WASHINGTON NEWS

JOM, Sep 2008

From Betsy Houston, Federation of Materials Societies

Energy to Dominate in September: When Congress returns in September, energy is expected to be the latest hot issue-but what to do about it? Republicans in both houses held up appropriations billsbefore the August recess because House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid would not allow them to bring up amendments to foster domestic oil drilling. Meanwhile, the presidential candidates are responding to public concern over high gasoline prices, with Sen. Barack Obama proposing a "windfall profits" tax on oil companies coupled with tax incentives for alternative sources, and Sen. John McCain promoting nuclear among other energy options including more offshore drilling and development of oil shale resources. In the Senate, a bipartisan "Gang of IO" has come up with a combination of drilling, conservation incentives, and funding for alternative sources. The Congressional Democratic leadership reportedly is leaning toward allowing a vote on this package. Complicating the picture is thai Congress must pass some sort of continuing budget resolution to keep the government operating past the September 30 end of the fiscal year.

STEM Education Act: Just before the August recess. Senators Joe lieberman (D-CT) and Norm Coleman (R-MN) introduced the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Education (STEM) for the 21st Century bill, based on a plan issued last year by the National Science Board. The bill would;

* Charter a new, independent, and non-Federal National Council for STEM Education, housed in the National Academies, which will provide leadership and facilitate communication about STEM education initiatives across the nation and inform policymakers and the public on the state of STEM education and its importance for the United States in the global economy.

* Create a standing committee on STEM education within the National Science and Technology Council, which would be responsible for coordinating STEM education across all relevant federal agencies.

* Establish an internet portal available to the public that promotes federal initiatives and funding for STEM education, as well as non-federal programs that have been approved by the National Council for STEM Education.

* Direct the Secretary of Education to evaluate the effectiveness, coherence, and accessibility of STEM education initiatives within the department and to report to Congress how it will make needed improvements.

NIST Advisory Committees seek Nominees: The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is requesting nominations of qualified individuals for its eight existing federal advisory committees. Nominations for all committees will be accepted on an ongoing basis and will be considered as and when vacancies arise. A July 15,2008, Federal Register notice (www.nist.gov/tip/nist_advisory_board_frn.pdf) details each committee, including numbers of members sought, objectives andduties for members, and nomination procedures. New to the list of NIST advisory committees this year is the Technology Innovation Program (TIP) Advisory Board. This body seeks its first ten members to provide guidance to NIST's newest program, TIP, which supports, promotes, and accelerates innovation in the United States through high-risk, high-reward research in areas of critical national need. Other NIST advisory committees include: the Board of Overseers of the Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award, the Judges Panel of the Baldridge Award, the Information security and Privacy Advisory Board, the Manufacturing Extension Partnership Advisory Board, the National Construction Safety Team Advisory Board, the Advisory Committee on Earthquake Hazards Reduction, and the Visiting Committee on Advanced Technologies.

DOE to Pursue Zero-Net Energy Buildings: The Energy Independence and security Act of 2007 authorizes the Department of Energy (DOE) to collaborate with the private sector, DOE national labs, other federal agencies, and non-governmental organizations to advance high-performance commercial green buildings. The DOE's newly launched Zero-Net Energy Commercial Building Initiative will use the resources of the national labs to carry out the act's directives through technology R&D and other measures. The Zero-Net initiative strives to make available by 2025 new commercial buildings capable of generating as much energy as they consume.