(S. 3105) Authorizations for the Energy Research and Development Administration: The vote is on the Randolph amendment to allow ERDA to push for an expansion of the $900 million loan guarantee program for biomass synthetic fuels as well as projects to demonstrate the commercial potential of other synthetic fuels from coal and oil shale. The effect of this amendment would be to set up a huge Office of Commercialization within ERDA to spend public money to lobby for additional subsidies for coal gasification, coal liquefaction, and oil shale development. Environmentalists strongly opposed federal subsidies for these synthetic fuels because they would severely deplete western water supplies and probably cause extensive strip mining, air pollution and boom town development. Moreover, synthetic fuels are so expensive and destructive that they might end up costing more energy to produce than they will yield when finally burned. June 25, 1976. Adopted 65-15. The correct vote is no.