half in the last two years just in those test amounts, and we are convinced that as the military brings a market here that the cost of biofuels will be competitive with existing fossil fuels. and finally, one of the things that we got to talk about at the hearing is that this really is one of the core competencies of the united states navy. we moved from coal to oil in the early part of the 1900s and we pioneered nuclear in the 1950s. every single time, there were concerns about was the navy trading one form of very certain energy for another that was uncertain or more costly? every single time the change has proven to be correct. and so i appreciate your help, the opportunity to testify which represent both the navy and the marines in their effort, but also the opportunity to talk about how

let me begin with biofuels. not only in the loan guarantee program but things that we assess from the office of science and the energy to rv. we think that biofuels have considerable promise. by that i mean, we think they have considerable promise in developing technologies that can compete in the open market and that is our goal. if we can use biological waste or things that don't compete with farmland, we think this is a great opportunity to offload some of our dependency on oil. especially if the technology is advanced to the point where you can produce biofuels and sell a profit and make a business, let's say, modern price of oil, $80 a barrel of oil. we also do a lot in terms of other dependencies, to not only give the military but consumers and businesses the advancement of batteries is very important. batteries are very important because rather than trucking into very hazardous supply routes usually diesel fuel to generate electricity, you could have a lightweight solar system with a lightweight battery t

as his call for ongoing investments into alternative sources of energy things like wind solar and biofuelthe president traveling to nearby largo's maryland just a motorcade drive away from washington, d.c. in the nation's capital where he said this. >> there is no such thing as a quick fix when it comes to high gas prices. there's no silver bullet. anybody who tells you otherwise isn't really looking for a solution. they are trying to ride the political wave of the moment. usually the most common thing when you actually ask them is how is it you're going to get back to $2 a gallon gas. how will do you it. specifically what is your plan. and typically what you'll hear from them is if we just drilled more for oil then gas prices would immediately come down and all our problems would go away. that's usually the response. now, maryland, there are two problems with that answer. first of all, we are drilling. under my administration america is producing more oil today than at any time in the last eight years. [ applause ] any time. that's a fact. that's a fact. we quadrupled the number of opera

they make jokes about biofuels. they were against raising fuel standards. i guess they like gas guzzlers. they think that's good for our future. we're trying to move towards the future. they want to be stuck in the past. we have heard this kind of thinking before. let me tell you something. if some of these folks were around when columbus set sail, they must have been founding members of the flat earth society. they would not have believed that the world was round. we have heard these folks in the past. they probably would have agreed with one of the pioneers of the radio who said, television won't flash. it's a flash in the pan. but one of henry ford's advisors was quoted as saying "the horse is here to stay, but the automobile is only a fad." there have always been folks like that. there have always been folks who are the nay sayers and don't believe in the future and don't believe in trying to do things differently. one of my predecessors, rutherford b. hays. it's a great invention, but who would ever want to use one? talking about the telephone. that's

specifically on the biofuel issue. there is, in fact -- our navy, in fact, is using biofuel. .. they are going to use everything from municipal waste to agricultural waste to switchgrass to timber to crop residues to produce new advanced biofuels. we have farmers that are actually now being incentive to produce these new feedstocks so there is an enormous amount of work is being done here. no one is going to be the sms in the last thing i will say as you all are to be thankful we have biofuel industry because right now we would be paying a dollar a gallon more for our gas were it not for the biofuel industry we have. [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, m-i in trouble? [laughter] as you can tell tom and i would rather stay here than where we are going to go. [laughter] but i want to thank you all for giving us this much time and the fundamental message that i want to leave is this. you know, believe, man. not in barack obama and joe biden. not anyone from the demonstration. believe in this country. we are so poised, so poised to make great truths across the board, political, econ

cs- 989, biofuel technical assistance services, with biofuel recycling cooperative, to continue providing technical support to the sfpuc biofuel program established to collect and transfer waste cooking oil for conversion to biodiesel for use in the city fleet and authorize the general manager of the san francisco public utilities commission to execute this amendment increasing the agreement by $300,000, for a total not-to-exceed agreement amount of $600,000, and with a time extension of two years and four months for a total agreement duration of 5 years and eight months. d, approve the plans and specifications, and award wastewater enterprise, capital improvement program-funded contract no. ww-540, spot sewer repair contract, to repair existing sewer piping, on an as- needed basis, at locations to be determined throughout san francisco, for a total contract amount not to exceed $3,737,440 to the lowest, qualified, responsible, and responsive bidder, j. flores construction. >> thank you. commissioners, i have a disclosure i need to make. i have a continuing business relationship with feld

not just oil and gas, but also wind and solar and biofuels. >> biofuels.t's what the republicans say is hysterical! that's what newt gingrich says is weird, and that means something coming from newt gingrich. algae, right? biofuels. biomass. this stuff is just crazy! no republican would ever support anything so dumb. >> john and i will adopt the "all of the above" approach to meet america's great energy challenges. those hundreds of billions of dollars being recirculated here in america, that means harnessing alternative sources like the wind and the solar and the biomass and the geothermal. >> the sarah palin/john mccain energy policy, the algae as fuel idea, that has had republicans like mike pence and darrell issa and senator mike johans requesting department of energy grants to research algae as fuel, in an election year, that's got to be all crazy democratic nonsense. drill, baby, drill. drill, baby, drill. in a year when gas prices really are high, and that really could have an impact on the election, it might be time to ask somebody who actually kno

and in terms of moving toward biofuels, the numbers that we bought small test amounts was high. it's come down dramatically since then, even with the small test amounts we have been buying. and i think that we cannot afford not to do this. we can't afford to be dependent on foreign sources of fuel. we cannot afford to be dependent on a worldwide commodity that has the price spikes and the price shocks that we have. as i said in my opening statement the only place i have to go to get money when the price of fuel goes up is out of operations accounts. i don't think that is something we can afford. >> okay. thank you. now senator lieberman. >> thanks, mr. chairman. thanks to you three for your service and leadership. i want to ask you contemporary questions before i get to the budget and particularly you general amos about the marines in afghanistan. the first we're going through a difficult time, beginning with some acts of violence by afghan national security forces against our troops and now we have had a couple of bad situations involving our forces. give us a sense if you can

it's a comprehensive plan for the next generation of biofuels to keep that industry alive and well. >> thank you for your work. >> thank you. and congratulations. >> thank you. >> i'd like to recognize the gentleman from west virginia, mr. mckinley, for five minutes. >> thank you, mr. chair. ed a minstrart, thank you very much. i'm sure it's been grueling to go through three hours of this. first question i have, if i could maybe get through a couple quick questions with yes or nos to the extent that we can, have you ruled out regulating coal ash as a hazardous substantial under subtitle c of rcra? >> we have not made a final rule. that would have to be a no. >> with this notice of intent from headwaters resources in filing an action against and i guess some environmental groups are also doing the reverse. they're taking an action against the epa on the hazardous waste perhaps, can you give us for the record a commitment that you'll take this into consideration when -- if you were to set that you will consider the fact that headwaters is also put in a concern and that that will be incl

. >> i don't ridicule biofuels. i support biofuels. i've supported ethanol, for example, which is a biofuel. i've supported cellulose, which is a biofuel. i have friends at texas a&m who are working on algae. the idea that algae is a solution this summer is a fantasy and he knows it's a fantasy. >> sreenivasan: meanwhile, the price of gas rose again today. the american automobile association a.a.a said it topped $3.80 a gallon. that's 51 cents higher than a month ago. former illinois governor rod blagojevich headed to federal prison today to begin a 14-year term for corruption. he left his home in chicago early this morning surrounded by a throng of media. by day's end he had reported to a minimum security facility in englewood, colorado outside denver. blagojevich was convicted on charges that, as governor, he tried to sell or trade an appointment to president obama's old u.s. senate seat. those are some of the day's major stories. now, back to judy. >> woodruff: the investment bank goldman sachs is back at the center of public attent

how a bay area biofuel company accidental discovery. plus a scientist thinks he knows why a large number of bee says dying and a co-worker that led people to safety during 9/11. >> stopping crime and protecting privacy. billion license plates are in a company's database and yours might be one of them. the license scanning technology is a recent investigation. nannette miranda reports from sacramento. >> reporter: more and more law enforcement agencies and even private security firms are mounting high-tech cameras atop their vehicles scanning license plates for stolen cars. near the state capital stolen car means someone is up to know no good. >> when they arrested him they patted him down and he had several pairs of shoes that he shoplifted inside the mall. >> they had similar success out the streets but a california watch raises questions in how well the information is being used. it found a livermore based company called vigilant video has compiled a database containing half a billion license plate scans from across the country. >> th

that bill has delivered more biofuels for transportation and more efficient vehicles on our roads. hlped to significantly reduce our dependence on foreign oil. we need to continue our ways to find ways to use less oil and be less vulnerable to the volatility of the world's oil market. i hope tos on how we can do that. before we hear from our witnesses, let me turn to senator murkowski for any comment she wants to make. >> thank you, mr. chairman. welcome to our distinguished panel. we're all anxious to hear your comments this morning. i think we're all looking for the quick and easy answer but i th that there are no quick and easy answers to the fact that we are seeing significantly high prices at the pump. in this morning's "washington post," the headline is "area gas prices top $4 a gallon." i do a little independent survey of my communities back home and just do a week-by-week assessment here. unleaded in bare ro is going for $5.75, juneau, state capital, $4.15. nome is $5.98, and they're looking at what the national average is now and saying, boy, in the rear view mirror, that

power and biofuels. investments in fuel-efficient cars and trucks. and energy-efficient homes and buildings. that's the future. that's the only way we're going to break this cycle of high gas prices that happen year after year after year, as the economy. the only time you start seeing lower gas prices is when the economy is doing badly. that's not the kind of pattern that we want to be in. we want the economy doing well, and people to be able to afford their energy costs. can't just drill our way out of this problem. as i said, oil production here in the united states is doing very well. and it's been doing well even as gas prices are going up. well, the reason is because we use more than 20% of the world's oil, but we only have 2% of the world's known oil reserves. every drop of american oil to to buy from other countries to make up the difference. we'd still have to depend on other countries to meet o becaua world market, the fact that we're doing more here in the united state necessarily help us, because even u.s. oil company, they're selling that

is next generation biofuels are a long time and coming and we have to be careful that we don't try to these deals in though market or they will raise prices to consumers. >> my thanks to john watson, up next on the "the wall street journal report," the pioneering film maker that captured some of the 20th century's most a route map shows you where we go. but not how we get there. because in this business, there are no straight lines. only the twists and turns of an unpredictable industry. so the eighty-thousand employees at delta... must anticipate the unexpected. and never let the rules overrule common sense. this is how we tame the unwieldiness of air travel, until it's not just lines you see... it's the world. but don't just listen to me. listen to these happy progressive customers. i plugged in snapshot, and 30 days later, i was saving big on car insurance. i was worried it would be hard to install. but it's really easy. the better i drive, the more i save. i wish our company had something this cool. yeah. you're not... filming this, are you? aw! camera shy. snapshot from progressi

it helps reduce our dependence on imported oil by developing next generation biofuels, advance batteries and fuel efficient technologies. it requests 770 dls million in the nuclear energy program to help develop the next generation of nuclear powered technologies including small modular reactors. it also includes funding for the continued nuclear waste r & d which aligns with the recommendations of the blue ribbon commission on america's nuclear future. as we move to a sustainable energy future, america's fossil energy resources will continue to play an important role in our energy mix. the budget request includes $12 million as part of a larger r & d initiative by the departments of energy, interior and epa to understand and minimize the potential environmental health and safety impacts of natural gas development through hydraulic frac. the budget also promotes energy efficiency to help americans save money by saving energy. and it sponsors r & d and industrial materials and processes to help u.s. manufacturers cut costs. to maximize our energy technology efforts in areas including batt

real production of biofuels. it's important to the small producers and they have resources they can bring to bear as well. >> well, i know we have some large oil companies and large refiners, but again, in some cases they relied on the information from the epa. my next question is the president's budget for fy-13 includes the interagency study that the d.o.e. and epa are partnering on the examine environmental and health effects of hydraulic fracking. can you explain the purpose behind this study and how this is any different than what epa has been currently doing? >> certainly, mr. green, it's an expansion. right now, the epa is looking at the impact of hydraulic fracking on drinking water supplies. that's been independent reviewed as we're beginning it. this is additional money to work with our partner agencies as i said in the opening remarks to look at air quality, water quality and ecosystems impacts to ask the hard questions to ensure that fracking remains safe. >> i understand that the -- hopefully indepen

. >>> president obama targets gasoline, oil and biofuels.lking about ways to save money and energy next. >>> hot sauce. it's got to be hot. >> all right. is that it? >> that's it. >> all right. >> all right. want to ring me up now or do i pay when the order comes up? >> later. >> all right. but i am going to have to pay, so don't try to -- don't try to get sneaky with me. >> president barack obama stopping in at a texas ribs and barbecue joint in clinton, maryland, to get two slabs of babybacks and brisket sandwich and, of course, some french fries. >>> welcome back to this special hour of the "cnn newsroom." we're taking this time out every sunday to let you hear from the 2012 presidential contenders in their own words out on the campaign trail. president obama is keeping his focus on energy. he spoke to a mmaryland communi college about the need to find and use alternative fuels. >> after 30 years of not doing anything, we raised fuel economy standards on cars and trucks so that by the middle of the next decade, our cars will average nearl

strategy that relies less on foreign oil and more on american made energy -- solar, wind, natural gas, biofuels and more. that's the strategy we're pursuing. that's why i went to a plant in north carolina earlier this week where they're making trucks that won on natural gas and hybrid trucks that go further on a single tank. and it's why i've been focused on fuel efficient cars since i took office. over the last few years, the annual number of miles driven by americans have stayed roughly the same but the total amount of gas we use has been going down. in other words, we're getting more bang for our buck. if we accelerate that trend, we can help drivers save a significant amount of money. that's why, after 30 years of inaction, we finally put in place new standards that will make sure our cars average nearly 55 miles per gallon by the middle of the next decade, nearly double what they get today. this wasn't easy. we had to bring together auto companies and unions and folks who don't ordinarily see eye-to-eye, but it was worth it. because these cars aren't some pie in the sky solution that's awa

we have to utilize our resources here, oil, natural gas but we also, this is sad for the country, biofuel, wind, solar, next generation auto, this is a bipartisan issue, now those things are mock by those in washington's republican party. we know that's where we need to go. that's where the country needs to go. the solution here, we need to do everything we can in the short term. the real answer so we're note visited by this every summer for the next 25 years is to continue on the path -- >> we talk about honesty with the american people. one of the things the 3rez has always said, this is used as a political club, these americans are trying to blame the president. it's politics so they go down to the gas station and complain about the price of gas. well, back in 2008, then candidate obama had a similar complaint and look where he is in this piece of tape. >> -- with the washington experience, my opponent are good people. they mean well. they've been in washington an awful long time. and even with all the experience they talk about, nothing has happened. what have we got for all that expe

but i was talking about diversifying our sources in terms of wind and solar and biofuels. we're making great strides. the alternative battery industry, which will be so important to the future of this country -- we were 2% when this president came in office. we're on track to be 40% by 2015. we're laying the foundation for new energy. that's a promise that's been delivered with real tough opposition. on keystone we approved dozens of pipelines. oklahoma is not a particularly a swing state. we don't think new mexico will be either. it's not about politics, it's about telling the country what a long-term energy strategy looks like. there is a glut because we are doing so much production. we need to get that oil to market. that's what the southern pipeline will do. there are real issues around the water supply in nebraska. what the company said is we're going to send in a new application and that will be reviewed. on energy, here's the question for country, who do you trust to have the kind of energy policy and energy strategy that's required? the president saying we need to

biofuels are part of the future. conservation is part of the future. raising fuel efficiency standards as we have for the first time if three decades is part of that. that is saving a million barrel as day by the time we are done 2.2 million barrels of day will save families $8,000 from their pocket. we need a comprehensive strategy. >>reporter: later today the president will be in new mexico touting the fact oil and natural gas production is up on federal lands but he is being greeted along this two-day tour with ads by crossroads g.p.s., a republican group, believing in charging that the president is not doing enough. >>shepard: and energy secretary chu was on capitol hill and graded himself an "a," on controlling gas prices and the republicans are having a great time with that. >>reporter: jumping all over him because the energy secretary was the person who pushed solyndra and other solar companies that have not worked out. the bottom line is they are also making hay out of the fact that the president will stop in oklahoma to tout his support of the

but also wind and nuclear and solar and biofuels and more. broll: backtime his sot from below to have the halking head over the inttoformee senator byron ddrgan...sot dorgan 47-51what we need really is a national strategg about how we are going to produce more here.brool: hill broll...was the chhirman of tte senate eeergy committee.he believes we need to reduce our reliance on foreign oil by country. sot dorgan: 3:56-4:06 our money is going overseas inn many casee to countries that don't like us.l. and frankly enough oo that american dollar spills from the barrel that funds terrorists that comes back o haunn us. broll: keyestone broll starting aa ;;6critics say the president'' rejection of the keystonee pipleine expansion because f sign of his energy policy failure. keystone would have connected oil frommcanada to the u-ss the gulf of mexico and the rest of the oold. broll: backtimeethe clinton &pinto hereeven former presiden bill clinton believes the obama administration needs to take action now. sot clinton keyytone ::1-40so i think we shou