July 18, 2009
Washington, DC – To encourage local renewable energy efforts and enhance our nation’s environmental infrastructure and economic security, Congressman Joe Sestak (PA-07) helped the House pass by a 320-97 margin the Fiscal Year 2010 Energy and Water Appropriations Act. The bill contains, among other provisions, investments in clean energy technologies, including funding for geothermal installation at West Chester University and a solar panel field in Lower Providence Township. The bill now awaits Senate approval and the President’s signature.
“These projects are helping to transform at the local level what I support happening on a national scale,” said Congressman Sestak. “Both West Chester University and Lower Providence Township are taking great strides to reduce their energy bills and carbon footprint through the utilization of renewable energy sources and serve as positive examples for other campuses and municipalities.”
West Chester University will receive $300,000 for the university’s effort to transform its campus heating and cooling systems from traditional power sources to geothermal. This change will significantly decrease the institution’s carbon footprint and serve as a national model for green campus efforts. The institution is in the process of designing and implementing this project by building well fields and installing connecting piping to provide the geothermal heating/cooling source for campus buildings.
The Lower Providence Township was appropriated $200,000 to help advance a project done in conjunction with PECO Energy to explore the possibility of constructing a “brightfield,” or solar farm, at the former Moyer’s Landfill site. Preliminary estimates indicate that thousands of panels could be installed on this former landfill and, subsequently, this location could generate enough solar energy to power several hundred homes. The reduction in emissions of carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide would be comparable to taking hundreds of vehicles off the road each year. A new green energy source would limit the need for fossil fuels, thus reducing pollution, resulting in a cleaner environment. If completed, plans are to use the site also as an educational opportunity for local schools.
Along with these local projects, the bill provides $33.3 billion in FY 2010 funding, $100 million more than last year, to meet the infrastructure needs of the country and make strong improvements to our Nation’s energy policies. It invests in new technologies, scientific research, and conservation efforts that will provide long term solutions to our energy needs and create jobs; increases funding for the Army Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation to help meet our nation’s water infrastructure needs; protects American citizens and improves our economic strength; and it continues to invest in the development of a new “smart grid” to ensure electricity delivery and energy reliability.
The bill also continues ongoing nuclear nonproliferation efforts to help protect Americans from loose nukes and other threats and rejects funding for the development of a new nuclear weapon.
“This bill continues the work of the economic stimulus and climate change bills in building a strong and sustainable economy, advancing this nation’s leadership in scientific research, and restoring and preserving our environment,” said Congressman Sestak. “Investments like these will help our country emerge from this economic crisis in a better position to compete globally and build and sustain high quality, good paying jobs.”
Details of 2010 Energy & Water Appropriations
ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS: $5.5 billion, $139 million above 2009 and $416 million above the request, to address the nation’s water resource investment needs.
• Operations and Maintenance: $2.5 billion, $7 million above the request and $309 million above 2009, to address the over $1 billion backlog of operations and maintenance needs of navigation infrastructure critical to the U.S. economy.
• Construction: $2.1 billion, $405 million above the request and $19 million below 2009, for projects including ongoing flood protection efforts.
• Investigations: $142 million, $42 million above the request and $26 million below 2009, to plan and design America’s next generation of water resource infrastructure.
• Management Reforms: Continues management reforms instituted at the Corps of Engineers, including the requirement for five-year development plans to guide budget decisions and limitations on reprogramming and contracting methods.
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY: $26.9 billion, $86 million above 2009 and $1.5 billion below the request, to fund the five primary mission areas for the Department: science, energy, environment, nuclear nonproliferation, and national security.
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy: $2.25 billion, $321 million above 2009, to increase investments in technologies that use energy more effectively and produce clean, inexpensive energy from domestic sources.
• Solar Energy: $259 million for research, development, and demonstration projects to make solar energy more affordable.
• Biofuels: $235 million for grants to improve production of alternative fuels such as cellulosic ethanol and biodiesel.
• Vehicle Technology: $373 million, including $40 million for hydrogen transportation systems, to collaborate with industry to improve fuel efficiency with better engines, better batteries and engines that burn clean fuel.
• Energy Efficient Buildings: $210 million to research conservation technologies for buildings and industry to reduce energy demand.
• Industrial Technologies: $100 million to help businesses improve energy efficiency.
•Water Power: $30 million to research new ways of generating power from flowing water.
• Weatherization Grants: $220 million for insulation and energy conservation measures to reduce utility bills for low-income families.
Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability: $208 million, $71 million over 2009, to modernize and secure the nation’s electricity grid.
• Smart Grid Technologies: $62.9 million, $30 million above 2009, for smart grid research and development.
• Energy Storage: $15 million, more than triple 2009, for research and development of grid-connected energy storage technologies.
• Cyber Security: $46.5 million for energy delivery cyber security, an increase of $34.5 million from 2009, to develop secure grid technologies as cyber attacks increase worldwide and the grid becomes increasingly network-connected.
• Clean Energy Transmission and Reliability: $42 million to increase the efficiency of the grid and enable the widespread deployment of clean, domestic renewable energy.
Office of Science: $4.9 billion, $171 million above 2009, for scientific research critical to addressing long-term energy needs. This funding, in addition to the $4.8 billion appropriated in fiscal year 2009 and $1.6 billion in the Recovery Act, exceeds the goals in the America COMPETES Act.
• Basic Energy Sciences: $1.7 billion for basic research primarily on materials sciences and on chemical sciences, energy biosciences and geosciences. This work places heavy emphasis on advancing the frontiers of using ever-faster tools, including $409 million in the Advanced Scientific Computing Research program, to better understand ever-smaller and more detailed phenomena.
• Applied Research: $2.4 billion for Nuclear Physics, High Energy Physics, Biological and Environmental Research, and Fusion Energy Sciences.
Environmental Clean-up: A half-century of national security and civilian nuclear activity has resulted in an enduring need to mitigate the environmental impacts of these sites on affected communities and the environment.
• $5.4 billion to clean up contamination from nuclear weapons manufacturing and cancelled projects for handling spent nuclear fuel.
• $238 million for non-defense clean-up associated with civilian nuclear energy activities.
• $559 million from the Uranium Enrichment Decontamination and Decommissioning Fund for clean-up at uranium processing facilities.
Nuclear Energy: $812 million, $20 million above 2009, to support ongoing research and development projects and to maintain the infrastructure supporting this work.
• $71 million for the Nuclear Power 2010 program, $107 less than 2009.
• $272 million for Generation IV research and development, including $245 million for the Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP).
• $129 million for fuel cycle research and development.
• $261 million for Idaho National Laboratory and other Radiological Infrastructure.
Nuclear Nonproliferation: $1.5 billion, the same as the budget request, excluding domestic construction projects shifted to Other Defense Activities. This funding will protect the American people by reducing the risk that more countries will acquire nuclear weapons and improve our ability to stop nuclear and radiological materials and weapons from being smuggled into the United States.
• International Nuclear Material Protection and Cooperation: $592 million, $192 million above 2009, to strengthen the security of nuclear materials in Russia and elsewhere, as well as to bolster border and port security worldwide against illicit nuclear trafficking.
Nuclear Weapons Programs: $6.3 billion, $60 million below 2009 and $64 million below the request, for our nation’s nuclear weapons, with a shift in priority to greater security. The bill recommends a $40 million increase from the request in Security, a $52 million increase in Weapons Dismantlement activities from 2009, and an increase of $45 million from the request for the Uranium Processing Facility to greatly improve security at the Oak Ridge site.
Loan Programs: The bill continues to support the Title XVII Innovative Technology Loan Guarantee and the Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing Loan programs to accelerate the implementation of renewable energy generation and to establish a domestic manufacturing base. Recognizing sufficient loan authority for these programs currently exits, the bill includes no additional loan authority. The bill does include statutory language on wage-rate requirements for the Title XVII program.
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR: $1.1 billion, $17 million above the request and $38 million below 2009, to continue to support and improve the nation’s water infrastructure, including $1 billion for the Bureau of Reclamation for dams, canals, water treatment and conservation, and rural water projects.
SIGNIFICANT CUTS
Nuclear Waste Disposal: The Administration has terminated the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository. The bill provides $197 million, $92 million below 2009, to continue the licensing process and establish a Blue Ribbon Commission to evaluate alternatives for nuclear waste disposal.
B61-12 nuclear bomb: The Committee recommends no funding for the B61-12 nuclear bomb. Until the Administration finalizes its plans for the nation’s nuclear strategy, stockpile, and complex plans, the Committee does not support the effort to develop what is essentially a new nuclear weapon.
Born and raised in Delaware County, former 3-star Admiral Joe Sestak served in the Navy for 31 years and now serves as the Representative from the 7th District of Pennsylvania. He led a series of operational commands at sea, including as Commander of an aircraft carrier battle group of 30 U.S. and allied ships with over 15,000 sailors and 100 aircraft that conducted operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. After 9/11, Joe was the first Director of “Deep Blue,” the Navy’s anti-terrorism unit that established strategic and operations policies for the “Global War on Terrorism.” He served as President Clinton’s Director for Defense Policy at the National Security Council in the White House, and holds a Ph.D. in Political Economy and Government from Harvard University. According to the office of the House Historian, Joe is the highest-ranking former military officer ever elected to the U.S. Congress.
Media Contact:
Jonathon Dworkin
jonathon.dworkin@mail.house.gov
610-892-8623