[Senate Hearing 118-]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2023
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U.S. Senate,
Subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations,
Washington, DC.
NONDEPARTMENTAL WITNESSES
[Clerk's note.--The subcommittee was unable to hold
hearings on nondepartmental witnesses. The statements and
letters of those submitting written testimony are as follows:]
Prepared Statement of the American Council for an Energy-Efficient
Economy
Chair Feinstein, Ranking Member Kennedy, and members of the
subcommittee, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy
(ACEEE) appreciates the opportunity to provide written testimony on the
appropriations and activities of the Federal agencies under the
subcommittee's jurisdiction. ACEEE, a nonprofit research organization,
develops transformative policies to reduce energy waste and combat
climate change. With our independent analysis, we aim to build a
vibrant and equitable economy--one that uses energy more productively,
reduces costs, protects the environment, and promotes the health,
safety, and well-being of everyone. While we strongly support funding
for a wide variety of energy efficiency programs as detailed in a joint
letter, this testimony focuses on more details on funds needed for the
Department of Energy's Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO) and other
priority areas to further much needed industrial decarbonization
efforts. For the Fiscal Year 2023 budget ACEEE recommends that funding
for the Department of Energy's Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO) be
increased to $600 million from $416 million in FY22 to accommodate the
more ambitious agenda of decarbonizing US manufacturing by midcentury,
supported by the enactment last Congress of the Energy Act of 2020 and
the Clean Industrial Technology Act. This goal also requires funding
for industrial decarbonization activities in offices beyond AMO in
light of the ongoing departmental reorganization. Thus we also seek
$200 million for transformative technology adoption at the Office of
Clean Energy Demonstrations (OECD) and funding for two programs within
Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains (MESC): $30 million for
Industrial Assessment Centers and $40 million for the establishment of
a Flex-Tech program.
Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO): $600 million to enable the
research, development, demonstration and deployment of industrial
energy efficiency and advanced manufacturing technologies. This level
of funding is intended to accommodate an ambitious agenda of
decarbonizing US manufacturing by the midcentury. This goal of dramatic
reductions requires increases in activity levels across the office and
some important changes in the orientation of the office's goals. AMO
should expand its efforts from promoting energy efficiency to include
reducing carbon emissions for manufacturing and reducing the embodied
carbon in manufactured products more broadly. We expect DOE to release
its long-delayed industrial decarbonization roadmap very soon, and as
AMO rebuilds its staffing, the office should focus on adding expertise
in important decarbonization technology areas identified in its
research road mapping.
While we support providing AMO increased flexibility in funding in
order to reorient the office to the challenge of industrial
decarbonization most effectively, we think the following programs and
objective should be part of the office's direction and have included
our estimate of FY23 funding needed:
--Technical Assistance and Workforce Development:
--Strategic Energy Management: AMO should promote Strategic Energy
Management practices and establish a program to provide
competitive grants to companies for the hiring or
designation of plant energy managers. Strategic Energy
Management is especially important for small and medium-
sized manufacturing plants. ($15 million)
--Save Carbon Now: AMO should expand the Better Plants program to
offer comprehensive assessments and engagements to the
1,500 largest energy using and greenhouse gas emitting
manufacturing facilities in order to address natural gas
shortages and assist decarbonization. These engagements
should include, but not be limited to, targeted assessments
of energy-saving and emissions reduction opportunities,
staff training, technical assistance and analyses, and
education. The enhanced Save Energy Now program run by the
Department of Energy from 2008 to 2011 achieved CO2
emissions reductions of about 1.8 million metric tons per
year and natural gas savings of about 98 TBtu per year.\1\
($55 million)
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\1\ Wright, A., M. Martin, and S. Nimbalkar. 2010. Results from the
U.S. DOE 2008 Save Energy Now Assessment Inititive: [sic.] DOE's
Partnership with U.S. Industry to Reduce Energy Consumption, Energy
Costs, and Carbon Dioxide Emissions. Oak Ridge, TN: Oak Ridge National
Laboratory. info.ornl.gov/sites/publications/files/
Pub25190.pdfaceee.org/research-report/ie2201.
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--Smart Manufacturing: AMO should support the development and
adoption of smart manufacturing practices (the use of
automated controls to achieve large process efficiencies)
directed towards small and medium-sized manufacturers. This
includes, but is not limited to, extending and expanded
funding for the Clean Energy Smart Manufacturing Innovative
Institute (CESMII) to increase educational and technical
assistance activities directed toward smart manufacturing
adoption. ($30 million)
--Industrial Process Heat Decarbonization R&D: AMO should support
industrial process heating decarbonization through the
establishment of a research, development, and deployment effort
by AMO to promote the adoption of technologies that can
dramatically reduce the GHG emissions from process heating
applications, the largest source of industrial emissions.\2\
($55 million)
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\2\ Rightor, E., P. Scheihing, A. Hoffmeister, and R. Papar. 2022.
Industrial Heat Pumps: Electrifying Industry's Process Heat Supply.
Washington, DC: American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy.
aceee.org/research-report/ie2201.
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Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED): $200 million for
transformative technology adoption through the establishment of a grant
program that provides cost-share payments to manufacturing facilities
that make the first at-scale implementations of transformative
technologies to reduce GHG emissions in intensive manufacturing
processes. The high cost of implementing new technologies at an
industrial scale is a key barrier to the process transformations needed
for competitive, decarbonized, domestic manufacturing.
Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains (MESC):
--Industrial Assessment Centers: $30 million for the Industrial
Assessment Centers (IAC) program to expand the program in order
to increase the number of university-based centers to 40; to
establish satellite centers at community colleges, technical
schools, and union training facilities; and to establish an
apprenticeship program with matching funding for IAC students
at facilities that have received assessments in the recent past
to facilitate the implementation of recommendations.
--Flex Tech: $40 million for the establishment of a Flex-Tech program
that provides grants to States and Tribal governments partnered
with educational institutions and trade associations to provide
energy and greenhouse gas reduction assessments and loans to
implement identified measures at small and medium-sized
manufacturers.
Thank you for the opportunity to share these recommendations, and
please let us know if we can provide additional information.
[This statement was submitted by Alexander Ratner, Federal Policy
Manager, American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy.]
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Prepared Statement of the American Nuclear Society
On behalf of the 10,000 men and women of the American Nuclear
Society \1\ (ANS), I am pleased to provide recommendations for fiscal
year 2023 appropriations levels for nuclear programs under the
subcommittee's jurisdiction. The American nuclear community is grateful
to the Committee for its continued, bipartisan support for Federal
investments to sustain our existing nuclear fleet and accelerate the
near-term development and deployment of new nuclear energy
technologies. Our recommendations are aligned toward a commercial
scale-up of advanced nuclear reactors in the 2030 timeframe and
consistent with the 2021 ANS report, ``The U.S. Nuclear R&D
Imperative.'' \2\ For Fiscal Year, 2023, ANS recommends a minimum of
$2.2 billion for Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Nuclear Energy
(NE) programs. We recognize this level of funding will present a
challenge to the committee given its current 302(b) allocation.
However, the Russian invasion of Ukraine has laid bare the immediate
U.S. national security interest in strengthening our nuclear supply
chain and reducing our reliance on Russian sources of nuclear fuel and
R&D capabilities.
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\1\ The American Nuclear Society is the premier organization for
those who embrace nuclear science and technology for their vital
contributions to improving people's lives and preserving the planet.
ANS membership is open to all and consists of individuals from all
walks of life; including engineers, doctors, students, educators,
scientists, soldiers, advocates, government employees, and others. ANS
is committed to advancing, fostering, and promoting the development and
application of nuclear sciences and technologies to benefit society.
\2\ ANS Task Force on Public Investment in Nuclear Research and
Development (Feb. 2021). The U.S. Nuclear R&D Imperative (pp. 1-39,
Rep.) https://www.ans.org/file/3177/2/ANS percent20RnD percent20Task
percent20Force percent20Report.pdf.
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doe office of nuclear energy
Directed R&D and University Programs
(Fiscal Year 2023 Recommendation: $161 million)
ANS strongly supports the administration's request for this new
programmatic structure, which consolidates NE funding for universities
(and small businesses) into a unified program that will provide
stewardship for university-based nuclear education programs, campus
research reactors, and start-up companies. While still tightly aligned
with Departmental missions, this new structure will eliminate the need
to ``tax'' existing NE programs to provide the funding needed required
for effective stewardship of nuclear education and research at U.S.
universities.
ANS STRONGLY opposes the inclusion of any congressional earmark in
this account. While we are mindful of Congress' power of the purse, the
inclusion of project-specific earmarks at this time would effectively
gut this new program before it has a chance to become established,
negatively impacting existing competitively awarded projects, and
inflicting tangible damage to America's overall nuclear
competitiveness.
Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program (ARDP)
(Fiscal Year 2023 Recommendation: $245 million)
For fiscal year 2023 ANS recommends $140 million for Risk Reduction
for Future Demonstrations, $85 million for NRIC, $15 million for
Regulatory Development, and $5 million for Advanced Reactor Safeguards.
Advanced Nuclear Fuel Availability Program
(Fiscal Year 2023 Recommendation--$360 million: $300 million for
commercial enrichment and deconversion capacity and $60 million
for downblending of HEU)
Consistent with the Energy Act of 2020, it is imperative that DOE
establish a competitive commercial high-assay low-enriched uranium
(HALEU) fuel supply chain in the U.S. The urgency is real. Russia can
no longer be considered a feasible HALEU supplier. Without a reliable
HALEU supply, lead commercial customers will be less likely to make
commitments to build advanced reactors. We recognize the administration
has not yet submitted a comprehensive plan to address HALEU needs, but
there is increasing consensus within the U.S. nuclear community that a
$300-400 million level of investment will be required to stimulate
sufficient commercial interest. Therefore, ANS requests $300 million
for fiscal year 2023 to support the deployment of a U.S. commercial
HALEU supply chain and $60 million for the fresh HEU downblending
bridge program.
High Enriched Uranium Recovery for HALEU (EBR-II)
(Fiscal Year 2023 Recommendation: $25.75 million)
ANS recommends $25.75 million to transition EBR-II spent fuel
processing operations in order to meet the increasing needs of
industry.
Fuel Cycle R&D; Fuel Cycle Laboratory R&D
(Fiscal Year 2023: Recommendation $35 million)
ANS recommends not less than $20 million for metallic fuels and $15
million for additional fuel cycle laboratory R&D.
Accident Tolerant Fuels
(Fiscal Year 2023 Recommendation: $165 million)
ANS recommends $120 million for continued participation of the
industry-led teams in the cost-shared R&D program including support for
testing, code development, and licensing of ATF with higher fuel
utilization. ANS also recommends $10 million to continue silicon-
carbide development and $35 million for laboratory specific work in
support of ATF.
TRISO Fuel and Graphite Qualification
(Fiscal Year 2023 Recommendation: $37 million)
Versatile Test Reactor
(Fiscal Year 2023 Recommendation: $45 million)
Currently, the only fast research reactor available is located in
Russia. While the VTR may not be necessary for near-term licensing of
certain advanced reactors, the Committee must recognize that a fast
neutron irradiation facility remains mission critical for sustaining
U.S. advanced nuclear energy in the long-term. We believe NE should use
some portion of the requested funding to explore the potential cost
savings of aligning VTR component fabrication with Natrium ARDP project
and, in concert with the DOE Office of Science, assess opportunities
for producing isotopes for which the U.S. currently relies on Russia
for significant supply.
Light Water Reactor Sustainability
(Fiscal Year 2023 Recommendation: $62 million)
ANS recommends $62 million to enable this program to accelerate LWR
modernization efforts while continuing to support hydrogen
demonstrations. ANS also requests that no less than $12 million be used
to support new or previously awarded hydrogen demonstration projects.
Advanced SMR R&D Support
(Fiscal Year 2023 Recommendation: $211 million)
Demonstrating the next generation of advanced light water small
modular reactors will support both domestic deployment and export of
U.S. technology and enable broad U.S. leadership in new technologies.
Nuclear Waste Disposal/Integrated Waste Management
(Fiscal year 2023 Recommendation: $53 million)
ANS supports the requested level for these programs. We strongly
urge the Committee to reject any attempt to limit DOE's authority to
direct funding to particular States or localities. The U.S. is in the
beginning stages of rebuilding a used nuclear fuel management program
that has been dormant for far too long. Now is not the time to
foreclose on any option which can help the U.S. manage its fuel
resources more effectively.
Program Direction
(Fiscal Year 2023 Recommendation: $100 million)
The management responsibilities that come with DOE NE program
additions have increased substantially over the past several years
while staffing levels have reduced and Program Direction funding has
remained consistent. This convergence has created challenges in many
areas, including contracting management and program execution. ANS
recommends $100 million for fiscal year 2023 which will allow DOE NE to
add experienced staff and address current staffing deficiencies.
Advanced Reactor Technologies
(Fiscal Year 2023 Recommendation: $70 million)
The Advanced Reactor Technologies subprogram conducts essential R&D
activities to reduce technical risks associated with advanced reactor
technologies and systems. The subprogram R&D scope reflects input from
advanced reactor stakeholders with a goal of enabling industry to
mature and ultimately demonstrate advanced reactor technologies by the
2030s. ANS recommends $70 million total for the subprogram, with $16
million for the microreactor program and $20 million for the MARVEL
reactor. The MARVEL reactor will support fuel acquisition and
construction in fiscal year 2023. ANS also recommends $15 million for
the ARC-20 program.
International Nuclear Energy Cooperation
(Fiscal Year 2023 Recommendation: $8 million)
doe office of clean energy demonstrations
Advanced Reactor Demonstrations
(Fiscal Year 2023 Recommendation: $70 million)
While passage of the 2021 Infrastructure and Jobs Act provided
funding for the Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program (ARDP); the bill
did not entirely fund both demonstration projects. ANS recommends an
additional $70 million for continued ARDP support.
doe office of science
Isotope R&D and Production Program
(Fiscal Year 2023: $102 million)
ANS strongly supports DOE's Isotope program and its missions to
produce isotopes in short supply, manage DOE inventories of stable and
long-lived isotopes, and conduct research and development activities on
new isotope applications in medicine and industry. In addition to
isotopes produced in DOE reactors and accelerators, there are new
opportunities to use DOE legacy materials, such as strontium 90 for
space and undersea applications, that were once considered waste. The
DOE Isotope office should have the authority and resources it needs to
facilitate the beneficial commercial use of these materials.
Low-Dose Radiation Program
(Fiscal Year 2023 Recommendation: $20 million to support low-dose
radiation research activities)
Through recent congressional direction, the Department of Energy's
Office of Science Biological and Environmental Research is to re-
establish a research program devoted to the human health effects of
low-dose radiation at a funding level of no less than $5 million. To
maintain progress in fiscal year 2023, and with the imminent release of
the National Academies of Sciences guidance report on the development
of a long-term strategy for low-dose radiation research in the U.S.,
ANS recommends $20 million for the program.
Expanded funding will allow for new technologies and approaches for
examining biological mechanisms by which ionizing radiation produces
cancer and non-cancer health outcomes, and the integration of
mechanistic biological insights with epidemiological data. This funding
is also needed to support interdisciplinary training and integrated
cross-professional research programs devoted to understanding and
quantifying radiation health effects at low doses. The program will
also support education and outreach activities to disseminate
information and promote public understanding of low-dose radiation.
[This statement was submitted by Craig H. Piercy, Executive
Director/CEO, American Nuclear Society.]
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Prepared Statement of the American Society for Microbiology
The American Society for Microbiology (ASM) appreciates the
opportunity to submit outside witness testimony for the fiscal year
2023 Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies appropriations
bill in support of increased funding for the Department of Energy
Office of Science. The American Society for Microbiology (ASM) is one
of the largest professional societies dedicated to the life sciences
and is composed of 30,000 scientists and health practitioners. ASM's
mission is to promote and advance the microbial sciences.
The Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science is a leader in
advancing critical industries of the future, including quantum
information science, artificial intelligence, high performance
computing, advanced communications networks, future energy
technologies, and engineering biology. As we rise to meet the
challenges of the 21st Century, microbial science funded by the DOE
Office of Science remains vitally important. ASM urges Congress to fund
the DOE Office of Science at $8.8 billion in fiscal year 2022, an
increase of 18 percent above fiscal year 2022 and consistent with the
bipartisan House and Senate DOE Science for the Future Act.
Funding from the DOE Office of Science through the National
Laboratories, universities, and other programs has generated some of
our most economically important innovations and is the primary driver
of basic research, including critical areas of genome-scale,
quantitative analysis of microbial research. This support has enabled
researchers to use microbes to solve energy and environmental problems,
and to bring those solutions to scale by developing empirical,
computational, and mechanistic modeling tools.
Office of Science funding led to the creation of the Bioenergy
Research Centers, which support research into viable and sustainable
domestic biofuel and bioproducts industries. Each of the four Centers
is led by a DOE national laboratory or university, and each takes an
innovative approach to improving and scaling up advanced biofuel and
bioproduct production processes. Recent investments in the Joint Genome
Institute and the National Microbiome Data Collaborative will lead to
more effective analysis of microbiome data and better coordination of
multidisciplinary microbiome research across the Federal Government.
DOE National Laboratories were effectively deployed in the fight
against COVID-19, using their supercomputing and modeling capabilities
to both understand components of the virus and to find drug compounds
to treat it. Thousands of projects funded by NIH (National Institutes
of Health) and NSF (National Science Foundation) utilize DOE facilities
each year, and more than fifty Fortune 500 companies and many small
businesses use these facilities to conduct the underlying research
required to develop innovative technologies and products that drive the
economy, including the growing bioeconomy.
Microbial Research is Needed to Face 21st Century Challenges
Our society faces several large, complex, and interconnected
challenges, many of which can be addressed through microbial research.
Inexpensive renewable sources of energy, fuels, and chemicals are
essential for continued economic growth, but the environmental
tradeoffs of increased energy production must also be considered.
Microbial science funded by DOE Office of Science can lead the way in
developing sustainable strategies to feed an ever-growing population by
increasing plant and agricultural productivity and quality; by
providing strategies to ensure that future U.S. citizens enjoy clean
air, water, and a high standard of living; in transforming human health
by providing everything from new pharmaceuticals, reagents for
precision medicine, and next generation antibiotics; and by producing
cost-competitive fuels, chemicals, and materials from abundant
renewable resources. These and other advances in decarbonization, the
production of biomaterials or bio-based polymers, and others based on
new microbial catalysts will only happen with strong, stable
investments in the Office of Science.
The Office of Science currently funds four Bioenergy Research
Centers (BRC), which support research into viable and sustainable
domestic biofuel and bioproducts industries. These four Centers are
developing viable and sustainable domestic biofuels and bioproducts
derived from non-food plant biomass, such as poplar, switchgrass, and
sorghum. This research will lead to lower greenhouse gas emissions,
bring jobs to rural areas, and boost our energy security, and we
strongly encourage Congress to continue fully funding the Bioenergy
Research Centers.
DOE-Funded Microbiome Research Spurs Innovation
In its stewardship of innovation at DOE's National Laboratories,
universities, and other programs, the Office of Science is a critical
partner in advancing areas of national need, supporting research in key
emerging areas including artificial intelligence and microbiome
research. The Biological and Environmental Research (BER) Directorate
at DOE explores the frontiers of genome-enabled biology, deepens our
understanding of physical and biogeochemical Earth processes, and
enables innovation and discovery through their user-facilities. Funding
is crucial not only for the continuation of research for existing
programs within the BER, but also for new initiatives such as the
National virtual climate lab and the Biopreparedness Research Virtual
Environment (BRaVE).
Microbiome science aims to advance understanding of microbial
communities (microbiomes) for applications in areas such as health
care, food production, and environmental restoration to benefit
individuals, communities, and the environment. Scientific understanding
of the microbiome has evolved significantly since the concept of the
human microbiome emerged two decades ago. We now know that microbial
communities exist everywhere, making the microbiome relevant to all
living things. Yet, there remains much to discover regarding how
microbiomes function as communities, interact with their hosts and
environment, and their overall potential to improve health and
ecosystems. The rapid pace of discovery has led to greater technology
needs and data sharing infrastructure.
The Interagency Strategic Plan for Microbiome Research, fiscal year
2018-2022, developed by the Microbiome Interagency Working Group
(MIWG), provides recommendations for improving coordination of
microbiome research among Federal agencies and between agencies and
non-Federal domestic and international microbiome research efforts. The
5-year Strategic Plan coordinates microbiome research activities across
21 government agencies, describing the interagency objectives,
structure and operating principles, and research focus areas. As noted
in the Interagency Strategic Plan for Microbiome Research, microbiome
data is ``Big Data,'' which requires consistent and reliable database
and resource coordination to facilitate data collection, analysis,
interoperability, and data sharing. The NMDC (National Microbiome Data
Collaborative) is aimed at empowering this type of microbiome research.
Spearheaded by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, in partnership
with Los Alamos, Oak Ridge, and Pacific Northwest national
laboratories, the NMDC is leveraging DOE's existing data-science
resources and high-performance computing systems to develop a framework
that facilitates more efficient use of microbiome data for applications
in energy, environment, health, and agriculture.
Our nation's ability to make significant advances in solving energy
and environmental problems depends on advances in the microbial
sciences. This will only be possible if Congress continues its
commitment to robust and sustained funding increases for the Department
of Energy's Office of Science.
[This statement was submitted by Allen Segal, Director of Public
Policy and
Advocacy, American Society for Microbiology.]
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Prepared Statement of the American Society of Plant Biologists
On behalf of the American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB), we
submit this written testimony to support $8.8 billion for the
Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Science in fiscal year 2023.
Within this amount, ASPB supports proportional increases in funding for
the Office of Basic Energy Sciences (BES) and the Office of Biological
and Environmental Research (BER). ASPB also supports at least $575
million for the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) in
fiscal year 2023.
The following testimony highlights the importance of biology-
particularly plant biology, which is a major backbone of efforts to
enhance bioenergy production-as the Nation seeks to address energy
security and other vital issues. We thank the subcommittee for its
consideration of this testimony and for its support for the basic
research mission of the DOE Office of Science.
ASPB, founded in 1924 as the American Society of Plant
Physiologists, was established to promote the growth and development of
plant biology, to encourage and publish research in plant biology, and
to promote the interests and professional advancement of plant
scientists in general. ASPB members educate, mentor, advise, and
nurture future generations of plant biologists; they work to increase
understanding of plant biology, as well as science in general, in K-16
schools and among the general public; they advocate in support of plant
biology research; they work to convey the relevance and importance of
plant biology; and they provide expertise in policy decisions world-
wide.
Fuel, Food, Environment, and Health: Plant Biology Research and
America's Future
Plants are vital to our very existence. They harvest sunlight,
converting it to chemical energy for food and feed; they take up carbon
dioxide and produce oxygen; and they are essential to life on Earth.
Indeed, plant biology research is making many fundamental contributions
in the areas of domestic fuel security and environmental stewardship;
the continued and sustainable development of better fuels, foods,
fabrics, pharmaceuticals, and building materials; and in the
understanding of basic biological principles that underpin improvements
in plant growth and home-grown energy sources for all Americans.
Plant biology is at the center of numerous scientific breakthroughs
in the increasingly interdisciplinary world of alternative energy
research. For example, researchers at National Renewable Energy
Laboratory (NREL) published research that demonstrates the ability to
convert wet waste carbon (food waste derived from fatty acids) to
sustainable aviation fuels-highlighting the potential to meet aviation
needs and environmental challenges. Similarly, with the increase in
plant genome sequencing and functional genomics, the interface of plant
biology and computer science has become essential to our understanding
of complex biological systems, ranging from single cells to entire
ecosystems. This research is critical for our future in bioenergy
production.
Even though foundational and mission-oriented plant biology
research-the kind of research DOE funds-underpins vital advances in
practical applications in energy, health, and the environment, plant
scientists have had to maximize and leverage modest Federal funding to
understand the basic function and mechanisms of plants. Strong
investments in plant biology research are important considering the
significant positive impact crop plants have on the Nation's economy
and in addressing some of our most urgent challenges, like energy and
food security. For example, continued basic and applied research in
fields like synthetic biology will enable the creation and production
of more energy dense, carbon neutral fuels and expand the production of
energy-efficient biomass.\1\
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\1\ https://roadmap.ebrc.org/energy/.
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Securing the Plant Science Talent Pipeline
As discussed above, many of the challenges brought by a changing
world will be addressed specifically by plant scientists. A significant
increase in crop productivity will be needed to match the demand for
food expected from the rate of population growth. At the same time,
climate change will present new trials for crops and other plant
ecosystems. These challenges will require efforts to increase
productivity beyond current practices, including improvement in crop
water use efficiency and enhanced crop photosynthesis efficiency and
performance, to name just a few approaches. More knowledge and
innovation will be needed to replace chemicals from non-renewable
sources (from fuels to biomedical applications) with plant-derived
metabolites. These types of innovations will require contributions from
basic and applied plant science fields and collaboration from other
sciences and engineering.
To tackle these challenges, a strong and diverse community of plant
scientists, with increased involvement from women and minority
scientists, will be needed. However, the current training pipeline is
not primed to ensure the availability of this workforce. Plant science
doctoral degrees, both basic and agronomy-related, have remained
stagnant over the past two decades. A strong investment in plant
science research, both basic and applied, renewed efforts to transform
public perception of plant biology and plant biologists, and a push to
increase the number of students entering the pipeline leading to plant
science degrees are necessary to change these trends. Developing the
workforce that will contribute the solutions to future challenges is
urgent. With this need in mind, ASPB applauds the awards DOE has made
in training the next generation of scientists. However, more efforts,
including outreach to and investments in women and minority
researchers, is vital for the US to maintain its energy leadership.
doe recommendations
Because the ASPB membership has extensive expertise and
participation in the academic, industry and government sectors, ASPB is
in an excellent position to articulate the Nation's plant science
priorities as they relate to fundamental plant biology and,
specifically, with respect to recommendations for bioenergy research
funding through DOE's Office of Science.
The BER and BES programs within the Office of Science are crucial
to understanding how basic biological processes work. Sustained funding
for these programs is vital because the discoveries made in these areas
will ultimately be the foundation for the next fuels and technologies
we use in our daily lives. Support from ARPA-E is critical to advancing
plant synthetic biology technologies, and ASPB implores the committee
to include sustained, targeted funding for synthetic biology research
in the program.
In addition:
--We commend the DOE Office of Science, through its programs in BES
and BER, for having funded the Bioenergy Research Centers and
the Energy Frontier Research Centers. ASPB strongly encourages
additional funding for the DOE Office of Science that would
specifically target funding toward individual and small-group
grants for bioenergy and plant growth research.
--Considerable research interest is now focused on processing plant
biomass for energy production. Fundamental discoveries of the
genes that control plant growth and enable plant growth in
response to stresses, including drought, are needed to secure
our energy future. If biomass crops, including woody plants,
are to be used to their full potential, extensive effort must
be expended to improve our understanding of their basic biology
and development, as well as their agronomic performance and
conversion efficiency in processing to fuels and high-value co-
products. Therefore, ASPB calls for DOE to support research
targeted at efforts to increase the utility and agronomic
performance of bioenergy feedstocks, both in the field and for
their end users in the bioeconomy.
Thank you for your consideration of our testimony on behalf of the
American Society of Plant Biologists. For more information about the
American Society of Plant Biologists, please see www.aspb.org.
[This statement was submitted by Crispin Taylor, CEO, American
Society of Plant Biologists.]
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Prepared Statement of the Assiniboine and Sioux Rural Water Supply
System and Dry Prairie Rural Water System
bureau of reclamation
1. Fiscal Year 2023 Budget Request
The Assiniboine and Sioux Rural Water Supply System and Dry Prairie
Rural Water System respectfully request fiscal year 2023 appropriations
of $6.808 million, part of the Bureau of Reclamation Rural Water
Program (Table 1).
The fiscal year 2023 Federal funding request is $1.799 million for
the Assiniboine and Sioux Rural Water Supply System (ASRWSS) and $5.009
million for the Dry Prairie Rural Water System (DPRWS) to fully
complete project construction at a combined cost of $6.808 million,
including projected 5 percent inflation during fiscal year 2022. The
request completes all elements of the Fort Peck Reservation Rural Water
System, Montana, (PL 106-382, October 27, 2000). Future requests will
be limited to inflation on projects initiated in fiscal year 2023 and
fiscal year 2024 that are not covered by the 5 percent projected
inflation in fiscal year 2022.
TABLE 1
FY 2023 FUNDING REQUESTFORT PECK RESERVATION RURAL WATER SYSTEM (PL 106-
382)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sponsor/Project Feature Federal
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Assiniboine and Sioux Rural Water Supply System
Complete Project Improvements....................... 1,798,886
---------------
Subtotal........................................ $1,798,886
Dry Prairie Rural Water System
Outlook Branches.................................... 5,009,199
---------------
Subtotal........................................ $5,009,199
---------------
Total................................................... $6,808,085
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The project expresses the greatest appreciation to the Chair and
subcommittee for their unwavering support during the construction of
this vital infrastructure in a vast area of Montana only slightly
smaller than the state of Massachusetts.
2. Project Status and Funding Needs
The project was greatly assisted by fiscal year 2022 appropriations
of $17.191 million and fiscal year 2022 allocations of $39 million by
the Bureau of Reclamation from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL)
as shown in Table 2.
Considerable project inflation through fiscal year 2021 in PVC pipe
material prices, an increase of more than 100 percent, triggered a re-
pricing of the project by the Reclamation Technical Service Center in
Denver. The re-pricing was completed on March 31, 2022, and resulted in
an increase in the authorized construction ceiling for ASRWSS from
$220.026 million to $229.456 million or an increase of $9.430 million.
Similarly, the authorized construction celling for DPRWS was increased
from $132.367 million to $172.617 million an increase of $40.250
million of which $30.950 million was Federal and $9.660 million was
non-federal.
After applying funds as shown in Table 2 to all remaining projects
in fiscal year 2022, a cost of $6.484 million remained to complete both
projects within the Reclamation-adjusted authorized ceilings. That
amount was increased by 5 percent for projected fiscal year 2022
inflation to arrive at the request for fiscal year 2023 of $6.808
million. PVC pipe material prices in fiscal year 2022 have soared an
additional 19 percent.
TABLE 2
FUNDS NEEDED TO COMPLETE PROJECTS GIVEN FISCAL YEAR 2022 ALLOCATIONS
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Remaining Costs and Available Funding ASRWSS DPRWS Total
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FUNDING TO COMPLETE PROJECTS
TSC Remaining Project Costs (-15 percent for Design $41,223,447 $83,698,704 $124,922,151
contingencies+ TERO/GRT) and Post-October 201 remaining
Costs in Master Plan.......................................
Available Funding
FY 2021 Carryover....................................... $22,510,222 $29,123,079 $51,633,301
FY 2022 Appropriations.................................. 17,000,000 191,000 17,191,000
BIL
Initial Allocation.................................. 0 7,000,000 7,000,000
Reserve (Requires Concurrence of Boards)............ 0 32,000,000 32,000,000
-----------------------------------------------
Subtotal................................................ $39,510,222 $68,314,079 $107,824,301
Needed to Complete Remaining Projects
Total................................................... $1,713,225 $15,384,625 $17,097,850
Federal............................................. 1,713,225 4,770,665 6,483,890
Non-Federal......................................... 0 10,613,959 10,613,959
CEILING AND REPRICING AJUSTMENTS
October 2021 Indexed Authorized Ceiling
Total................................................... $220,026,000 $132,367,105 $352,393,105
Federal............................................. 220,026,000 100,599,000 320,625,000
Non-Federal......................................... 0 31,768,105 31,768,105
Re-priced Authorized Ceiling (From October 2021 Master Plan
Adjusted for TSC Pricing)..................................
Total................................................... $229,455,857 $172,617,259 $402,073,116
Federal............................................. 229,455,857 131,189,117 360,644,974
Non-Federal......................................... 0 41,428,142 41,428,142
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The recognition, cooperation, collaboration, and focus of the
Bureau of Reclamation at the National, regional, area, and project
level were extraordinary during the inflationary crisis, and both
projects are grateful.
Note that the decisions by Reclamation on the allocation of fiscal
year 2022 appropriations, BIL funding, and remaining work to be
completed within both projects have been discussed extensively with
Reclamation but are not formalized at the time of this writing. Table 2
is based on the expectations of both projects based on discussions, but
not formal allocations, which are still coming.
With fiscal year 2023 appropriations as requested and future
adjustments for inflation, both projects can be successfully completed
as originally envisioned. Both projects will serve their water users
with safe, adequate, and reliable water supplies for the foreseeable
future without shortage in supply or deficiency in quality.
______
Prepared Statement of the Association of State Floodplain Managers
The Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM) appreciates
the opportunity to provide this Outside Witness Testimony for the
Committee's record for the fiscal year 2023 Energy and Water
Development Appropriations legislation. ASFPM has a membership of
20,000 members, including members in 37 state chapters. Our members are
largely State and local officials, but also include many engineers,
planners, and other professionals supporting local communities' efforts
to reduce flood risk and wisely manage floodplains and flood-prone
areas within their jurisdictions. Our membership additionally includes
members of research and academic institutions, and the insurance and
lending industries.
Recommendations in ASFPM's OWT testimony pertain to the following
Corps of Engineers programs: Section 22 Planning Assistance to States
(PAS) $15 million; Flood Plain Management Services (FPMS) $25 million;
National Flood Risk Management Program (NFRMP), including Silver
Jackets ($10 million), and support for planning and technical
assistance for nonstructural, natural feature, and nature-based feature
alternatives within all Corps flood risk management program planning,
as emphasized in WRDA 2020; and support for two studies directed in
WRDA 2007 Water Resources Priorities Study (Sec. 2032) and WRDA 2014
Review of Emergency Response Authorities (Sec. 3029).
Increase Funding for Corps of Engineers Technical Assistance.
ASFPM has long supported the technical assistance programs of the
Army Corps of Engineers Civil Works Program. In these programs, the
Corps of Engineers can provide expertise and assistance to communities
in developing solutions to flood challenges that can help make major
strides toward reducing flood losses--often at considerably less costs,
and without multi-million-dollar taxpayer investments in large Corps
projects. The Corps' technical assistance programs include: Section 22
Planning Assistance to States (PAS) (WRDA 1974, (PL 93-251), as
amended); Flood Plain Management Services (FPMS) (Section 206, 1960
Flood Control Act (PL 86-645), as amended), National Flood Risk
Management Program (NFRMP), and the Silver Jackets program.
Appropriations for these programs are made through the Investigations--
Remaining Items section of the Energy and Water Development
Appropriations.
While these programs represent a relatively small portion of the
total Army Corps budget, they provide a high return on investment. Many
smaller jurisdictions, including lower-income and economically-
disadvantaged and rural communities that generally would never qualify
for a major Corps project or be able to afford the long-term Operations
and Maintenance costs for major projects, especially through provision
of key technical assistance, can develop smaller projects which can
utilize non-structural, natural, or nature-based features, or a
combination of structural and non-structural measures. In addition, the
Army Corps' Silver Jackets program has the special advantage of being
able to bring together numerous other programs from within the Federal
family as well as State and locally-based programs to assist in
addressing flood-related challenges. Also, WRDA 2020 has enhanced FPMS
authority (see Sec. 111) and has broadly encouraged the Corps to
utilize these techniques and approaches in flood risk management and
community resiliency. Silver Jackets especially is continuing to build
key linkages across governments that enhance cooperative approaches.
ASFPM members strongly urge that these technical assistance
programs be funded at considerably higher levels than in the past. The
fiscal year 2022 final appropriations included $9 million for Planning
Assistance to States (PAS), $12 million for Flood Plain Management
Services (FPMS) and $6.5 million for the National Flood Risk Management
Program (NFRMP). The Silver Jackets funding is included in the funds
for the NFRMP. We note that the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act
included a one-time $30 million and $45 million appropriation for PAS
and FPMS, respectively, to increase Corps technical assistance
capability in the short term. We would urge a base level of funding for
PAS at $15 million, FPMS at $25 million, and $10 million for NFRMP in
fiscal year 2023 to expand the use and availability of these important
authorities and assistance.
We also strongly recommend expanding Corps engagement with such
programs for their major value in helping States and communities to
reduce future losses due to flooding, especially where watershed
development and effects of climate change are increasing flooding risks
and costs. Many communities in many coastal and inland areas across the
Nation are already experiencing and are anticipating increased
flooding, erosion problems, and deteriorating water supplies from more
frequent and intense rainfall events and coastal storms, rising sea
levels, and increasing stormwater runoff and urban flooding from
changing climate and land use changes in watersheds. To address these
flooding problems, many communities need expert engineering, economic,
environmental, and planning assistance and data to assess and help
identify potential structural and/or non-structural solutions to their
flooding problems.
Many smaller communities simply cannot afford to maintain such
expertise in their local governments on a permanent basis and can
benefit greatly from Corps of Engineers technical support. We note that
only a few Corps Districts across the country have made use of these
opportunities to bring Corps expertise to their communities outside the
context of major Corps construction projects. Large numbers of
communities lack the advantage to tap Corps expertise and support where
and when it is often most needed and would be helpful and beneficial.
We urge that Corps technical assistance be prioritized with dedicated
staffing in each Corps District. We would urge the subcommittee to
consider report language supporting efforts at Corps Headquarters to
educate Corps Districts regarding these programs and to encourage their
use.
National Flood-Related Study Provisions. We would also urge the
subcommittee to provide funding for two important WRDA-authorized
studies. The Corps' Water Resources Priorities Study, begun in 2016,
but thus far not complete, will assess the Nation's flooding
vulnerabilities across all regions of the U.S. and analyze the
effectiveness of programs, authorities, policies, roles, and activities
for flood damage and flood risk reduction. This unique study,
originally authorized in WRDA 2007 (Section 2032) will provide Congress
with a broad overview perspective of Federal flood risk reduction
programs and trends, including ways to potentially reduce costs by
improving the effectiveness, efficiency, and accountability of existing
programs and strategies. We have clearly witnessed an enormous increase
in the Nation's flood disaster impacts and costs. Average annual costs
have grown from approximately $4 billion in the 1980's to $17 billion
(2010--2018), and FEMA has recently estimated that total average
national flood damages have risen (2009--2019) to $39.3 billion,
including both coastal and riverine impacts. Obviously, some years have
witnessed damages far exceeding these levels. ASFPM believes such a
study may be even more necessary today than when it was first
authorized.
Additionally, for many of the same reasons, we would also urge the
Committee to consider including funds for the Corps' Review of
Emergency Response Authorities study, authorized in Section 3029(b) and
(c) of WRDA 2014, including providing Congress and the public with
required biennial reports on emergency repair and rehabilitation
expenditures under the Public Law 84-99 program. We are increasingly
concerned that there are many situations where Federal taxpayers are
repeatedly paying for the same levee and other flood control project
repairs, and where improved flood damage reduction plans, such as
voluntary buyout plans, identification of floodways, and levee setbacks
and realignments, are necessary. These actions can make room for
increasingly large flood volumes being experienced and should be
developed to reduce disaster costs and improve floodplain and
environmental management, simultaneously.
Once again, thank you for considering the views of the Association
of State Floodplain Managers. If you have questions or would like
further information, please contact Chad Berginnis, ASFPM Executive
Director.
[This statement was submitted by Chad Berginnis, Executive
Director,
Association of State Floodplain Managers.]
______
Prepared Statement of the Business Council for Sustainable Energy
Chairmen Leahy and Feinstein and Ranking Members Shelby and
Kennedy:
The Business Council for Sustainable Energy appreciates the
opportunity to submit testimony in support of funding for the clean
energy programs at the Department of Energy in the Fiscal Year 2023
Energy and Water Appropriations Bill.
The BCSE is a coalition of companies and trade associations from
the energy efficiency, energy storage, natural gas, renewable energy,
sustainable transportation and emerging decarbonization technology
sectors. It includes independent electric power producers, investor-
owned utilities, public utilities, equipment manufacturers, commercial
end users and service providers in energy and environmental markets.
Founded in 1992, the coalition's diverse business membership is united
around the revitalization of the U.S. economy and the creation of a
clean, secure, and reliable energy future in America.
The BCSE is pleased to have an independent small- and medium-size
businesses initiative under its banner, the Clean Energy Business
Network (CEBN). Together, the BCSE and CEBN represent a broad range of
the clean energy economy, from Fortune 100 companies to small
businesses working in all 50 States and over 350 Congressional
districts. On a national basis, these industries support over 3 million
U.S. jobs.
Our organizations were encouraged to see Congress enact the
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), Public Law 117-58, to
provide an influx of funding for clean energy and energy efficiency
programs at DOE in areas such as weatherization and State energy
programs, hydrogen hubs, and the new DOE Office of Clean Energy
Demonstrations. Congress has recognized the United States of America
must lead the world in clean energy and energy efficiency technologies
to meet the need for energy security and grid reliability and safety,
while boosting economic growth and reducing environmental impacts.
While the IIJA investment is monumental, it does not negate the need
for sustained, year-on-year increases to all of DOE's clean energy,
energy efficiency, and innovation activities.
We urge Congress to continue to adequately fund Department of
Energy (DOE) clean energy programs for the offices of Energy Efficiency
and Renewable Energy (EERE), Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FE),
Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability (EDER), Advanced Research
Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) and other essential DOE clean energy
programs. These Federal research development and deployment funds can
be used to leverage business investment to accelerate deployment and
emissions reductions in all sectors of the economy.
The 2022 Sustainable Energy in America Factbook recently released
by the BCSE and BloombergNEF shows that despite the lingering pandemic,
global supply chain bottlenecks, rising inflation, and considerable
uncertainty in 2021, the clean energy and energy efficiency transition
continued, with a record-breaking year for deployment of renewable
power, battery storage and sustainable transportation, and an
unprecedented injection of new capital into companies, technologies and
projects. We encourage you to build upon this momentum with sustained
support for clean energy programs in fiscal year 2023.
The Council welcomes the opportunity to share information from the
Factbook and we look forward to working with you throughout the fiscal
year 2023 budget cycle. Please feel free to reach out to Ruth McCormick
at [email protected] with any questions.
A document containing fiscal year 2023 clean energy industry
funding requests for BCSE members in the renewable energy, energy
efficiency, energy storage, and natural gas sectors can be found here
for your reference.
[This statement was submitted by Lisa Jacobson, President, Business
Council for Sustainable Energy.]
______
Prepared Statement of the Carbon Utilization Research Council
Summary of CURC Fiscal Year 2023 Recommendation: The Carbon
Utilization Research Council (``CURC'') is an industry coalition
focused on technology solutions for the responsible use of our fossil
energy resources in a balanced, low carbon generation portfolio.\1\
CURC recommends $1,388,250,000 for the CCUS & Power Systems Program,
funded by the Fossil Energy Research and Development (FE R&D) budget.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ For more information, please visit www.curc.net.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Benefits of Investment in Carbon Management Technologies:
Deployment of carbon management technologies including carbon capture,
utilization, and storage (CCUS) will have emissions reductions
benefits, contribute to a growing economy, and play a critical role in
the ongoing energy transition. In addition to providing low-carbon,
dispatchable electricity to load follow intermittent renewables on the
electric grid, CCUS provides a mean to reduce emissions from hard-to-
decarbonize industrial processes including cement production and
steelmaking and can help to create low- and zero- carbon fuels
including hydrogen that have a wide variety of applications to
decarbonize transportation, hard-to-abate industries, and provide long
term, seasonal storage for the grid. International climate authorities
like the International Energy Agency have determined that reaching
economywide net-zero emissions in any scenario is ``virtually
impossible'' without CCUS.
Federal investment in CCUS RD&D will also substantially benefit
U.S. economic competitiveness, as the technology will allow us to
maintain existing jobs and expertise in incumbent industries in
addition to creating new, high-wage jobs in the energy and
manufacturing sectors.
CURC-EPRI Roadmap: CURC and the Electric Power Research Institute
(EPRI) continuously evaluate technology needs that reflect changing
markets and policies that impact fossil fuel use in the electric
sector, which are communicated through an Advanced Technology Roadmap.
The Roadmap identifies a suite of CCUS technologies that, if
implemented, can deliver low carbon emission, fossil-fueled power
plants between 2025-2035 that are cost-competitive with other sources
of electricity. Several technologies identified in the Roadmap are
readying for large-scale pilot testing while others are preparing for
commercial demonstration. It is critical that a program is implemented
to successfully commercialize these technologies to successfully meet
any proposed net-zero objectives. This means annual Federal budgets
must increase to support the scale-up effort.
Federal Support of RD&D: The U.S. has been a leader in the
development of fossil energy technology with the support of the DOE's
world class CCUS RD&D programs. In 2020, Congress recognized the need
for expedited development and deployment of these technologies through
the enactment of Public Law 116-260, which authorized approximately
$6.7 billion over 5 years for carbon management RD&D. These
authorizations are in alignment with the recommendations of the CURC-
EPRI Roadmap and will allow DOE to continue to make substantial
progress in the development and commercialization of CCUS technologies
for applications across sectors, including electric power.
ccus & power systems program fiscal year 2022 specific budget
recommendations
CURC recommends full funding of the authorization levels for Carbon
Management activities included in Public Law 116-260. However, CURC has
several overarching comments regarding fiscal year 2022 funding for the
CCUS and Power Systems Program:
1. Any additional funding provided by Committee for new program
activities should not come at the expense of existing initiatives, for
which the Department has already made substantial progress to
commercialize technologies.
2. Funding for selected projects under the Coal FIRST Initiative
should be provided to construct project facilities, as each project is
intended to demonstrate technologies that will result in net-zero
carbon electricity and hydrogen production and are in line with the
objectives of this Administration.
3. Continued funding should be directed to the Department to
retrofit existing coal- and natural gas-fired electric power
facilities, which will be critical to achieve the Administration's
electric sector decarbonization objectives.
4. Substantial investment is needed to enable large-scale carbon
storage, which underpins the entire value proposition of electric power
and industrial sector carbon capture as well as negative emissions
carbon capture technologies.
Carbon Capture Commercialization: CURC recommends $500M. CURC
recommends funding for the Department to initiate a Carbon Capture
Commercialization Program consistent with commercial demonstration
objectives authorized in PL 116-260 and recommends that expanded
funding for the Department be used to fund commercial-scale
applications of carbon capture technologies for coal, natural gas, and
industrial applications.
Carbon Capture: CURC recommends $205M. Consistent with the
objectives of Public Law 116-260, CURC's recommendation includes
funding to support research, development, large-scale pilot projects,
and carbon capture test centers for a variety of transformational
carbon capture technologies to improve the efficiency and lower the
cost of carbon capture in both power and industrial sector
applications. Funding for carbon capture should also be applied to new
transformational technologies that are part of the DOE's Advanced
Energy Systems program (addressed below), as intended by the carbon
capture program authorization in the Energy Act of 2020, as those
technologies inherently include carbon capture as part of the overall
process. CURC supports efforts to evaluate industrial carbon capture
and negative emissions technologies, but not at the expense of critical
existing R&D for post- and pre-combustion capture technologies. CURC
recommends full funding for the National Carbon Capture Center (NCCC),
which is a critical path for testing and scaling up new technologies.
Front-End Engineering and Design: CURC recommends $50M for a front-
end engineering and design (FEED) program on coal, natural gas, and
industrial applications of carbon capture technologies, consistent with
objectives authorized in Public Law 116-260, which will provide
technical and economic data necessary to accelerate CCUS project
deployment. Funds within this appropriation should also be utilized to
conduct FEED studies of carbon dioxide storage complexes that may be
part of the carbon capture projects selected for a DOE award.
Carbon Storage: CURC recommends $200M. CURC supports the authorized
funding levels for Carbon Storage activities included in Public Law
116-260. CURC notes that direct air capture and other negative
emissions technologies will also be dependent on a robust carbon
storage industry and recommends a more robust program as follows:
--Storage Infrastructure: CURC--$180M.
--Regional Initiatives: CURC--$30M to diversify the Regional
Initiatives' efforts, which were spun out of the Regional
Carbon Sequestration Partnerships (RCSPs). The Regional
Initiatives develop the geologic framework and
infrastructure necessary to validate and deploy carbon
storage, including the assessment of locations for
CarbonSAFE or other commercial-scale carbon storage
projects.
--CarbonSAFE: CURC--$150M to fully fund CarbonSAFE Phase III
projects selected in fiscal year 2020 through to Phase IV
and, with remaining funds, solicit proposals for additional
CarbonSAFE projects. CarbonSAFE Phase III effort will seek
permits, continue to integrate efforts with regional
sources of CO2, demonstrate technical viability
of storage sites and support development of the
qualification processes necessary for a site to begin to
commercially accept CO2.
--CCUS Storage R&D: CURC--$20M. CURC recommends continued focus on
R&D at all TRL levels to address technical gaps to improve
reliability of CCUS storage, including continued
characterization of potential storage opportunities, monitoring
and modeling technologies, risk assessment and mitigation tools
should be supported.
Carbon Utilization: CURC recommends $55.25M. CURC recommends
funding for Carbon Utilization RD&D activities consistent with Public
Law 116-260.
Advanced Energy Systems: CURC recommends $273M. Public Law 116-260
includes authorizing language for R&D and large-scale pilot projects
for a variety of transformational carbon management technologies,
including those covered by the Advanced Energy Systems program that
inherently include carbon capture as part of their system process. CURC
recommends funding for specific subprograms as follows:
--Advanced Gasification Systems: $20M. CURC recommends continued
focus on research for low cost, modular gasification
technologies that will increase efficiency and lower capital
costs for coal and biomass to hydrogen or power applications,
as well as research to support a broad range of R&D.
--Advanced Turbines: $50M. CURC recommends funding to undertake R&D
to improve the efficiency of gas turbines, to utilize 100
percent hydrogen as well as hydrogen-natural gas blends as well
as ammonia and ammonia-hydrogen blends, and to test and
validate components and their performance as an integrated
system.
--Fuel Cells: $40M. CURC recommends funding for the development of
next generation fuel cell technologies to produce both power
and hydrogen from fossil fuels.
--Advanced Combustion Systems: $68M. CURC recommends funding to
advance novel energy conversion technologies, including
chemical looping ($11M), pressurized oxycombustion ($29M), and
supercritical CO2 systems ($38M) for bench-scale
work as well as to advance promising technologies to pilot-
scale testing.
Supercritical CO2Technology (STEP): CURC recommends
$20M. CURC recommends efforts, consistent with the original scope of
work, to complete the necessary design and construction of the 10-MW
pilot and to conduct the necessary testing for the facility. CURC also
recommends funds for competitively awarded research and development
activities, coordinated with the Offices of Nuclear Energy (NE) and
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), to advance the use of
supercritical power cycles.
Transformational Coal Pilot Plant Program: CURC recommends $10M,
consistent with fiscal year 2021 appropriations, to continue funding
Phase III projects selected in fiscal year 2021.
Cross Cutting R&D Program: CURC recommends $75M. CURC's
recommendations for Cross Cutting R&D include:
--Sensors and Controls: $8M to improve monitoring of systems and
apply solutions to mitigate stress on fossil systems that
increasingly operate under cycling load conditions.
--Extreme Environmental Materials: $16M. CURC recommends $8M to
support high temperature and pressure component testing under
real operating conditions, a project underway between DOE and
industry; and $8M for the A-USC Materials Consortium.
--Water Management R&D: $15M for thermoelectric applications of water
use and reuse, reduced water withdrawals, clean-up of water
discharge, and zero liquid discharge (ZLD) technologies.
--Computational Science: $11M.
--Advanced Energy Storage Initiative: $5M. CURC supports funding for
thermal, mechanical, and chemical storage systems that can be
integrated with fossil power systems.
--University Training and Research: $4M to develop the next
generation workforce for the fossil energy generation industry
which is experiencing a very large generation gap.
Other Initiatives Within Fossil Energy Research and Development:
Outside of the CCUS and Power Systems Program, CURC provides the
following recommendations within the broader FE R&D portfolio:
--Natural Gas Utilization: $40M. CURC recommends the establishment of
a new research and development initiative within the Natural
Gas Technologies office to effectively utilize natural gas for
decarbonization solutions. Within those funds, CURC recommends
$40,000,000 for sustainable fuels and chemicals research and
development focused on conversion of natural gas, natural gas
liquids and other gas streams to low-carbon products, including
chemicals and fuels such as ammonia and low carbon hydrogen.
Comprehensive planning approaches for transitioning segments of
the economy to hydrogen and other low-carbon fuels should be a
part of the program, including analysis of the infrastructure
required to store and transport these fuels. CURC also supports
the establishment of a Center for Sustainable Fuels and
Chemicals at the National Energy Technology Lab and a funding
level of up to $15,000,000 for this initiative from within
available funds for sustainable fuels and chemicals research
and development.
--Hydrogen RD&D: $86M. CURC encourages the FE to expand hydrogen
research, development and demonstration activities that support
fossil fuel-derived hydrogen production equipped with CCUS
technologies that results in significantly reduced carbon
dioxide intensity. CURC encourages the Committee to recognize
the importance of low- and zero-carbon hydrogen production for
a variety of end uses and to support continued collaboration
with the EERE, OE, and NE.
[This statement was submitted by Shannon Angielski, Executive
Director, Carbon Utilization Research Council.]
______
Prepared Statement of the Central Arizona Water Conservation District
On behalf of the Central Arizona Water Conservation District
(CAWCD), I encourage you to include an allocation of $10.7 million for
the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation's Salinity Control Basinwide Program for
the Colorado River Basin in the Fiscal Year 2023 Energy and Water
Development Appropriations bill. Continued funding for the Basinwide
Program, which supports salinity control projects, will help protect
the water quality of the Colorado River that is used by approximately
40 million people for municipal and industrial purposes and used to
irrigate approximately 4 million acres in the United States.
CAWCD manages the Central Arizona Project, a multi-purpose water
resource development and management project that delivers Colorado
River water into central and southern Arizona. The largest supplier of
renewable water in Arizona, CAP delivers up to 1.5 million acre- feet
of Arizona's 2.8-million-acre-foot Colorado River entitlement each year
to municipal and industrial users, agricultural irrigation districts,
and Tribal communities.
Our goal at CAP is to provide an affordable, reliable and
sustainable supply of Colorado River water to a service area that
includes more than 80 percent of Arizona's population. These renewable
water supplies are critical to Arizona's economy and to the economies
of Native American communities throughout the state. Nearly 90 percent
of economic activity in the State of Arizona occurs within CAP's
service area. The canal provides an economic benefit of $100 billion
annually, accounting for one-third of the entire Arizona gross state
product. CAP also helps the State of Arizona meet its water management
and regulatory objectives of reducing groundwater use and ensuring
availability of groundwater as a supplemental water supply during
future droughts. Achieving and maintaining these water management
objectives is critical to the long-term sustainability of a State as
arid as Arizona.
the colorado river basin salinity control program--its history and
significance
Recognizing the rapidly increasing salinity concentration in the
Lower Colorado River and its impact on water users, Arizona joined with
the other Colorado River Basin States in 1973 and organized the
Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Forum (Forum). In 1974, in
coordination with the U.S. Department of the Interior and the U.S.
State Department, the Forum worked with Congress on the passage of the
Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Act (Act) to offset increased
damages caused by continued development and use of the waters of the
Colorado River. Title I of the Salinity Control Act deals with the
United States' commitment to the quality of water being delivered to
Mexico. Title II of the act deals with improving the quality of the
water delivered to the U.S. users.
In the early years of the Program, Reclamation implemented salinity
control through large projects that were funded with specific line-item
amounts. In 1995, Congress amended the act and created Reclamation's
Basinwide Program. Under this program, Reclamation funds competitive
proposals that will decrease the salt load to the Colorado River. Most
of the received proposals target off-farm irrigation distribution
systems such as canals and laterals. The lining or piping of canals and
laterals prevents leakage into the groundwater and the dissolution and
transportation of salts to the Colorado River and its tributaries.
States provide a 30 percent cost share of the projects implemented by
Reclamation. CAWCD and other key water providers in the United States
and Mexico are working to maintain salinity standards.
negative impacts of concentrated salts
Natural and man-induced salt loading to the Colorado River creates
environmental and economic damages. The Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) has identified that more than 60 percent of the salt load of the
Colorado River comes from natural sources. With the significant Federal
ownership in the Basin, most of this comes from federally administered
lands. Human activity, principally irrigation, adds to the salt load of
the Colorado River. Further, natural and human activities concentrate
the dissolved salts in the River.
In 2020 the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) estimated the
quantifiable damages to Lower Basin water users due to elevated
salinity levels at about $354 million per year. Modeling by Reclamation
indicates that quantifiable damages would increase to approximately
$671 million annually by 2040 if the program were not to continue.
Damages, by water usage sector, include the following:
--A reduction in the ability to reclaim and reuse water for
beneficial uses, including drinking water and irrigation water
supplies, due to high salinities in the water delivered to
water treatment and reclamation facilities;
--A reduction in the yield of salt sensitive crops and increased
water use to meet the leaching requirements in the agricultural
sector;
--Increased use of imported water and cost of desalination and brine
disposal for recycling water in the municipal sector;
--A reduction in the useful life of galvanized water pipe systems,
water heaters, faucets, garbage disposals, clothes washers, and
dishwashers, and increased use of bottled water and water
softeners in the household sector;
--An increase in the cost of cooling operations and the cost of water
softening, and a decrease in equipment service life in the
commercial sector;
--An increase in the use of water and the cost of water treatment,
and an increase in sewer fees in the industrial sector;
--A decrease in the life of treatment facilities and pipelines in the
utility sector; and
--Difficulty in meeting wastewater discharge requirements to comply
with National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit
terms and conditions, and an increase in desalination and brine
disposal costs due to accumulation of salts in groundwater
basins.
conclusion
Implementation of salinity control practices through Reclamation's
Basinwide Program has proven to be a very cost-effective method of
controlling the salinity of the Colorado River. In fact, the salt load
of the Colorado River has now been reduced by roughly 1.2 million tons
annually. However, shortfalls in recent Basinwide Program funding
levels have led to inefficiencies in the implementation of the overall
Program. The funding amount requested is required to get the Basinwide
Program back on pace with the overall Program implementation needs.
The current drought that has significantly impacted the West
affects the amount of and quality of available water, which in turn has
the potential to exacerbate the salinity concentration levels. As such,
we respectfully request $10.7 million for the U.S. Bureau of
Reclamation's Basinwide Program for the Colorado River Basin in the
Fiscal Year 2023 Appropriations bill.
Continuation of adequate funding levels for salinity within this
program will prevent further degradation of water quality of the
Colorado River and significant increases of economic damages to its
nearly 40 million municipal, industrial and irrigation users.
[This statement was submitted by Theodore C. Cooke, General
Manager, Central Arizona Water Conservation District.]
______
Prepared Statement of the Clean Hydrogen Future Coalition
Summary of CHFC Fiscal Year 2023 Recommendation: CHFC recommends
$865,000,000 for clean hydrogen research, development, and deployment
(RD&D) activities at the Department of Energy for fiscal year 2023.
These recommendations would direct $745,000,000 to clean hydrogen
programs within the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
(EERE) and $120,000,000 to clean hydrogen programs within the Office of
Fossil Energy and Carbon Management. In order to effectively utilize
these funds, the CHFC recommends that the Department continues its
collaboration between the Offices of EERE, Fossil Energy and Carbon
Management, Nuclear Energy, and Science.
Background on the Clean Hydrogen Future Coalition: The Clean
Hydrogen Future Coalition (CHFC) is a diverse group of stakeholders
supporting Federal clean hydrogen policies that will stimulate the
adoption of clean hydrogen in the U.S. and enable our country to
achieve national decarbonization objectives while also increasing U.S.
global competitiveness. CHFC members represent a broad spectrum of
forward-thinking entities in industries that will play a critical role
in the transition to a clean energy economy with a robust role for
clean hydrogen.
Importance of Investments in Clean Hydrogen RD&D: With its ability
to be used as a fuel source for transportation, as an industrial or
chemical feedstock, or to produce and store electricity, clean hydrogen
will have a critical role in accelerating decarbonization across all
sectors of our economy. For example, clean hydrogen will be necessary
to decarbonize heavier modes of transport--including heavy-duty
trucking, shipping, and aviation--that are substantially more
difficult, if not impossible, to electrify than passenger vehicles.
Clean hydrogen can also be used to power certain high-temperature
industrial processes that cannot be electrified and for which other
mitigation options are limited or unavailable. In the electric power
sector, clean hydrogen can be used to produce CO2 emissions-
free electricity and can be used to enable the long-duration energy
storage necessary to achieve the net-zero emission electric grid
envisioned by the Biden administration.
The CHFC was pleased to see the Department of Energy announce its
Hydrogen Earthshot last year, which seeks to reduce the cost of clean
hydrogen by 80 percent to $1 per 1 kilogram in 1 decade (``1 1 1'').
This is a very ambitious goal and will require significant funding for
public-private partnerships, as well as additional policy tools like a
clean hydrogen production tax credit (PTC).
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) provides
significant investments that will promote the development of the U.S.
hydrogen economy, including funding for regional hydrogen hubs that
will drive capital investments in hydrogen production, transport,
distribution, and end-use. The IIJA will also provide critical funding
to drive down production costs for electrolytic hydrogen. These
programs will be critical to advancing clean hydrogen in the U.S., but
robust R&D funding from Congress is still needed to develop new, cost-
effective technologies to scale hydrogen infrastructure necessary to
reach decarbonization objectives and to fully leverage the investments
made by the IIJA.
fy 2023 specific budget recommendations--office of energy efficiency
and renewable energy
The CHFC recommends $745 million for clean hydrogen RD&D activities
within EERE. While EERE has traditionally housed the majority of
Federal RD&D programs related to hydrogen, CHFC encourages the
Committee to provide direction to DOE requiring cross-Department
collaboration on hydrogen RD&D activities.
Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies: CHFC recommends $370 million.
The CHFC provides the following direction for that funding:
--Research, Development, and Demonstration: The CHFC recommends that
the Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology Program expands its clean
hydrogen RD&D activities based on the detailed priorities
included in the IIJA in coordination with the Offices of Fossil
and Nuclear Energy. The Department should continue research on
novel onboard hydrogen tank systems, trailer delivery systems
to reduce cost of delivered hydrogen, novel chemical hydrogen
carriers, and development of material-based storage and
hydrogen storage materials. Funding for electrolyzer
development, including high-temperature electrolyzer RD&D
activities should be funded with the $250 million appropriated
by the IIJA for these activities. The Department should be
directed to continue to advance fuel cell technology
development for the transportation fleet, including for long
haul and heavy-duty trucking, aviation, rail and maritime
applications.
--Nuclear Demonstration: CHFC recommends that $18 million be provided
to cost-share the Office of Nuclear Energy hydrogen
demonstration project, including for high temperature
electrolysis research and development at a national laboratory.
--H2@scale Front-End Engineering and Design: The CHFC recommends $120
million for a front-end engineering and design (FEED) program
intended to support the hydrogen hub funding made available in
the IIJA. Funding FEED studies will enable industry to more
rapidly access private sector capital to invest in projects.
The Department should conduct FEED studies on projects that
will produce clean hydrogen with low-, net-zero, or net-
negative carbon dioxide emissions. Eligible hydrogen
technologies should include hydrogen production integrated with
wind or solar power generation, autothermal reforming, compact
hydrogen generators, biomass combustion to hydrogen, and solid
waste and plastics to hydrogen.
Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, Industrial Decarbonization:
Given the potential of hydrogen technologies to significantly
decarbonize applications in the industrial sector, the CHFC recommends
$50 million for an Industrial End Use RD&D program. The Department
should utilize these funds for a research, development, and
demonstration program focused on technologies that include fuel cells
and direct use of hydrogen to replace fossil fuel use, including non-
road vehicle applications. The Department should include in its efforts
the iron and steel, chemical manufacturing, and other industrial
applications requiring high temperatures.
SuperTruck III Program: CHFC recommends $300 million for continued
funding of the SuperTruck III program to improve the energy and freight
efficiency of heavy- and medium-duty long- and regional-haul vehicles.
These funds should be used to invest in private sector efforts to build
and manufacture new hydrogen fueled truck designs and associated
fueling and other infrastructure needed to support the expansion of a
hydrogen trucking industry.
Building Technologies, Safety, Codes and Standards: CHFC recommends
$25 million to address significant R&D gaps that are stalling the
transition to lower-carbon and zero-carbon fuels in buildings. The CHFC
encourages the Department to continue to explore research and
development that can advance systems and appliances, driven by
delivered fuels including renewable fuels and hydrogen, to meet
consumer demand for safe, high efficiency and environmentally friendly
products in residential and commercial building applications, increased
utilization of renewable fuels and hydrogen, appliance venting, hybrid
fuel-fired and electrically-driven systems, and on-site (micro)
combined heat and power to include cooling and integration with
renewables. The Department should also conduct a study and testing
programs to examine the potential for integration of renewable fuels
and hydrogen in building applications.
fy 2023 specific budget recommendations--office of fossil energy and
carbon management
The CHFC recommends $120 million for the Office of Fossil Energy
and Carbon Management to undertake hydrogen-related RD&D activities
within the Fossil Energy Research and Development (FE R&D) Program. The
FE R&D Program should continue to leverage existing expertise to
further develop clean hydrogen production from fossil fuels coupled
with carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) with low- and net-
zero CO2 emissions, or net-negative emissions when fossil
fuels are co-fired with sustainable biomass resources. The Office of
Fossil Energy and Carbon Management is also uniquely positioned to
assess issues related to hydrogen transport and distribution
Natural Gas Technologies: The CHFC recommends $50 million for the
Natural Gas Technologies Program as follows:
--Natural Gas Hydrogen RD&D: CHFC recommends $50 million for research
and development related to the conversion of natural gas into
low-carbon, sustainable products, including chemicals and
fuels, such as ammonia and hydrogen. As part of this program,
the Department should consider how these chemicals and fuels,
including hydrogen, can decarbonize industries. The Department
should also continue its efforts at the Center for Sustainable
Fuels and Chemicals at the National Energy Technology Lab.
CCUS and Power Systems: CHFC recommends $70 million for hydrogen-
related RD&D activities within the CCUS and Power Systems Program as
follows:
--Advanced Turbines R&D: CHFC recommends that within available funds
for Advanced Energy Systems, $50 million be made available for
Advanced Turbines. The Department should use these funds for a
research and development program focused on utilizing clean
hydrogen, clean hydrogen-natural gas blends, and ammonia and
ammonia-hydrogen blends, to test and validate components and
their performance as an integrated system, working
cooperatively with industry, universities, and other
appropriate parties.
--Solid Oxide Fuel Cells: CHFC recommends $20 million for the
development of next generation SOFC/SOEC technologies to
produce power and hydrogen from fossil fuels, biogas, and
hydrogen. Recognizing the significant progress made in system
integration and lifetime extension for SOFC's from this
program, this activity builds on research and development to
enable efficient, cost-effective electricity generation and
hydrogen production with minimal use of water. This program
will result in development of SOFC/SOEC technologies to produce
hydrogen and electricity while benefiting from the synergy in
the EERE hydrogen and fuel cell programs relative to
infrastructure developments and safety of end use. This funding
will preserve U.S. leadership in SOFC/SOEC technology, ensure
utilization of extensive fossil fuel resources in the U.S., and
will result in ultra-high efficiency production of power and
hydrogen.
[This statement was submitted by Shannon Angielski, President,
Clean Hydrogen Future Coalition.]
______
Prepared Statement of the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Forum
Waters from the Colorado River are used by approximately 40 million
people for municipal and industrial purposes and used to irrigate
approximately 5.5 million acres in the United States. Natural and man-
induced salt loading to the Colorado River creates environmental and
economic damages. In 2020 the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation)
estimated the quantifiable damages to Lower Basin water users due to
elevated salinity levels at about $354 million per year. Congress
authorized the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Program (Program)
through the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Act (Act) (Public Law
93-320) in 1974 to offset increased damages caused by continued
development and use of the waters of the Colorado River. Modeling by
Reclamation indicates that the quantifiable damages will rise to
approximately $671 million annually by the year 2040 without
continuation of the Program. Congress has directed the Secretary of the
Interior to implement a comprehensive program for minimizing salt
contributions to the Colorado River. Reclamation serves as the lead
Federal agency in implementing the Program. Reclamation primarily
institutes salinity control through its Basinwide Program. A funding
level of $10.7 million is required in 2023 to prevent further
degradation of the quality of the Colorado River and a commensurate
increase in downstream economic damages to water users.
EPA has identified that more than 60 percent of the salt load of
the Colorado River comes from natural sources. The majority of land
within the Colorado River Basin is federally owned, much of which is
administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). In authorizing the
Program, Congress recognized that most of the salts in the Colorado
River originate from federally owned lands. Title I of the act deals
with programs downstream of Imperial Dam that enable the U.S. to meet
its commitment regarding the quality of waters being delivered to
Mexico (Minute No. 242 of the International Boundary and Water
Commission, United States and Mexico). Title II of the act addresses
measures upstream from Imperial Dam, thus improving the quality of the
water delivered to users in the United States. This testimony deals
specifically with Title II efforts.
In the early years of the Program, Reclamation implemented salinity
control through large projects, which were funded with specific line-
item amounts. In 1995, Congress amended the act and created
Reclamation's Basinwide Program. Under this program, Reclamation funds
competitive proposals for projects which will decrease the salt load to
the Colorado River. Most of the received proposals target off-farm
irrigation distribution systems such as canals and laterals. The lining
or piping of canals and laterals prevents leakage of water into the
groundwater system and the dissolution and transportation of salts to
the Colorado River and its tributaries. It is more efficient and cost
effective for Reclamation to perform the off-farm distribution system
improvements prior to NRCS treating the on-farm acres with salinity
control practices (i.e., Reclamation should pipe a canal or lateral
prior to the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) putting a
pressurized sprinkler system on farm). Shortfalls in recent Basinwide
Program funding levels have led to inefficiencies in the implementation
of the overall Program. The funding amount identified above is required
to get the Basinwide Program back on pace with the overall Program
implementation needs.
Concentration of salt in the Colorado River causes approximately
$354 million annually in quantified damages and significantly more in
unquantified damages in the United States and results in poor water
quality for United States users. Damages, by water usage sector,
include the following:
--a reduction in the ability to reclaim and reuse water for
beneficial uses, including drinking water and irrigation water
supplies, due to high salinities in the water delivered to
water treatment and reclamation facilities,
--a reduction in the yield of salt sensitive crops, increased water
use to meet leaching requirements and additional actions
necessary to comply with the Clean Water Act within the
agricultural sector,
--increased use of imported water and cost of desalination and brine
disposal for recycling water in the municipal sector,
--a reduction in the useful life of galvanized water pipe systems,
water heaters, faucets, garbage disposals, clothes washers and
dishwashers, and increased use of bottled water and water
softeners in the household sector,
--an increase in the cost of cooling operations and the cost of water
softening, and a decrease in equipment service life in the
commercial sector,
--an increase in the use of water and the cost of water treatment,
and a corresponding increase in sewer fees in the industrial
sector,
--a decrease in the lifespan of treatment facilities and pipelines in
the utility sector, and
--difficulty in meeting wastewater discharge requirements to comply
with National Pollutant
Discharge Elimination System permit terms and conditions, and an
increase in desalination and brine disposal costs necessary to minimize
accumulation of salts in groundwater basins.
The Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Forum (Forum) is composed
of gubernatorial appointees from Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada,
New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. The Forum is charged with reviewing the
Colorado River's water quality standards for salinity every 3 years to
facilitate compliance with Section 303(c) of the Clean Water Act
(Public Law 92-500). In so doing, it adopts a Plan of Implementation
consistent with these standards. The level of appropriation requested
in this testimony is in keeping with the adopted Plan of
Implementation. If adequate funds are not appropriated, significant
damages from higher salinity concentrations in the water will be more
widespread in the United States and Mexico.
In summary, implementation of salinity control practices through
Reclamation's Basinwide Program has proven to be a very cost-effective
method of controlling the salinity of the Colorado River and is an
essential component to the overall Program. Adequate funding levels for
salinity control within this Program will prevent the water quality of
the Colorado River from further degradation and significant increases
in economic damages to municipal, industrial and irrigation users. A
modest investment in source control pays huge dividends in improved
water quality for nearly 40 million Americans.
[This statement was submitted by Don A. Barnett, Executive
Director, Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Forum.]
______
Prepared Statement of the Colorado River Board of California
This testimony is provided by the Colorado River Board of
California (Board) and is in support of fiscal year 2023 funding for
the Department of the Interior for Title II Colorado River Basin
Salinity Control Act of 1974 (Public Law 93-320), as amended. In the
act, Congress designated the Department of the Interior, Bureau of
Reclamation (Reclamation) to be the lead agency for salinity control in
the Colorado River Basin. Reclamation primarily implements salinity
control through its Basinwide Program, established by Congress through
an amendment to the act in 1995. Funding levels for the Basinwide
Program have fallen behind in recent years, and a funding level of
$10.7 million is requested to be provided in FY-2023 to prevent further
degradation of the quality of Colorado River water supplies and
increased economic damages. Under the Basinwide Program, Reclamation
funds competitive proposals for projects which will decrease the salt
load to the Colorado River. Most of the received proposals target off-
farm irrigation distribution systems such as canals and laterals. The
lining or piping of canals and laterals prevents leakage of water into
the groundwater system and the dissolution and transportation of salts
to the Colorado River and its tributaries.
The Colorado River System is used by approximately 40 million
people for municipal and industrial purposes and used to irrigate
approximately 5.5 million acres in the United States, and supplies
municipal and agricultural uses in Mexico. Within Southern California,
the Colorado River serves close to 20 million residents and 860,000
acres of irrigated agriculture, including municipal, industrial, and
agricultural water users in Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside,
San Bernardino, San Diego, and Ventura Counties. Natural and human-
induced salt loading to the Colorado River creates environmental and
economic damages. In 2020 Reclamation estimated the quantifiable
economic damages from salt in the Colorado River at about $354 million
per year. Modeling by Reclamation indicates that these economic damages
could rise to nearly $671 million annually by the year 2040 without
continued implementation of the Basinwide Program.
The Board is the state agency charged with protecting California's
interests and rights in the water and power resources of the Colorado
River system. In this capacity, California participates along with the
other six Colorado River Basin States in the Colorado River Basin
Salinity Control Forum (Forum), the interstate organization responsible
for coordinating the Basin States' salinity control efforts. In close
cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and
pursuant to requirements of the Clean Water Act, the Forum is charged
with reviewing the Colorado River's water quality standards every 3
years. Every 3 years the Forum also adopts a Plan of Implementation
consistent with these water quality standards. The level of
appropriation being supported by this testimony is consistent with the
Forum's 2020 Plan of Implementation for continued salinity control
efforts within the Colorado River Basin. The Forum's 2020 Plan of
Implementation can be found on this website: https://
coloradoriversalinity.org/docs/2020 percent20REVIEWpercent20-
percent20Finalpercent20wpercent20appendices.pdf.
If adequate funds are not appropriated to Reclamation's Basinwide
Program, significant environmental and economic damages associated with
increasing salinity concentrations in Colorado River water will become
more widespread in the United States and Mexican portions of the
Colorado River Basin. For example, damages occur from:
--A reduction in the ability and increased costs to reclaim and reuse
water for consumptive beneficial use, including drinking water
supply and irrigation, due to high salinities in the water
delivered to water treatment and reclamation facilities;
--A reduction in the yield of salt-sensitive crops, increased water
use to meet the leaching requirements to maintain crop
productivity, and additional actions necessary to comply with
the Clean Water Act in the agricultural sector;
--Increased use of imported water and increased cost of desalination
and brine disposal for recycling water in the municipal sector;
--A reduction in the useful life of galvanized water pipe systems,
water heaters, faucets, garbage disposals, clothes washers and
dishwashers, and increased use of bottled water and water
softeners in the residential sector;
--An increase in the cost of cooling operations and the cost of water
softening, and a decrease in equipment service life in the
commercial sector;
--An increase in the use of water and the cost of water treatment,
and a corresponding increase in sewer fees in the industrial
sector;
--A decrease in the lifespan of treatment facilities and pipelines in
the utility sector; and
--Difficulty in meeting wastewater discharge requirements to comply
with National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit
terms and conditions, and an increase in desalination and brine
disposal costs necessary to minimize accumulation of salts in
groundwater basins.
The 2020 Plan of Implementation, as adopted by the Basin States and
approved by EPA, calls for 62,400 tons annually of additional salinity
control measures to be implemented by Reclamation, Natural Resources
Conservation Service, and Bureau of Land Management by 2024. Over the
past years, the Basinwide Program has proven to be a very cost-
effective approach to help mitigate the impacts of increased salinity
in the Colorado River. Adequate Federal funding of this important
program is essential. Based on current program cost levels,
Reclamation's funding for the Basinwide Program must be at least $10.7
million to meet those annual salinity control targets.
The Colorado River is, and will continue to be, a major and vital
water resource to the nearly 20 million residents of southern
California, including municipal, industrial, and agricultural water
users in Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San
Diego, and Ventura Counties. The protection and improvement of Colorado
River water quality through an effective salinity control program
avoids additional economic and environmental damages to California, the
other Colorado River Basin States and Mexico that rely on Colorado
River water resources.
Thank you for your consideration of this testimony.
______
Prepared Statement of the Electric Drive Transportation Association
The Electric Drive Transportation Association (EDTA) is the cross-
industry trade association promoting the advancement of electric drive
technology and electrified transportation. We are writing to support
robust fiscal year 2023 funding for the Department of Energy's (DOE)
electric transportation programs, including the Vehicle Technologies
Program, Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office, ARPA-E, Department
of Energy Loan Programs, Clean Cities, and programs established by the
Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) to increase electric vehicle (EV)
deployment across the country.
EDTA's members represent the entire value chain of electric drive,
including vehicle manufacturers, battery and component manufacturers,
utilities and energy companies, smart grid and charging infrastructure
developers. Collectively, we are committed to realizing the economic,
national security and environmental benefits of displacing oil with
electricity in hybrid, plug-in hybrid, battery, and fuel cell electric
vehicles. DOE's research, development and deployment programs speed the
innovation needed to transition to e-mobility.
The importance of electrifying transportation has been widely
documented. Emissions from the transportation sector threaten public
health and the environment. A recent report published in Lancet
Planetary Health documents that air pollution is responsible for nearly
seven million premature deaths each year. Electric transportation is
essential to reducing these harmful emissions. The Union of Concerned
Scientists studied the total emissions reductions of electric drive in
every region of the country. The study found that no matter where in
the U.S. an EV is charged and operated, it has fewer total well-to-
wheels emissions than the average gasoline-powered vehicle sold today.
Electrification is also a national security imperative. According
to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the transportation
sector accounted for approximately 26 percent of the Nation's energy
use in 2020; 90 percent of that energy came from petroleum fuels. This
reliance is a chronic threat to U.S. energy and economic security. As
we are being reminded today, oil reliance also keeps consumers and
businesses vulnerable to volatile markets and spiking prices. The price
of electricity is more stable and affordable than gasoline, with gas
costing nearly three times as much per gallon compared to the eGallon
price equivalent for electricity.
In her testimony to the subcommittee on April 28, 2022, Secretary
Granholm detailed the role of DOE's portfolio of electrification
programs in realizing the environmental, economic and competitiveness
benefits of e-mobility. Specifically, DOE's Vehicle Technologies
Program is a critical element of the National effort to decarbonize
transportation, leveraging private sector investments to promote
innovation in advanced vehicles, infrastructure and manufacturing
chains. The program advances research in batteries and power
electronics, electric drive motors, components and charging
technologies. Increased range, reduced costs, and improved performance
are battery advances supported by the Battery and Electric Drive
Technology subprogram. Critical supporting infrastructure, including
charging systems and codes and standards for communication with the
grid, are being developed in the Vehicle Systems Simulation & Testing
program.
The Vehicle Technologies Program is also advancing electric
alternatives in commercial vehicles. The truck and transit segment is
projected to grow rapidly in the next two decades. Research,
demonstration, and deployment of electric drive technologies for
combination tractors, heavy-duty pickup trucks and vans and vocational
vehicle technologies' systems and components will speed technology
breakthroughs and contribute to cost reductions while providing public
health benefits and energy cost savings throughout the economy.
The SuperTruck Program is an important part of this effort. We
support increased program investment in Class 7 and Class 8 vehicles,
which are a significant part of the commercial fleet. An expanded
program should continue to engage partners from across the
manufacturing chain--chassis original equipment manufacturers,
intermediate and final stage manufacturers, including hybrid system
suppliers, and infrastructure providers--to improve performance in
vocational vehicles.
Through the Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office, DOE is
working with industry to accelerate the availability of fuel cell
electric vehicles. There are over 12,000 of these zero emission
electric vehicles on American roads today. DOE's Hydrogen Shot seeks to
reduce the cost of clean hydrogen by 80 percent to $1 per 1 kilogram in
one decade, improving the affordability of the production, storage, and
distribution of clean hydrogen to help achieve the goals of H2@Scale.
Improvement of battery technology remains an industry priority to
help achieve cost parity of EVs with ICE vehicles. Battery prices fell
approximately 89 percent between 2010 and 2020, with a 13 percent drop
in 2020 alone, according to BNEF. Prices are expected to continue to
decrease--despite challenges associated with material sourcing--with
the development of novel battery chemistries, more efficient
manufacturing, and simplified pack designs.
To address these material sourcing challenges, we support the
Department's efforts to strengthen the domestic supply chain for
critical elements in EV batteries, including lithium, nickel, and
cobalt. The Department's recently announced $3 billion investment,
directed under the BIL, will enhance domestic capacity to meet demand
for these critical elements.
ARPA-E's role is essential in overcoming high-risk technological
barriers that the private sector may not attempt in the early stages of
research and development. Past programs, such as Robust Affordable Next
Generation Energy Storage Systems (RANGE) and Batteries for Electrical
Energy Storage in Transportation (BEEST), helped improve performance
and reduce costs of batteries. New programs would expedite innovation
in critical materials and develop new processes to recycle, reuse, and
reclaim battery materials.
We ask that the subcommittee continue its record of support for
these programs, particularly in vehicle and infrastructure deployment
activities and in early market development, education, validation and
enabling activities. We support increased collaboration among
universities, the 17 National Laboratories, and industry to address
these challenges and develop clean energy solutions. Continued funding
of the Department's loan programs, including Title 17 and Advanced
Technology Vehicles Manufacturing (ATVM), will build domestic capacity
and support good-paying manufacturing jobs.
EDTA also strongly supports the Clean Cities program. Clean Cities
works with nearly 75 local and regional coalitions to expand deployment
of electric drive and alternative fuel cars and trucks and recharging/
fueling infrastructure, especially in underserved and BIPOC
communities. These voluntary and locally-driven efforts have a
demonstrated record of success, including the cumulative displacement
of more than 12 billion gasoline gallon equivalents (GGEs) of petroleum
with alternative fuels since the program began in 1993.
To advance the Administration's effort to install 500,000 charging
stations across the country through the National EV Infrastructure
(NEVI) Program, we support directing resources to help municipalities
participate. These resources could be used to reduce the time and costs
for permitting, inspecting, and interconnecting eligible infrastructure
through standardized requirements, online application systems,
recognition programs, and other technical assistance.
We appreciate the Committee's long-standing support for the
important research, development and deployment programs at the
Department of Energy. At this inflection point for the climate change
action and for the electric drive industry, we respectfully request
that appropriations for fiscal year 2023 reflect the magnitude of both
our National energy challenge and our electric drive opportunity.
Thank you for your consideration.
[This statement was submitted by Genevieve Cullen, President,
Electric Drive Transportation Association.]
______
Prepared Statement of Energy Efficiency Strategy Group Organizations
We, the undersigned, write today to urge you to support robust
energy efficiency (EE) investments in critical programs managed by the
U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Increasing investment in these
programs can deliver significant emissions reductions, grow jobs in the
clean energy sector, and provide savings to American consumers.
Energy efficiency, a key domestic resource, is critical to ensuring
safe, reliable, and affordable energy to Americans now and in the
future. Efficiency measures have cut our energy use in half relative to
the size of the U.S. economy since 1980. This energy waste reduction
has effectively delivered more than $2,000 in annual savings per
American. According to the American Council for an Energy-Efficient
Economy, scaling up key energy efficiency-related policies and programs
can slash U.S. energy use and greenhouse gas emissions by about 50
percent by 2050. These energy savings would amount to more than $700
billion in 2050.
The U.S. energy efficiency workforce is comprised of over 2.1
million Americans, which is the largest share of the entire U.S. energy
sector and is more than all combined jobs in clean and fossil energy
generation. Most of these jobs provide good compensation and cannot be
shipped overseas, ensuring that future generations of Americans can
pursue competitive careers in energy efficiency.
The importance of the U.S. DOE in research, technical assistance,
and market integration efforts that have driven gains in energy
efficiency cannot be overstated. U.S. DOE EE programs provide
exceptional value to American consumers and businesses, yielding
benefits that far outweigh the relatively nominal outlays appropriated
by Congress. According to various impact evaluation studies, DOE's
innovation investments have had a benefit-to-cost ratio of 33 to 1 and
generated billions of net economic benefits for the country.
We respectfully request fiscal year 2023 regular appropriations
funding for the following DOE programs, as summarized below:
Buildings Technologies (BTO): $542 million to develop innovative,
cost-effective technologies, tools, and solutions that help U.S.
homeowners, consumers, and businesses achieve peak energy efficiency
performance in their buildings across all sectors of our economy.
Within this account, robust funding is needed for:
--Residential Buildings Integration (RBI): $122 million for DOE to
collaborate with the residential building industry to improve
the energy efficiency of both new and existing homes. RBI
develops critical technologies, tools, and solutions that help
U.S. consumers and businesses achieve peak efficiency
performance in residential buildings across the country. RBI's
work supports workforce development and training and has
partnerships with thousands of small businesses in this sector,
the construction trades, equipment, smart grid technology and
systems suppliers, integrators, and State and local
governments. The integration research, demonstration, and
market transformation activities of RBI are critical as we
transform America's new and existing residential buildings and
work towards the Administration's goal of weatherizing 2
million homes.
--Commercial Building Integration (CBI): $80 million for the
program's research, development, and evaluation help advance a
range of innovative building technologies and solutions, paving
the way for high performing buildings that could use between 50
percent and 70 percent less energy than typical buildings. CBI
works with industry, small businesses, academia, the National
labs, and other entities to advance energy efficiency solutions
and technologies for commercial buildings. The program, which
considers buildings as systems and as part of the electric
grid, continues to be transformative in moving industry
partners to embrace innovation.
--Efficiency Standards, Building Codes, and Test Procedures: $90
million for equipment and building standards, including $60
million for appliance standards and $30 million for the
Building Energy Codes Program. DOE is responsible for setting
minimum energy efficiency standards for appliances, equipment,
and lighting to ensure new models continue to make progress on
efficiency as technology matures. The Department is far behind
in issuing new appliance standards, making an increased focus
critical. DOE plays an important support and technical
assistance role in the development and implementation of
building energy codes, which are adopted by States and local
governments for new construction and renovations of residential
and commercial buildings, that reflect developments in building
energy efficiency and ``lock in'' savings for the life of the
building. Education, training, and technical assistance have
been woefully underfunded over the past several years and can
be very impactful in assisting in codes' adoption and effective
implementation.
--Emerging Technologies (ET): $160 million for the program to enable
cost-effective, energy-efficient technologies to be developed
and introduced into the marketplace. ET funds and directs
applied research and development (R&D) for technologies and
tools that support building energy efficiency, particularly
electric technologies for a carbon-free grid.
--Grid-interactive Efficient Buildings (GEB): $50 million for DOE to
ensure that a high level of energy efficiency is a core element
of this new crosscutting program and a baseline characteristic
for GEBs which are also connected, smart, and flexible. The
Office should engage with the public and private sectors,
including the building and manufacturing industries and State
and local governments, to share information on GEB
technologies, costs, and benefits, and to provide information
to position American companies to lead in this area. Funding
for Connected Communities and other deployment activities is
encouraged.
Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO): $600 million to enable the
research, development, demonstration, and deployment of industrial
energy efficiency and advanced manufacturing technologies. This level
of funding is intended to accommodate an ambitious agenda of
decarbonizing U.S. manufacturing by the midcentury. This goal of
dramatic reductions requires increases in activity levels across the
Office and some important changes in the orientation of the Office's
goals. AMO should expand its efforts from promoting energy efficiency
to include efforts to reduce carbon emissions for manufacturing and
reduce the embodied carbon in manufactured products. Additionally, as
AMO rebuilds its staffing, the Office should focus on adding expertise
in important decarbonization technology areas identified in its
research road mapping.
--Technical Assistance and Workforce Development:
--Energy Management: $15 million for efforts to promote Strategic
Energy Management practices and $30 million for the
establishment of a program to provide competitive grants to
companies for the hiring or designation of plant energy
managers. For Strategic Energy Management, AMO should focus
efforts on small and medium-sized manufacturing plants.
--Save Carbon Now: $55 million for the Better Plants program to
expand that program to offer comprehensive assessment and
engagements to the 1,500 largest greenhouse gas emitting
manufacturing facilities. These engagements should include,
but not be limited to, targeted assessments, staff
training, technical analyses of opportunities, and
education.
--Existing Low-Carbon Technology: $60 million for the establishment
of a grant program for manufacturing plants to install
underutilized existing low-carbon technologies.
--Smart Manufacturing: $30 million for support of the development
and adoption of smart manufacturing practices directed
towards small and medium-sized manufacturers. This
includes, but is not limited to, expanded funding for the
Clean Energy Smart Manufacturing Innovative Institute
(CESMII) to increase educational and technical assistance
activities directed toward smart manufacturing adoption.
--Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization: $55 million for
industrial process heating decarbonization through the
establishment of a research, development, and deployment effort
by AMO to promote the adoption of technologies that can
dramatically reduce the GHG emissions from process heating
applications.
Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED): $200 million for
transformative technology adoption through the establishment of a grant
program that provides cost-share payments to manufacturing sites that
make at-scale implementation of transformative technologies to reduce
GHG emissions in intensive manufacturing processes.
Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains (MESC):
--Industrial Assessment Centers: $30 million for the Industrial
Assessment Centers (IAC) program to expand the program in order
to increase the number of university-based centers to 40; to
establish satellite centers at community colleges, technical
schools, and union training facilities; and to establish an
apprenticeship program with matching funding for IAC students
at facilities that have received assessments in the recent past
to facilitate the implementation of recommendations.
--Flex Tech: $40 million for the establishment of a Flex-Tech program
that provides grants to States and Tribal governments partnered
with educational institutions and trade associations to provide
energy and greenhouse gas reduction assessments and loans to
implement identified measures at small and medium-sized
manufacturers.
Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP): At least $100 million to
provide project and policy expertise to all Federal agencies, including
not less than $60 million for the Department to continue its work
through the Assisting Federal Facilities with Energy Conservation
Technologies (AFFECT) program and $2 million for the Performance Based
Contract National Resource Initiative. With minimal funding, FEMP
supports all agencies of the Federal Government in their quest to save
energy and money for the American taxpayer while improving agency
infrastructure and addressing deferred maintenance. FEMP is at the
forefront of efforts to improve Federal building energy performance,
which is accomplished in part by accessing and leveraging private
capital in performance contracts. FEMP's work has attracted private
capital used to finance over 400 projects across two dozen agencies and
resulted in $7.8 billion in investments in Federal energy efficiency
and renewable energy improvements. These improvements have generated
approximately $17.7 billion in cumulative energy cost savings for the
Federal Government. Specified funding for AFFECT has been provided in
prior fiscal years to provide small grants to Federal agencies to help
achieve energy savings and resilience goals. These grants are then
leveraged through performance contracts, allowing agencies to utilize
private finance to complete innovative and comprehensive energy and
water conservation projects that would not otherwise be possible.
Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP): At least $422.5 million is
recommended for the Weatherization Assistance Program, including $375
million for the base Program, $10 million for training and technical
assistance, and $37.5 million for the Weatherization Readiness Fund.
R&D investments will continue to make emerging technologies cheaper and
more accessible, but DOE's Weatherization Assistance Program is
particularly important for bringing energy efficiency to communities
and families that need it most. According to the Energy Information
Administration, over 25 million American households report forgoing
food or medicine to pay energy costs, while over 12 million households
report being unable to use their heating or cooling equipment. Since
1976, WAP has helped make more than 8 million homes more efficient,
saving the average recipient about $4,200 over the lifetime of their
home. Each WAP dollar produces $4.50 in benefits, including energy
savings as well as improved health and safety. Federal weatherization
assistance also helps workers and small businesses.
State Energy Program (SEP): At least $115 million is recommended
for State Energy Program grants, including $25 million to be used for
technical assistance on energy and related air quality in schools. At
least $90 million of the SEP funds shall be utilized for direct formula
grants to the States. SEP leverages over $10 for every Federal dollar
invested and saves over $7 for every Federal dollar invested. In
addition to energy efficiency and renewable energy programs, SEP is
critical for dealing with cyber security and energy emergency
preparedness and response. SEP is extremely flexible and is the basis
for a variety of partnership programs.
U.S. Energy & Employment Report (USEER): $2 million for the Office
of Policy to complete the annual U.S. energy employment report that
includes a comprehensive statistical survey to collect data, publish
the data and provide a summary report. The information collected will
include data related to employment figures and demographics in the U.S.
energy sector. The report presents a unique snapshot of energy
efficiency employment in key sectors of the economy, including
construction and manufacturing.
Energy Information Administration: $144 million to continue
important data collection, analysis, and reporting activities on energy
use and consumption, including the Commercial Buildings Energy
Consumption Survey and the Residential Buildings Energy Consumption
Survey.
We stand ready to work with Congress, the White House, and Federal
agencies to identify ways the U.S. can improve the affordability and
access of energy-efficient technologies, unlock utility savings for
consumers, reduce energy-related carbon emissions, and improve public
health. We appreciate your consideration of our requests.
Sincerely,
Advanced Energy Economy (AEE)
Alliance to Save Energy
American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE)
Building Performance Association (BPA)
Business Council for Sustainable Energy (BCSE)
E4TheFuture
Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI)
Federal Performance Contracting Coalition (FPCC)
Institute for Market Transformation (IMT)
International Code Council (ICC)
National Association for State Community Services Programs (NASCSP)
National Association of Energy Service Companies (NAESCO)
National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO)
Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)
Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance (SEEA)
U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)
[This statement was submitted by Dane Farrell, Energy Efficiency
Strategy Group Organizations.]
______
Prepared Statement of the Federal Performance Contracting Coalition
Chair Feinstein, Ranking Member Kennedy, and members of the
subcommittee, as you deliberate on the important programs to be funded
in the FY23 appropriations bills, we respectfully request that $100
million be allocated to the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP)
within the Office of the Under Secretary Infrastructure (formerly
within the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy) at the
U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), with $60 million designated to the
Federal Energy Efficiency Fund, also known as Assisting Federal
Facilities with Energy Conservation Technologies (AFFECT) grant
program. We also request the following report language be included:
``The Committee recommends $100,000,000 for the Federal Energy
Management Program. The recommendation provides not less than
$60,000,000 for the Department to continue its work through the
Assisting Federal Facilities with Energy Conservation
Technologies (AFFECT) program. The Committee directs FEMP to
continue requiring all AFFECT grant funding to be leveraged
through private sector investment in Federal infrastructure to
ensure maximum overall investment in resiliency, efficiency,
emissions reductions, and security. Funding should be directed
to projects that attract at least 10 dollars for each Federal
dollar invested and that utilize public-private partnerships
like energy savings performance contracts (ESPCs) and utility
energy service contracts (UESCs).''
In fiscal year 2022, Congress graciously directed $20 million for
the AFFECT program. This small amount of funding allows agencies to
continue to address resiliency as well as backlog maintenance, critical
upgrade and maintenance needs, and other infrastructure on our Federal
sites such as military bases, VA hospitals, and GSA buildings. The FPCC
knows that we can address such critical infrastructure needs using
fewer dedicated Federal dollars through performance contracting, and
the AFFECT program facilitates just that.
The FPCC believes that using just a nominal amount of appropriated
dollars for critical priorities such as cybersecurity, resiliency, and
net-zero/deep energy efficiency retrofits will net:
--Additional private-sector dollars invested in the Federal
Government,
--Improved Federal facility resiliency,
--Significant energy cost savings,
--Emissions reductions while addressing critical infrastructure
failures, and
--Enhanced attention to ongoing operations and maintenance and
regular equipment replacement costs
In fact, fewer dollars need to be appropriated overall if they are
leveraged with private sector dollars. Leveraging allows precious
Federal resources to focus on core mission objectives and transfers
project execution risk to the private sector.
FEMP is the appropriate place for these dollars as they will be
available to leverage performance contracting for all Federal agencies.
FEMP has provided small amounts of appropriated dollars to leverage
performance contracting through the AFFECT grant program for the past
several years. The $11 million appropriated in fiscal year 2021
resulted in DOE investing a total of $13 million in AFFECT funding in
17 Federal agency projects that, when combined with the investment from
the private sector, are expected to surpass $737 million in
infrastructure improvements. Congress further recognized the benefit of
this program by providing it with $250 million in one-time funding
through the bipartisan infrastructure law--and make no mistake: when
considering the substantial amount of derelict and outdated
infrastructure in Federal facilities, these dollars are needed more
than ever to meet requirements to improve energy and water utilization
and site resiliency. Performance contracting projects, which focus on
new technologies and resiliency, will help agencies across the Federal
Government address backlog maintenance, which the Office of Management
and Budget (OMB) estimates is $174 billion government-wide. At a
minimum, it would specifically address the $7.2 billion in cost-
effective energy-related backlog maintenance already identified in
Congressionally mandated audits (EISA 2007, Section 432), which must
now be addressed after the passage of the Energy Policy Act of 2020.
FEMP, with minimal funding, supports all agencies of the Federal
Government in their quest to become more efficient, resilient, and
secure and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The FEMP function of
assisting all Federal agencies allows them to achieve these goals while
saving money for the American taxpayer, improving aging infrastructure,
and addressing deferred maintenance. FEMP also plays the critical role
of trainer, facilitator, and honest broker for all Federal facilities
wishing to address necessary facilities- and energy-related
infrastructure.
As the single largest U.S. energy consumer with more than 360,000
buildings and structures comprising 3 billion square feet, the Federal
Government has a significant opportunity and responsibility to lead by
example through demonstrating and deploying energy and water
conservation best practices and technology solutions. FEMP is at the
forefront of responding to Administration priorities, statutory
requirements, and Federal agency needs while helping to maintain
resilient, efficient, and secure installations for mission assurance.
FEMP assists Federal agencies with various needs, including technology
development and integration, infrastructure improvements, energy
project development and implementation assistance, and workforce
development.
Energy Savings Performance Contracts (ESPCs) and Utility Energy
Service Contracts (UESCs) are alternative financing methods created by
Congress that utilize private sector resources and capabilities to
complete Federal energy projects. Under an ESPC, a private company
finances and implements an energy savings project for a Federal agency,
measures and verifies that the installed measures are working as
promised, and guarantees that energy savings will accrue. The private
sector is then repaid over time through the savings on the customer's
utility bill. As such, these contracts allow Federal agencies to
address critical maintenance backlogs and infrastructure needs with no
added expenditures by the Federal Government. According to FEMP, DOE
IDIQ ESPC projects have achieved over $17.7 billion in guaranteed
energy savings across the Federal Government and generated investments
of $7.8 billion in Federal energy efficiency and renewable energy
improvements. These projects have resulted in approximately 615
trillion Btu in life cycle energy savings for the Federal Government,
demonstrating their effectiveness as a tool to improve the Nation's
energy independence and security posture.
FEMP's role is essential. It provides training, guidance, and
technical assistance to help agencies achieve their energy, water, and
carbon reduction goals. Additionally, FEMP provides oversight of every
ESPC for the life of the contract. Because agencies are short on
personnel, this is a critical function to ensure dollars are well spent
and maximize environmental impact.
Utilizing performance contracting to address infrastructure
improvements instead of using appropriated funds for direct services is
a commonsense approach that reduces risk to the Federal Government and
ensures that projects are well managed since the private sector partner
must guarantee performance to get paid.
In past years, when appropriated dollars have been scarce, FEMP
funding has leveraged between $800 million and $1.4 billion in private
investment in Federal infrastructure with no added cost to the Federal
Government, using money from existing funding streams. A 2013 report by
the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) titled Beyond Guaranteed
Savings: Additional Cost Savings Associated with ESPC Projects found
that for a typical ESPC, the actual cost savings to the Federal
Government is 174 percent to 197 percent of the guaranteed savings by
the contractor.
The members of the Federal Performance Contracting Coalition (ABM,
AECOM, Ameresco, CEG Solutions, Constellation, Energy Systems Group,
Honeywell, Johnson Controls Inc., NORESCO, Schneider Electric, Siemens,
Southland Energy, and Trane) know firsthand how impactful ESPCs are in
saving energy costs, taxpayer money, and creating jobs in every State
in the country. Our members represent approximately 90 percent of the
Energy Savings Performance Contracts (ESPCs) in Federal facilities.
They are committed to working with Congress and the Administration to
facilitate more, faster, bigger, and better ESPC projects. Thank you
for your consideration of our request.
[This statement was submitted by Dane Farrel, Director, Government
Affairs.]
______
Prepared Statement of the Gas Turbine Association
The Gas Turbine Association* (GTA) appreciates the opportunity to
provide the Senate Committee on Appropriations with our industry's
statement concerning recommended FY23 funding levels for the Department
of Energy (DOE) Fossil Energy and Carbon Management R&D Program.
GTA is fully supportive of the decarbonization goals that require
significant investment with a relevant technology roadmap. GTA
understands the global urgency surrounding Energy Security, Energy
Equity, and Environmental Sustainability. Our deeply held belief is
centered on the long-term value and benefit that gas turbine technology
has made and will continue to make in terms of contributing to a
balanced and greener energy solution. Our technology, innovative
history, and pathway forward are centered on optimizing output,
improving thermal efficiency, and achieving environmental friendliness
by reducing GHG emissions (with a goal of achieving a zero-carbon
impact). We have worked successfully and have commercialized low
emissions products since the 1970's. Our investment path has focused on
meeting the need for low-cost energy production and ensuring the
operating flexibility that is driven by today's changing market
demand--gas turbines complement renewable energy systems to ensure grid
stability and resiliency. Our fast start/stop capability is unmatched
in the market. Gas turbines will contribute significantly to the
decarbonization of the energy market.
The GTA strongly believes that DOE R&D funding should be
prioritized to improve the performance and carbon footprint of our
Nation's installed base of power generation infrastructure. Programs
that incorporate diversity, equity, and inclusion elements to promote
the representation and participation of different groups in the R&D
space are an essential investment in underserved communities.
Representing the largest share of current electrical generation
across the country, gas turbines provide critically important
electrical generation capacity and dispatchability functions that are
key to effective and efficient grid operations. These benefits include:
--Firming capacity enabling broader adoption and interconnection of
renewable generation facilities,
--Integrating carbon capture and storage solutions, including both
pre- and post-combustion carbon capture technologies,
--Securing energy through reliance on domestic sources of supply to
meet our Nation's growing energy needs,
--Meeting social justice energy goals through affordable access.
With this country's focus on infrastructural improvements,
accelerated electrification and US manufacturing, we are entering a
period when the U.S. economy will depend more than ever on advanced gas
turbine technologies. Gas turbines are used extensively throughout the
U.S. for centralized and distributed electrical power generation, as
well as industrial applications. Gas turbines can reduce local air
pollution, increase energy resilience, lower utility costs and energy
burdens, and create good-paying jobs. By advancing energy security and
stability, gas turbines can provide increasing support for equality of
opportunity and access to energy.
In addition, investing in improved turbine efficiencies as part of
a ``performance package'' paired with carbon-capture technologies can
help to operationalize lowest-cost carbon capture solutions. These
solutions would in turn provide important elements enabling
environmental justice: delivering resilient, clean, affordable power
with advanced decarbonized gas turbine technology. This decarbonization
may include the existing installed fleet, a significant portion of
which is located within communities identified by the EPA as bearing a
disproportionate burden of environmental harms and adverse health
outcomes.\1\ Additionally, reducing the cost of capture promotes
adoption, preserving existing jobs and communities while creating new
jobs to modernize these vital assets. The gas turbine community looks
forward to developing world class technology to ensure US net-zero
generation and lead the world in affordable clean power.
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\1\ United States Environmental Protection Agency, ``Power Plants
and Neighboring Communities'', US EPA Clean Air Markets, Retrieved 05/
20/2022, www.epa.gov/airmarkets/power-plants-and-neighboring-
communities#graphing.
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As the US National Academy of Sciences has highlighted in a recent
report, Advanced Technologies for Gas Turbines: ``the gas turbine
industry will continue to play a critically important role in the
generation of electric power, aircraft propulsion, and the oil and gas
industry for decades to come, both domestically and globally.'' The GTA
therefore strongly believes that advancing gas turbine technology
should be a priority for the DOE and our Nation in order to keep our
economy strong, preserve jobs, and maintain this country's preeminent
position as a global gas turbine technology provider.
Based on input from the National Academies study and other industry
stakeholders, the GTA believes that the core element of these programs
should include the following:
1. Improved Efficiency. Increase combined cycle efficiency to
more than 67 percent and simple cycle efficiency to more than
50 percent. This involves both improvements to existing
installed power generation facilities as well as development
and commercialization of technologies for new generation
systems. Each percentage point increase in efficiency of the
U.S. gas turbine power generation fleet results in emissions
reductions equivalent to taking 2 million cars off the road,
and provides an economic benefit of more than $7 billion to the
U.S. economy.\2\
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\2\ 10-yr projection with EIA fuel price projections and 1
percentage point efficiency improvement.
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2. Improvements in Fuel Flexibility, enabling gas turbines to
operate with high proportions of hydrogen (including pure H2)
and other renewable gas fuels. This will make it possible to
achieve low to no CO2 emissions within our existing
generation base and power production infrastructure. Gas
turbines also have a significant role to play in compression
and distribution of hydrogen, leveraging existing
infrastructure and supporting upgrading of our Nation's gas
distribution network.
3. Compatibility with Renewable Energy Sources delivering
resilient, clean and smart grids. This will enhance efficiency
and operational flexibility by reducing turbine start up times
and improving the ability to accommodate flexible power demands
inherent in integrating intermittent power sources into the
grid while retaining grid stability and enhancing resilience.
4. Cutting-edge Technologies--research and development in areas
including combustion; heat transfer; high temperature materials
including superalloys, coatings, and ceramics paired with
improved manufacturability;
5. Technology Demonstration and Validation Capabilities--support
component testing, subscale testing, and full-scale testing in
existing fleets
In recent years the Fossil Energy budget has provided $27 million/
year for gas turbine technology R&D. This was increased to $35 million
in FY 2022, however this level is still only a fraction of the funding
authorized for this program by Congress in 2020. In the FY 2021 omnibus
appropriations bill, the Energy Policy Act of 2020 established a
dedicated line item for advanced gas turbine research and development.
To build upon this development, the GTA urges the Senate to increase
gas turbine R&D funding for the Fossil Energy Research and Development
(FER&D): High Efficiency Turbines program to $50 million to match the
level authorized in the Energy Act of 2020.
With natural gas being key to our energy future, the DOE should
invest in gas turbine research as part of a broad portfolio to
accelerate decarbonization of our economy and robust U.S. manufacturing
and job growth. GTA supports enhanced investment in research and
development to minority institutions and HBCUs with programs advancing
technology in clean energy, energy efficiency and climate programs
geared to underserved communities.
Gas turbines produce less than half the CO2 per megawatt hour than
other fossil fuels, and have the ability to integrate hydrogen and
other fuels to achieve low or zero-carbon emissions
--Gas turbines are key to stabilizing the electrical grid.
--Gas turbines, with their rapid response capability, are essential
for integrating with intermittent renewable energy sources to
provide reliable power at all times.
--Gas turbines are a vital part of the growing distributed generation
infrastructure.
--Gas turbines are a major manufacturing export sector for the United
States--the U.S. exports more than $10 billion annually in gas
turbine systems and components, and has a trade surplus of $6
billion per year in turbine technologies.
Gas turbines provide a variety of functions essential to the
effective, efficient and sustainable operation of America's energy
system and our Nation's economy. In addition to the attributes outlined
above, gas turbines are the primary source of dispatchable power for
microgrids across the country (including hospitals, schools, military
installations and the US Capitol complex), and underpin critical
infrastructure including our Nation's natural gas distribution network.
In addition, gas turbines ensure the stability and reliability of our
Nation's electric grid while supporting hundreds of thousands of high-
paying jobs in US manufacturing, engineering, operations, repair and
related occupations.
The Department of Energy's R&D programs play a very important role
in supporting the ongoing competitiveness of American manufacturers in
the energy industry. Today's most advanced gas turbines have combined
cycle efficiency levels exceeding 61 percent. In both the United States
and other countries, there is a focus on technology advancements
towards 65 percent, and long-term 67 percent+. In particular, China has
identified advanced gas turbines as an industrial sector with critical
strategic and economic implications and is devoting vast resources to
building its gas turbine manufacturing industry as part of the ``Made
in China 2025'' initiative. Maintaining the competitive edge for the
U.S. gas turbine industry is critical to sustaining our manufacturing
base and its jobs, producing electricity more efficiently, improving
air quality, and increasing exports. An enhanced DOE focus on gas
turbine technology R&D funding would lead to improved private/public
strategic partnerships which are critical to R&D success and rapid
market deployment. Examples of technology advancement areas include the
development and integrated testing of: fuel-flexible combustors;
turbine components; advanced cooling concepts; advanced aerodynamics;
improved materials; and more capable coatings.
In short, advancing gas turbine technology is important to the
United States. And increased DOE funding in this strategic area can
maximize the potential of every R&D dollar.
The GTA respectfully requests $50 million in FY23 appropriations
for the Fossil Energy R&D: High Efficiency Turbines Program targeted to
advanced gas turbine R&D to meet critical national goals including
decarbonization and environmental justice, fuel efficiency to lower the
cost of electricity, high-tech jobs, grid stability and reliability,
and fuel flexibility, as well as ensuring the US maintains its
preeminent position in the global market.
[This statement was submitted by Salvatore A. DellaVilla, Managing
Director, Gas Turbine Association.]
______
Prepared Statement of Lincoln Network
Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein, Ranking Member John Kennedy, and
Members of the subcommittee:
My name is Lars Erik Schonander. I am a Policy Technologist at
Lincoln Network, a think tank to help bridge the gap between Silicon
Valley and DC along with leveraging technology and technical talent to
solve governance and policy challenges.
The Department of Energy has requested $144 million for FY 2023 for
the Energy Information Administration (EIA).\1\ As Congress considers
that request, the committee should require the EIA to collect and
report data on foreign investments in the U.S. energy sector to restore
transparency in our energy industry as a requirement for fulfilling the
request. I respectfully urge the committee to consider making EIA
collect data on foreign energy investment in the United States again.
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\1\ Department of Energy, ``Department of Energy FY 2023
Congressional Budget Request,'', March 2022, https://www.energy.gov/
sites/default/files/2022-04/doe-fy2023-budget-in-brief-v6.pdf.
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Much like in the 1970s, when the United States founded the
Department of Energy, we are in a chaotic period for the energy sector.
With gas prices at new heights,\2\ it is critical that the public has a
transparent picture of America's energy industry, and who controls and
invests in the assets in said industry.
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\2\ Ella Koeze and Clifford Krauss, ``Why Gas Prices Are So High,''
New York Times, June 14, 2022, https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/
2022/06/14/business/gas-prices.html.
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When Congress established the Department of Energy by passing the
Department of Energy Organization Act of 1977, lawmakers included the
following language to ensure transparency about foreign influence in
the US energy sector and other matters: \3\
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\3\ General Accounting Office, GAO/NSIAD-90-25BR, Foreign
Investment: Federal Data Collection on Foreign Investment in the United
States (1989), p. 12, https://www.gao.gov/assets/nsiad-90-25br.pdf.
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In accordance with the Department of Energy Organization Act, 42
U.S.C. 7257(8), the Energy Information Administration (EIA) prepares an
annual report for the Secretary of Energy and for transmittal to
Congress that summarizes foreign investment, energy operations, and
financial performance in U.S. energy enterprises. The information is
available for use by the Congress, government agencies, and the public.
These reports provided legibility to our energy industry. For
example, the ``Acquisitions and Divestitures in U.S. Energy by Foreign
Direct Investors 2007'' report shows what companies and what countries
bought and sold American energy companies.\4\ Similarly, the ``Profiles
of Foreign Direct Investment in U.S. Energy'' report shows what regions
of the world were investing in our petroleum industry.\5\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ Energy Information Administration, ``Acquisitions and
Divestitures in U.S. Energy by Foreign Direct Investors 2007,'' 2007,
https://www.eia.gov/finance/archive/fdiad2007.pdf.
\5\ Energy Information Administration, ``Profiles of Foreign Direct
Investment in U.S. Energy,'' 1990, https://play.google.com/books/
reader?id=Hayc48sTggYC&pg=GBS.PA8&hl=en.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reviewing the history of this program, however, shows that the
Department of Energy has stopped collecting this information.\6\ As a
result of a $15.2 million budget cut at EIA in 2011, a variety of data
collection programs were canceled.\7\ One of these programs was the
form EIA-28, the ``Financial Reporting System.'' The EIA-28 form was
the basis for the annual EIA reports providing analysis on foreign
investment in our energy industry. Since its cancellation, no reports
have been generated.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\6\ Lars Erik Schonander, ``The United States Should Collect Data
on Foreign Energy Investment Again,'' RealClearEnergy, May 24, 2022,
https://www.realclearenergy.org/articles/2022/05/24/
the_united_States_should_collect_data_on_foreign_energy_investment_again
_ 834001.html, May 24, 2022.
\7\ Energy Information Administration, ``Immediate Reductions in
EIA's Energy Data and Analysis Programs Necessitated by FY 2011 Funding
Cut,'' April 28, 2011, https://www.eia.gov/pressroom/releases/
press362.php.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Committee should direct the Department of Energy to report to
Congress on how to restart this program and collect this information.
While EIA tried to restart the collection of the data after 2011, as
seen by notices in the Federal Register in 2013,\8\ these submissions
did not lead to the form being used again. Congress should require the
Department of Energy to investigate why this program was cut in 2011
and why attempts to bring it back later did not succeed, and then
mandate the Department of Energy to bring back the program.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\8\ 78 Fed. Reg. No. 48 (March 12, 2013), https://www.govinfo.gov/
content/pkg/FR-2013-03-12/pdf/2013-05632.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
conclusion
The funds that Congress provides to the Energy Information
Administration offer the American people one of the best sources of
information on our energy industry. In FY 2023, the Committee should
mandate that funding to the EIA be tied to collecting data that
provides transparency on how foreign investors interact with our energy
industry. Doing so would allow the American people and Congress to
understand the full extent of foreign countries' investment in our
energy industry.
[This statement was submitted by Lars Erik Schonander, Policy
Technologist,
Lincoln Network.]
______
Prepared Statement of Methane Action
Mr. Chairman and Members of the subcommittee,
In this testimony, on behalf of Methane Action, a not for profit
organization, I summarize our detailed recommendations \1\ for removing
methane and other major greenhouse gases from the atmosphere and
beginning the governance of these methods. These recommendations are
from scientists, lawyers, economists and engineers with expertise in
the rapidly evolving science and policy of methane removal.\2\ The
world must rapidly reduce emissions, of potent short-lived climate
pollutants (SLCPs) \3\ such as methane, which is over 80 times more
powerful than CO2 in its impact period of 20 years. Methane
is now at twice its preindustrial levels in the atmosphere and rising
every year, and a burst of methane could erupt at any time from the
melting permafrost and shallow waters off Siberia. Therefore, we must
develop and deploy methods of converting or removing methane and other
``SLCPs'' responsibly and soon.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ We have provided, e.g., a memo to your staff under the title
``Catalog of Research Needs''.
\2\ (See, E.g., scientists' letter of April 2021 at
MethaneAction.org).
\3\ Mitigating climate disruption in time: A self-consistent
approach for avoiding both near-term and long-term global warming.
Dreyfus, G. B., Xu, Y., Shindell, D. T., Zaelke, D., & Ramanathan, V.
(2022). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 119(22),
e2123536119. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2123536119.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
We recommend that you include in your FY23 bill the language below
to create a Climate Restoration Program and that your Committee Report
include descriptions of the removal methods below to guide the EPA,
though the agency could adjust the details.
Suggested Bill Language: After adding $22,200,000 to the ARPA-E
section total, insert: ``Of the funds included under this heading, no
less than $22,200,000 shall be allocated for the establishment of a
Climate Restoration Program led by the Secretaries of Energy and
Agriculture, the Bureau of Reclamation and the Administrator of the
Environmental Protection Agency, for the research, development,
assessment and deployment of methods for the long term removal,
oxidation or destruction of methane and other greenhouse gases, near
and far from their sources, whether related to energy or not, using,
among other methods: filters, oxidation, photocatalysis, metal
catalysts, biological action, enhanced rock weathering, and
agricultural innovations including regenerative agriculture to improve
soil health and carbon drawdown, as further described in the report
accompanying this act.''
Suggested Committee Report Language: Several of the following
Climate Restoration research programs could cover more than 1 year with
contracts or grants committed or obligated in FY23. These examples are
illustrative and not meant to be definitive or exhaustive. All are
expected to be cost-effective. For comparing the cost of removing
methane and other climate-forcing gases, the term ``CO2
equivalent'' (CO2-eq) refers to removing an amount of the
gas that has global warming potential equivalent to an equal amount of
CO2. The Committee expects reports on the benefits, co-
benefits and costs.\4\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ We note that most scientists calculate that methane is at least
80 times more powerful in its warming than CO2 over 20 years
and this makes its removal far more important than the 100 year
equivalent estimates used in older accounting. See, Abernethy S,
O'Connor FM, Jones CD, Jackson RB. 2021 Methane removal and the
proportional reductions in surface temperature and ozone. Phil. Trans.
R. Soc. A 379: 20210104--''Our results demonstrate the effectiveness of
methane removal in delaying warming thresholds and reducing peak
temperatures, and also allow for direct comparisons between the impacts
of methane and carbon dioxide removal that could guide future research
and climate policy.''
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Explanation of the Research Proposed
1. Zeolite surfaces. Zeolites are porous, high surface area
alumina-silicate minerals used as molecular sieves and in water-
treatment applications. Copper (Cu)--and iron (Fe)-zeolites are
methane-oxidizing catalysts already used to convert methane to methanol
(CH3OH), a partial oxidation product (one added oxygen atom). More
recently, zeolites have been shown to oxidize methane to carbon
dioxide.\5\ The ability of zeolites to adsorb CO2 from the
atmosphere is well known. Scientists have screened almost 100,000
zeolite structures as potential methane sorbents. Relatively low-
temperature methane oxidation has already been shown in zeolites such
as Cu-ZSM-5 and Fe-ZSM-5, with Fe zeolites able to oxidize methane at
room temperature. Higher temperatures and pressures generally lead to
greater conversion efficiencies. Teams leading: Stanford University,
U.S.; Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.), U.S. (partially
funded to date by ARPA-E) Cost range: Target of $100 per metric ton of
CO2 equivalent. For active systems with blowers, air
handling will be required (hence the desire to partner with operating
DAC facilities). Passive systems do not require such air handling.
Funding need: $500,000/yr, 2 years ($1,000,000 total) for sorbent and
catalyst development at ambient methane concentration. $1,000,000
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\5\ Methane removal and atmospheric restoration. Jackson, R. B.,
Solomon, E. I., Canadell, J. G., Cargnello, M., & Field, C. B. (2019).
Nature Sustainability, 2(6), 436-438. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-
019-0299-x; Atmospheric- and Low-Level Methane Abatement via an Earth-
Abundant Catalyst. Rebecca J. Brenneis, Eric P. Johnson, Wenbo Shi, and
Desiree L. Plata, 29 December 2021, ACS Environment Au. https://
doi.org/10.1021/acsenvironau.1c00034.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. Photocatalytic surfaces (small scale urban solar chimneys)--
prototype testing. Photocatalysts are metal oxide minerals activated by
sunlight or by artificial UV-light able to oxidize organic pollutants
and greenhouse gases, at room temperature.\6\ The smaller the size of
the nanoparticles and the larger the surface area and porosity, the
faster the oxidation rate. Several are proven to fully oxidize methane,
such as modified zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. Trials will be
conducted on the ventilation system of an agricultural facility with
cows. Then a prototype will be tested on a landfill. Cost range: Based
on estimations of infrastructure requested results in a cost ton-\1\
CO2-eq is $166 by 2030 with a target of $100 by 2040.
Funding need: $1,500,000 per year for 3 years + additional $1,000,000
to build the pilot plant. $5,500,000
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\6\ The comprehensive performance analysis on a novel high-
performance air-purification-sterilization type PV-Trombe wall. Yu, B.,
Li, N., Yan, C., et al. (2022). Renewable Energy, 182, 1201-1218.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2021.11.029; A new double-skin facade
system integrated with TiO2 plates for decomposing BTEX. Building and
Environment, 180, 107037. Li, H., Zhong, K., & Zhai, Z. J. (2020).
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2020.107037.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. Photocatalytic large-scale solar chimneys and solar chimney
power plants. Giant solar chimneys can be constructed that cause heated
air to updraft, which provides flowing air that can generate
electricity through a turbine, comparable to a windmill.\7\ The
structure and coatings on the solar chimney allow flowing air to be
cleansed of methane via photocatalytic coatings or other methods. Cost
range: Based on estimations of infrastructure requested results in a
cost per ton CO2-eq is $166 by 2030 with a target of $100 by
2040. Funding need: $1,000,000 per year for 3 years: $3,000,000
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\7\ Removal of non-CO2 greenhouse gases by large-scale atmospheric
solar photocatalysis. De Richter, R., Ming, T., Davies, P., Liu, W., &
Caillol, S. (2017). Progress in Energy and Combustion Science, 60, 68-
96. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pecs.2017.01.001; Ming, Tingzhen, et al.
``Solar chimney power plant integrated with a photocatalytic reactor to
remove atmospheric methane: A numerical analysis.'' Solar Energy 226
(2021): 101-111. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solener.2021.08.024.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
4. Iron salt aerosols demonstration phase. Many ships burn low-cost
bunker fuels that contain metals including iron that may have the
favorable side effect of enhancing the naturally occurring chlorine
atom sink for methane.\8\ Existing evidence supports the theory that
the mix of particle-phase iron, sunshine, and sea spray (containing
natural chloride) generates chlorine atoms that will oxidize methane in
the ship's plume. University researchers are prepared to demonstrate
this mechanism using a combination of laboratory experiment, reaction
system modeling and field tests. After appropriate assessment,
consultation, permitting and governance, practitioners could then
harness its power to control methane at scale. It is important to note
that this approach would take advantage of present-day shipping traffic
and the large volumes of air that are in contact with dilute ship
plumes. Cost-range: $9 per metric ton of CO2-eq or less. A
full environmental impact assessment should be completed before
deployment. $1,500,000
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\8\ A nature-based negative emissions technology able to remove
atmospheric methane and other greenhouse gases. Ming, T., de Richter,
R., Oeste, F. D., Tulip, R., & Caillol, S. (2021). Atmospheric
Pollution Research, 12(5), 101035. https://doi.org/10.1016/
j.apr.2021.02.017; Wittmer, J., & Zetzsch, C. (2017). Photochemical
activation of chlorine by iron-oxide aerosol. Journal of Atmospheric
Chemistry, 74(2), 187-204. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10874-016-9336-6.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
5. Chlorine based photochemical removal at point sources. (Type 1)
This method generates chlorine atoms using low-cost light sources and
uses a catalytic mechanism to recycle chlorine within a closed reactor.
The innovators are at technology readiness level 3 (experimental proof
of concept) and seek to bring this to technology readiness 5
(validation in relevant environment). Cost-range: Modeling based on
power requirement results in a price of $9 per ton of CO2-
eq. Funding needed: $2 million to build a prototype to field to test at
livestock barns and a coal mine
vent. $2,000,000
6. Chlorine-based photochemical removal in the global atmosphere.
(Type 2) This method generates chlorine atoms using sunlight by
generating an aerosol of FeCl3 in marine environment where
there are sea brines. The reaction is catalytic in iron, the chlorine
atoms being provided by the sea salt. The innovators are at technology
readiness level 4 (prototype for the aerosol generation tested in-
doors) and seek to bring this to technology readiness level 5
(validation in relevant environment). Cost-range: Modeling based on
FeCl3 consumption results in a price of $2-3 per ton of
CO2-eq. $2,000,000
7. Chlorine-based photochemical removal. (Type 3--Alternative
Methods) The generation of Cl atoms can be made by photolysis of
Cl2 gas, produced by the well-established chlor-alkali
industrial process. Other methods to generate chlorine atoms to remove
methane will be explored. In particular, in order to be able to rapidly
react if a methane burst occurs (for instance from methane hydrates,
due to a submarine landslide after an earthquake). Cost-range: $20 per
ton of CO2-eq, based on estimations of chlorine gas prices
and the cost of UV light at 254 nm for photolysis. Funding needed:
$300,000
8. Climate chemistry global model to study accelerated recovery of
the stratospheric ozone layer. Enhancing the tropospheric production of
hydroxyl radicals and chlorine atoms will increase oxidative capacity
of the troposphere and might reduce the amount of halogenated compounds
reaching the stratosphere. Before conducting open-air field tests,
global computer modeling is needed to anticipate benefits and any
possible side effects of halogenated gases from natural sources, such
as chloromethane produced by plankton, and anthropogenic sources. This
can be done using the climate-chemistry global model LMDz-INCA. Funding
needed: $100,000 per year for 3 years: $300,000
9. Accelerate the recovery of the stratospheric ozone layer. Study
the use of high altitude solar photovoltaic platforms, which receive 5
times more solar energy than land-based PV panels, to generate UVB and
UVC light to enhance the photolysis of N2O and CFCs, the
oxidation of methane and the production of oxygen atoms and ozone below
the lower stratosphere.\9\ Laboratory research and R&D are needed to
optimize the aerostatic platform and the UV lamps materials (quartz or
other materials transparent for low wavelength UV). Funding needed:
$300,000 per year for 3 years: $900,000
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\9\ Solar power generation using high altitude platforms
feasibility and viability. Aglietti, G. S., Markvart, T., Tatnall, A.
R., & Walker, S. J. (2008). Progress in Photovoltaics: Research and
Applications, 16(4), 349-359. https://doi.org/10.1002/pip.815.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
10. Generation of hydroxyl radicals to increase methane removal by
oxidation. Hydroxyl radicals are the predominant naturally occurring
agents that naturally oxidize methane in the atmosphere. Commercially
available hydroxyl generators based on UVB or UVC light exist, but for
large scale use the energy consumption is high. Other methods for
large-scale generation of hydroxyl radicals will be explored. Cost-
range: Based on estimations of infrastructure requested results in
initial cost-range estimation of $200-1000 per ton of CO2-
eq. Funding need: $400,000 per year for 3 years: $1,200,000
11. Surface-based Photocatalytic Enhanced Methane Oxidation
(SPEMO). The Department of Energy, in cooperation with EPA, and the
Secretaries of Interior, Agriculture and State could contract for 3
years of research and development of SPEMO to assess alternative
methods to:
(I) lower methane emissions from coal mines, oil wells and
animal farms, and
(II) apply photocatalytic paint to buildings, rooftops,
photovoltaic panels, or in a ventilated conduit to reduce
methane in the general atmosphere as a complement to commercial
photocatalytic paints and coatings already being used because
of their self-cleaning property and ability to reduce urban
pollution such as nitrogen oxides and volatile organic
compounds. $3,000,000
12. Methane mitigation via wetlands management. Wetlands emit 31
percent of total methane emitted. The Bureau of Reclamation, in
consultation with the Army Corps of Engineers, should conduct an
investigation of relative wetland emissions of methane, through field
surveys and laboratory experiments, to determine how alternative
management practices could reduce greenhouse gas emissions and restore
natural ecosystems. $1,500,000
[This statement was submitted by John Fitzgerald, Methane Action--
MethaneAction.org.]
______
Prepared Statement of the Mni Wiconi Project
1. Fiscal Year 2023 OMR Request
The Mni Wiconi Project respectfully requests $ 33.7 million in
appropriations for operation, maintenance and replacement (OMR)
activities in fiscal year 2023, including $2.082 million for the Bureau
of Reclamation (BOR). The OMR request includes roughly $ 6.184 million
for necessary crossing, pump station, and SCADA improvements.
Additionally, the OSRWSS Core needs $38 million for South Core Line
(Phase V) Replacement (see Section 2). Report language is also
requested.
OMR funds will be used as summarized in Table 1 by the Oglala Sioux
Rural Water Supply System (OSRWSS), Rosebud Sioux Rural Water System
(RSRWS), and Lower Brule Sioux Rural Water System (LBSRWS).
Table 1-Updated
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OSRWSS
--------------------------- RSRWS LBSRWS Reclamation TOTAL
Coreline Distribution
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number of Employees.............. 17 33 14 13 8 85
Labor and Fringe Benefits........ $1,488,956 $2,115,004 $847,269 $990,600 $1,025,100 $6,466,929
Labor Overhead Costs............. 680,304 856,577 587,371 201,400 425,000 2,750,652
Non-Labor Costs
Electricity/Natural Gas/ 650,000 775,836 230,000 139,800 350,000 2,145,636
Propane.....................
Telephone/Communications..... 40,000 52,014 23,500 34,900 ........... 150,414
Water Treatment Chemicals/ 500,000 243,132 30,000 105,500 ........... 878,632
Supplies....................
Wells, Pumps, Motors & 400,000 88,511 62,000 104,500 ........... 655,011
Replacement.................
Water Testing................ 140,000 32,782 10,000 ........... ........... 182,782
Vehicle OMR.................. 83,000 299,407 85,200 97,400 17,000 582,007
Water Service Providers...... ........... ............ 310,500 ........... ........... 310,500
Travel-Training.............. 60,000 92,882 6,840 33,800 15,000 208,522
Other........................ 337,000 95,066 200,391 215,600 250,000 1,098,057
Emergency Leak Repairs....... 500,000 ............ ........... ........... ........... 500,000
Extraordinary Replacements
Meter vault, fuel tank & ........... ............ ........... 200,000 ........... 200,000
security upgrades...........
GPS/GIS...................... ........... 100,000 ........... 27,500 ........... 127,500
PLC Upgrades (44)............ ........... 1,000,000 ........... ........... ........... 1,000,000
West Brule Elevated Tank ........... ............ ........... 1,900,000 ........... 1,900,000
Replacement.................
Replace Standby Generator (3) ........... ............ ........... 700,000 ........... 700,000
Increase Pipe Size: 8" to 12 ........... 2,500,000 ........... ........... ........... 2,500,000
(Sharps to Rockyford--15 mi)
Replace Sharps East ........... 2,000,000 ........... ........... ........... 2,000,000
Reservoir: 1 MG.............
White River PS Replacement... ........... ............ 2,500,000 ........... ........... 2,500,000
Existing Community Transfer
Wounded Knee OM&R............ ........... 25,000 ........... ........... ........... 25,000
Priority Community System
Upgrades
Production Well Replacements. ........... 600,000 ........... ........... ........... 600,000
Projects
White River Bore Crossing.... 5,310,000 ............ ........... ........... ........... 5,310,000
SCADA Redundancy Telemetry 65,000 ............ ........... ........... ........... 65,000
Improvements................
High Service Pump Station VFD 808,800 ............ ........... ........... ........... 808,800
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TOTAL............................ $11,063,060 $10,876,211 $4,893,071 $4,751,000 $2,082,100 $33,665,442
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The OSRWSS Core System is the heart of the Mni Wiconi Project and
serves the three Indian Reservations and the West River/Lyman-Jones
Rural Water System (WRLJ) in 7 off-reservation counties covering
southwestern South Dakota with a design capacity of 52,000 people. The
Project now serves 41,250. Public Law 100-516, as amended, our
authorizing legislation, found that:
. . . the United States has a trust responsibility to ensure
that adequate and safe water supplies are available to meet the
economic, environmental, water supply, and public health needs
of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, Rosebud Indian
Reservation and Lower Brule Indian Reservation . . .
The request as presented in Table 1 will meet the purposes of the
Act. Appropriation by Congress of adequate funds will fulfill the
fiduciary responsibilities of the United States as articulated in the
Act.
The Project has been treating and delivering more water each year
from the OSRWSS Water Treatment Plant near Fort Pierre. The population
will continue to grow within the service area and will reach the design
population late in the next decade. The OMR budget must be adequate to
(1) keep pace with the system and its growing population and (2)
protect and preserve the $470 million investment held by the United
States in trust for the Tribes and by WRLJ. Funds are needed to
properly operate and maintain the infrastructure.
We appreciate the President's focus on improving critical water
infrastructure in his requested $20.021 million for the Mni Wiconi
Project. However, more is needed. We remind you of the Project's
overall needs, including OMR for community systems when they are
transferred into the Project, along with the actual costs of the
upgrade work. We also remind you that the oversight budget decreases
funds for routine maintenance and extraordinary replacements as
referenced in Section 7.
2. Crossing and Phase V Project/Existing Community Transfers/
Extraordinary Replacements
Included in Table 1 is roughly $6.184 million for a crossing, pump
station replacement, and SCADA improvements. The Coreline needs $ $5.31
million to replace the White River Coreline crossing because there is a
leak in the steel pipe under the river that is growing in size. This
crossing is essential for the Pine Ridge Reservation and surrounding
area south of the White River crossing. It also needs $808,800 million
for the High Service Pump Station VFD Project and $65,000 for SCADA
improvements.
Not included in Table 1 for the OMR request, but a critical need
for the OSRWSS Core is the South Core Replacement (Phase V) Project,
which will move the lines around the City of Ft. Pierre to address
recurrent leaks in the area. Project costs are estimated at $38
million.
Annual budgeting by the Administration must reflect: (1) increases
in water deliveries as project population was added between 2013 and
2015 with no corresponding increase in funding; (2) aging facilities in
need of maintenance and replacement (since start of construction in
1994 and through end of construction in fiscal year 2015); and (3) 40
existing communities that must be transferred to the respective Indian
rural water systems. It is critical that Project features not fall into
disrepair and that sufficient funds are available for the OMR of
existing community systems that are scheduled for inclusion in the
Project in fiscal year 2023 (or were transferred earlier). Funding is
also needed for the actual upgrade work, costs for which total in the
tens of millions for the Indian Project Sponsors. We also ask the
Subcommittee to be mindful of what BOR calls ``extra-ordinary
replacements,'' which are actually necessary and routine when pumps,
water treatment equipment, pipelines, and other facilities fail and
require replacement to continue operations.
The Mni Wiconi Project should be a shiny, new project that stands
out as a beacon of modern technology. It provides under-privileged
communities with safe and adequate drinking water of the highest
quality and to improve the health and well-being of a low-income
population, purposes that have been frustrated by inadequate attention
to infrastructure maintenance.
It is important to remember that for OMR activities, the Indian
projects are left with the appropriated figure minus the approximate $2
million that BOR takes for oversight. The reduced amount does not
account for the needed storage towers, crossing replacement, the
community upgrade work, any additional community system transfers, or
unexpected extraordinary replacements.
The Promise Zone designation for the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation
was announced in April 2015. It focused on developing solutions to
infrastructure challenges and the necessary resources to upgrade
existing community systems, among other things, to revitalize the
region. The request in Table 1 is consistent with the Promise Zone
designation (and last Administration's Opportunity Zone designation),
and underscores the need for OMR funding for routine maintenance,
``extra-ordinary'' replacements and existing community systems
following transfer.
The need is the same on the Rosebud and Lower Brule Indian
Reservations. Adequate funding for all activities, including community
water systems that are transferred, is a necessity for the three Indian
rural water systems in the Mni Wiconi Project. The following report
language is requested (see previous Congresses for similarity):
Mni Wiconi Project, South Dakota.--Reclamation is directed to
continue working with the Tribes and relevant Federal agencies,
such as the Department of Agriculture, the Environmental
Protection Agency, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Indian
Health Service, and the Department of Housing and Urban
Development to coordinate use of all existing authorities and
funding sources to finish needed community system upgrades and
connections, as well as any transfers of those systems, as
quickly as possible. The Administration is encouraged to
include appropriate funding for transferred community systems
in future budget requests. (House Report 114-532, Fiscal Year
2017)
BOR's annual budget requests properly included the transfer of
existing community systems and responsibility for operation and
maintenance. The budget needs to reflect those transfers:
. . . The project consists of new systems to be constructed, as
well as 40 existing Mni Wiconi community systems.
Responsibilities of the Secretary under the Act include the
operation and maintenance of existing water systems and
appurtenant facilities on the Pine Ridge, Rosebud, and Lower
Brule Indian Reservations. (Fiscal Year 2012-18 Budget
Justifications, p. GPR-49)
BOR and other Federal agencies are now assisting the Tribes with a
pathway for funding transfers and future OMR activities for the 40
existing community systems as they become part of the Project and
eligible for funding. It is crucial that these efforts continue. OMR
funding is needed for communities that were upgraded and will be
transferred (or have been transferred) to the Project.
3. OSRWSS Regional Core Facilities
The staff of the OSRWSS core system includes 17 employees. The
staff operates and maintains the 14 million gallon per day regional
water treatment plant, 203 miles of main transmission pipeline from 12
inches to 27 inches in diameter, nine major pumping stations (4
Megawatt total capacity), nine reservoirs (4.2 million gallons of
capacity) and supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system,
necessary to deliver safe and adequate drinking water to the service
areas of OSRWSS, RSRWS, LRSRWS and WRLJ. Again, the Core Facilities
need a crossing replacement, pump station project and SCADA
improvements at a cost of roughly $6.184 million and total funding at
$11,063,060.00. The OSRWSS Core also needs $38 million for the South
Core Line Replacement (Phase V) Project.
4. OSRWSS Distribution on Pine Ridge Indian Reservation
The OSRWSS Distribution's 33 employees are responsible for
maintaining 760 miles of PVC water mains and service lines, 30 high
production water wells, 33 booster pumps and treatment stations, 38
water storage reservoirs, and 2,206 metered residences. The water
system has been designed and constructed over a 24-year period, and
services a total population of 21,510 residents on the Pine Ridge
reservation. The construction of the water system is now complete and
valued in excess of $150 million, although 20 additional community
system upgrades and transfers are still pending. To operate and
maintain our water system has become a challenge. The core system east
of Kyle has 4 reservoirs which have a total of 520,000 gallons of
storage, this equates to only enough for less than 6 hours of storage
in emergency situations. Table 1 shows a proposed 1-million-gallon
reservoir to be constructed adjacent to the Sharps East Reservoir that
would increase the emergency storage to 18 hours. Table 1 also proposes
increasing the existing 8'' waterline to a 12'' line over the 15 mile
stretch from Sharps to the Rockyford Hwy 27/Hwy 2 Intersection Our
older system will also require an estimated $1 million to replace all
the obsolete programmable logic controllers (PLC) in our (44) pump and
control stations located throughout the Reservation.
5. Rosebud Sioux Rural Water System (RSRWS)
The staff of RSRWS or Sicangu Mni Wiconi has 14 full-time
employees. The staff operates and maintains 425 miles of mainline, 15
major pumping stations, 20 water storage reservoirs, 9 supply wells
with two associated chlorination facilities, and SCADA system. A new
production well was funded by Indian Health Service for 2023 for RSRWS
to increase ground water production and water supply. The proposal was
previously denied by BOR. A current RAX project is proposed to replace
a critical asset known as White River PS. Asset management indicated
replacement is needed at this site. The RSRWS budget also includes
water service contracts with the City of Mission, Tripp County Water
Users District (TCWUD) and others in the secondary service area now
including the City of White River at a total cost of $310,500. The
newly approved cooperative agreement negotiated in 2022 allows payments
to the City of White River tribal residents in the amount of $60,000.
No new monies were appropriated for this expense so the budget was
reprogrammed to cover the additional costs. Likewise, in 1995 the
citizens of Mission voted to transfer their municipal system to the Mni
Wiconi Project and in 2003 a final agreement between the Tribe, the
City of Mission, and BOR was consummated and the former municipal
system is now held in trust for the Tribe as part of the RSRWS. The
inclusion and OMR of the Mission system are authorized by Section 3A
(a) (8) of the Mni Wiconi Project Act, as amended. The recent completed
community upgrades in Antelope, Butte Creek, Okreek, and Parmelee
communities are in the process of being transferred into the RSRWSS to
be held in trust. Upcoming Upper Swift Bear and Spring Creek community
water system upgrades will be completed by the end of fiscal year 2022.
RSRWS is proposing a budget request of $4,893,071.00 for fiscal year
2023 including the RAX request for the White River PS replacement.
6. Lower Brule Rural Water System (LBRWS)
The LBRWS consists of a water treatment plant, six booster
stations, three tanks/reservoirs, approximately 75 miles of core
pipeline and approximately 300 miles of distribution pipeline. LBRWS
has a staff of 12 full-time and two part-time employees to provide the
operation and maintenance of these facilities. As shown in Table 1,
wages and fringe benefits total $990,600.
The budget continues to include $200,000 to upgrade main line meter
vaults and $27,500 to obtain the GPS location of water lines installed
by ranchers and to add the lines to the current GIS database. The meter
pit upgrades will improve access to the meter vaults and prolong the
life of the equipment within the meter pits, while the GPS/GIS
information will provide needed information for the operation and
maintenance as well as the management of the system.
The Kennebec Booster Station (KBS) was originally designed based on
the OST pipeline to Vivian being a 14-inch pipe. However, a significant
portion of this line is only a 12-inch pipe. The consequence of this
smaller pipe is significantly reduced inlet pressure at the pumps in
the KBS. This has led to cavitation occurring in the pumps which has
led to numerous pump replacements and complete booster station
shutdowns, at times. To solve this issue, LBRWS has begun pumping less
water with the KBS and supplying additional water with the LBRWS Water
Treatment Plant (WTP). This method of solving the problem is working
well, but to fully meet water needs and design standards the size of
the West Brule elevated tank needs to be increased. In addition,
standby generators for the WTP and booster stations #1 and #2 should be
upgraded/replaced. As a result, the budget includes $1,900,000 to
replace the existing West Brule tank with a larger tank and $700,000 to
upgrade/replace generators for the WTP and booster stations. LBRWS will
continue to work with the BOR and the other sponsors to prioritize
their needs and ensure that their system is operating to the standards
that have been established over the past several years.
7. Bureau of Reclamation (BOR)
The BOR's budget is for oversight of operation and maintenance
activities for all tribal systems, including the employment of an
equivalent 8.0 persons. BOR pays the Western Area Power Administration
for Project preference power used by the OSRWSS core system and Rosebud
core system. BOR also pays for cathodic protection services for OSRWSS
core system, Rosebud, and OSRWSS on-reservation DWM&C systems. BOR
costs are expended before funds reach the Project.
[This statement was submitted by Ron Blacksmith, Core System
Manager, Oglala Sioux Rural Water Supply System; Chuck Jacobs,
Distribution System Director,
Oglala Sioux RWSS; Young Colombe, Manager, Rosebud Sioux Rural Water
System; and Jim McCauley, Manager, Lower Brule Sioux Rural Water
System.]
______
Prepared Statement of the National Association of State Energy
Officials
Chair Feinstein, Ranking Member Kennedy, and members of the
subcommittee, I am David Terry, Executive Director of the National
Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) testifying on behalf of
our 56 governor-designated state and territory members. NASEO
respectfully requests funding for the following U.S. Department of
Energy (DOE) programs: $90 million for the U.S. State Energy Program
(SEP) as formula funding to States with no more than 5 percent of the
appropriated amount for use by DOE in providing technical assistance
and support; $375 million for the Weatherization Assistance Program
(with robust funding for the innovation and resilience funds); $392
million for the Building Technologies Office, with $20 million for
building energy codes, and $50 million for grid-interactive efficient
buildings; $602 million for the Vehicle Technologies Office; $535
million for SETO; $202 million for CESER, with robust support for ISER
and program direction; A robust increase for the Office of Electricity
including $81 million for energy storage and $50 million for regional
electricity market development; $478 for carbon management within FECM;
$100 million for FEMP; and $90 million for the Grid Deployment Office.
The DOE $4 billion request for EERE is justified given the
extraordinary energy affordability, climate, and reliability crises the
Nation is facing.
A bipartisan ``Dear Colleague'' letter led by Mr. Reed and Ms.
Collins supporting funding for SEP and Weatherization was received and
signed by 47 Members. The SEP statute provides States with flexibility
to advance energy affordability and security, resilience, renewables,
efficiency, EVs, grid planning and more in ways that link with state
policy to achieve greater national impact. States work collaboratively
using SEP formula funds to accelerate results: REVWest EV charging
initiative (e.g., AZ, ID, NV, UT, WY); Microgrid Working Group (e.g.,
KY, IL, PA, TN, WA); Southeast EV initiative (e.g., KY, TN, AL); the
Western Petroleum Response Collaborative which responds to supply
disruptions caused by natural disasters (e.g., AK, WA, CA, OR);
coordination on carbon utilization and hydrogen (e.g., LA, ND, WY, MT,
AZ, CO); and building-grid electric management (e.g., CA, GA, WA, MS,
IL, OR, TN, SC). Past Administrations have taken a portion of the SEP
formula funds provided by Congress for competitive awards on DOE-
directed priority topics. NASEO strongly opposes this approach which
limits States' ability to address their unique priorities. We urge
Congress to explicitly provide the requested $90 million as formula
funding to States with no more than 5 percent of the appropriated
amount for use by DOE in providing technical assistance and support.
SEP formula funds enable States to leverage DOE's research
activities and work with the private sector to improve electricity
resilience, accelerate clean energy development, catalyze investments
in carbon capture, advance low-carbon hydrogen markets, support
manufacturing energy efficiency, lower home energy costs through energy
efficiency, and accelerate energy technology innovation through State-
private sector partnerships. Two Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)
studies found that $1 of SEP formula funds leverages $10.71 of State
and private funds and realizes $7.22 in energy cost savings for
citizens and businesses. With SEP funds, the State Energy Offices lead
or co-lead energy emergency planning and response across electricity,
natural gas, and petroleum products in coordination with DOE's CESER-
which provides expertise to the States and energy industry. SEP formula
funds are the key connection between billions of dollars spent by DOE
on R&D and the priorities of States. State energy policy guides energy
markets and a constructive DOE-state relationship can achieve greater
impact. A greater reliance by DOE on the States and their local
businesses and communities to ensure Federal R&D meets real world
conditions would maximize the impact of R&D.
Below are examples of States' utilization of SEP formula funds:
California-Development of Appliance Standards. California uses SEP
funds for appliance efficiency standards. In 2020 California's general
services lamps standard became national, and in 2021 the state
established standards for desktop/notebook computers, gaming systems,
and pool pumps. Examples of previous standard successes: portable air
conditioners saving 369 gigawatt-hours annually, and sprinklers saving
150 billion gallons of water annually.
Louisiana-Government and Industry Partners Set the Stage for CCUS
and Hydrogen. Louisiana uses SEP funds to lead two major components of
the State's strategy to combat climate change and develop its economy:
achieve primacy in CO2 sequestration and coordinate the LA-AR-OK
initiative to establish a hub for the production and use of clean
hydrogen. The State Energy Office facilitated the announcement of two
operating agreements for ``blue'' hydrogen/CCUS projects in 2021,
positioning the state as a global leader in carbon management.
Alabama-Energy Efficiency for Local Governments. Alabama used a
portion of their SEP funds to support energy efficiency upgrades at
wastewater treatment plants and local facilities. In all, 29 grants to
local governments, universities, and non-profits increased energy
efficiency and reduce costs by deploying variable frequency drives,
lighting, and efficient HVAC systems. In addition, Alabama's Energy
Security Plan is supported with SEP funds allowing for needed updates
to adapt to changes in Alabama's energy portfolio and infrastructure.
Alaska-Grants for Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Stations. Alaska
leveraged SEP funds to award $1 million in grants to support Level-2
and DC fast-charging EV charging station deployment. The nine
communities awarded grants are in critical locations along the State's
highway system and will provide matching funds to complete the process.
The program will develop new industries, help promote the economy, and
save Alaskans money.
Delaware-Energy Efficiency Fund. The Delaware Energy Office
operates a highly successful Energy Efficiency Investment Fund
supported in part by SEP funds. Last year, the fund provided $9.2
million across 218 projects, avoiding 69.7 million kWh and 151,540
MMBtu annually; saving $4.9 million in annual energy costs; and
reducing 57,429 metric tons of CO2 emissions, equivalent to 12,490
passenger vehicles driven for 1 year. Each dollar of program funds
leveraged $5.82 in external investment.
Illinois-Leverage $16 Million with 79 Percent of Funds Going to EJ
Communities. The Illinois Energy Office used SEP funds to support
upgrades at four publicly-owned wastewater treatment plants, leveraging
$16,018,574 in funds from municipalities and saving 2,431,955 kWh
annually. Of the funds awarded, 79 percent was granted to facilities
serving EJ communities.
Kentucky-Tool to Site Solar Projects at Reclaimed Mines. The
Kentucky Energy and Environmental Cabinet used SEP to create a web-
based tool that enables users to identify potential solar energy siting
opportunities in Kentucky, including on previous mine locations. The
tool was created in response to an increasing number of solar
developers supporting corporate sustainability goals, and to support
wholesale market clean energy procurement demand. The tool helps
developers and landowners assess solar site suitability and makes it
easy for developers to use GIS Site Suitability Analysis to site solar
installations on reclaimed minefields. The website includes information
about land reclamation.
Maine-Supports Clean Energy, Energy Efficiency, Climate, and COVID
Coordination. The Maine Governor's Energy Office used SEP funds to
develop and implement such nation-leading energy initiatives as a
Statewide energy assessment, the State's first energy storage market
assessment, clean transportation roadmap, and energy workforce study.
The office's work is aimed at reducing energy volatility for Maine
consumers, for instance by advancing the country's first floating
offshore wind demonstration project and new programs aimed at
installing 100,000 new high-efficiency air source heat pumps by 2025.
In 2021, the Governor's Energy Office assisted in the implementation of
the State's 4-year climate action plan, Maine Won't Wait, outlining how
Maine will achieve the statutory requirement to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions of 45 percent by 2030 from 1990 levels and 80 percent by
2050, achieve carbon neutrality by 2045, and achieve 80 percent
renewable energy by 2030, while strengthening the economy and doubling
the number of clean energy jobs in Maine.
Mississippi-Industrial Energy Efficiency Program. The Mississippi
State Energy Office used SEP funds to design the Mississippi Industrial
Energy Efficiency Program to assist the State's manufacturers with
making energy-efficient upgrades. Projects have resulted in improved
working conditions for approximately 2,500 employees across a wide
variety of manufacturers, ranging from catfish processing to HVAC
component production. Those projects include lighting upgrades,
compressed air system replacements and building envelope improvements
that cover over 2.95 million square feet of manufacturing space.
Montana-Implementing Energy Projects in State-Owned Veteran
Retirement Homes. The Montana Energy Office leveraged SEP funds to
upgrade lighting and ventilation systems at Veteran retirement homes in
Glendive and Columbia Falls. The project surpassed the statutorily-
required cost effectiveness target and increased resident comfort
through dimmable, high-resolution lighting, which is less disruptive to
sleep patterns; provides high contrast to lessen risk of slips and
falls; and increases contrast for people with limited vision.
New Hampshire-School Energy Cost Savings. Since 2018, New Hampshire
has used a portion of their SEP funds for the School Energy Efficiency
Development Program, an annual competitive matching grant that allows
schools in small communities to complete energy efficiency projects.
This program's dual purpose to create a safer, healthier learning
environment for students and staff, and reduce a local school's energy
costs has been successful. For example, in 2020, $80,000 was awarded to
the New Boston Central School for LED lighting and controls, resulting
in 110,812 kWhs of annual electricity savings and $21,000 in annual
cost savings.
New Mexico-Advancing Cutting-Edge Sustainable Buildings and EVs.
The State Energy Office uses SEP funds to support implementation of the
2021 Sustainable Buildings Tax Credit Program. The program incentivizes
New Mexico's commitment to cutting-edge sustainable building practices
including the provision for the installation of energy-conserving
products in existing commercial and residential buildings-helping to
improve existing buildings and low income and affordable housing. This
program advances adoption of EVs through a tax incentive for EV-ready
buildings-existing, new, commercial, residential-to make EV charging
available or provide the appropriate electrical upgrades for charger
installation. The tax incentive also provides bonuses for a fully
electric house, and/or for meeting net-zero carbon certification, zero
energy certification, zero waste certification or zero water
certification.
North Dakota-Deploy Solar Panels, Bolster Resiliency, Educate
Students. SEP Funds supported installation of 115 solar panels and an
inverter at the Bismarck Public Schools Career Academy. In addition to
powering the building, instructors at the school plan to start
incorporating the panels into their lessons.
Oregon. The Oregon Department of Energy utilized a portion of their
SEP funds to create the Oregon Guidebook for Local Energy Resilience:
for Small and Medium Electric Utilities, a technical resource for the
38 consumer-owned electric utilities serving Oregon. The Guidebook will
help consumer-owned utilities improve local energy resilience through
business continuity planning; identifying strategic efficiency and
distributed renewables resilience opportunities; and understanding ways
to leverage Federal and State emergency management planning efforts.
The office's resilience policy analyst engaged with consumer-owned
utilities to share the recommendations and offer guidance to implement
resilience-focused actions.
South Carolina-High School Energy, Chemistry, and Supply Chain
Education. South Carolina uses a portion of its SEP funds to offer
mini-grants for highly-visible demonstration projects that promote
emerging energy technologies and innovation. The program targets South
Carolina's State and local government agencies, public colleges,
universities and school districts. Last year, seven projects were
selected, including, for example, the Blythewood High School's Bengal
Biodiesel grant to help expand the school's Chemistry 2 class where
students are being taught lab procedures in making B100 biodiesel fuel
out of waste streams and learning about supply chain logistics. The
class will be expanded to 75 students and includes workforce issues and
engaging with equipment manufacturers. The class's B100 will be used in
school buses and other on-road equipment around the community after
successful tests in the school's tractor. The project was profiled by
MotorWeek, the Nation's longest running auto publication.
Tennessee-Leading the Charge on Transportation Electrification. The
Tennessee Office of Energy Programs (OEP) used a portion of their SEP
funds-in partnership with the Tennessee Valley Authority-to support EV
fast-charging and add 40 priority charging locations in order to double
the State's fast-charging network. OEP also leveraged SEP funds to
partner with TN-DOT on the plan for IIJA-funded EV fast-charging. The
Drive Electric Tennessee Roadmap aims to increase EV adoption to
200,000 EVs by 2028, up from 18,494 in 2022. This work has been
foundational to the State's leadership in EV infrastructure and EV-
related manufacturing.
Washington-Energy Emergency Response. The Washington State Energy
Office utilized SEP funds to address critical energy emergency
preparedness and response. In 2021, heavy rain led to flooding and
landslides, damaging infrastructure in Washington and British Columbia
resulting in a regional fuel emergency. The State Energy Office led
efforts to ensure critical fuel deliveries and coordinated with British
Columbia and the multi-State Western Petroleum Shortage Collaborative
in response to crude oil refinery closures. The positive outcome was
the result of planning and coordination at the State, Federal, and
international levels.
Wisconsin-Enhancing Energy Security for Local and Tribal
Governments. The Wisconsin Office of Energy Innovation utilized a
portion of their SEP funds to enhance energy security for local and
Tribal governments with its Statewide Assistance for Energy Reliability
and Resiliency (SAFER2) initiative. The program improves the efficacy
of Wisconsin's response to long-term energy outages by partnering with
local governments and Tribal emergency managers to gain a better
understanding of the resiliency of critical energy infrastructure;
provide templates for fuel shortage contingency plans; improve cyber-
security awareness; and enhance the understanding of roles and
responsibilities of both State and local partners during an energy
emergency?.
[This statement was submitted by David Terry, Executive Director,
National
Association of State Energy Officials.]
______
Prepared Statement of the National Community Action Foundation
Chairwoman Feinstein, Ranking Member Kennedy and Members of the
subcommittee: Thank you for this opportunity to present the views of
the National Community Action Foundation (NCAF) on fiscal year 2023
appropriations for the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP), which
is administered by the Department of Energy.
Recommendation: We urge the subcommittee to provide the following
for the fiscal year 2023 Weatherization Assistance Program: the funding
requested in the President's budget for the core program at no less
than $362.2 million and $90 million for the Weatherization Readiness
Fund for a total of $452.2 million. To the extent that budget
constraints make this recommendation difficult, we urge you to
prioritize funding the Weatherization Readiness Fund. We also urge the
subcommittee to reject the proposed ``LIHEAP Advantage'' $100 million
project for reasons we outline below. We hope your report will provide
guidance to the Department of Energy regarding better integration of
the program funded in this appropriation with the soon-to-be-initiated
program funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
The National Community Action Foundation (NCAF) represents the
Nation's local Community Action Agencies, known as CAAs. These agencies
make up 81 percent of the local agencies that are funded by the WAP to
recruit and evaluate eligible homes and to install the appropriate set
of efficiency measures and health or safety improvements. CAAs deeply
appreciate the subcommittee's long record of support for the
Weatherization Assistance Program. Your record of oversight and support
has kept the program strong and effective. We appreciate the trust that
has been placed in our network to deliver more than $3.5 billion worth
of energy upgrades to America's most vulnerable energy consumers under
the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).
Status of the Two Weatherization Initiatives as Seen from the
`Ground': The expanded program funded by IIJA will begin in the late
fall or early winter of 2022 after DOE approves the plans that States
must submit by October 1. Since passage of the bipartisan
Infrastructure bill, we have been informing the Department and Senators
that the WAP needs changes in DOE policies. These changes were
described in a bi-partisan House and Senate letter to Secretary
Granholm, initiated by Senators Reed, Collins, Shaheen and Coons. The
same four champions of Weatherization also sponsored the statutory
changes contained in S. 3769--``The Weatherization Assistance Program
Improvements Act of 2022.'' With planning now underway and a deadline
three- and one-half months after this testimony, the Department's lack
of action is increasingly concerning. We hope the subcommittee's
ongoing oversight can add weight to the recommendations and that your
entire membership will support the provisions of S. 3769.
Fortunately, the initial months after full funding becomes
available will be devoted primarily to recruiting contractors and
employees who will be trained in the specialized skills the program
requires of its workforce. The tight labor market in the construction
field means this period will be especially challenging. CAAs and their
non-profit partners look forward to recruiting residents of assisted
communities into these ``green jobs.'' We trust Congress and DOE
understand this part of the workforce will take longer to train and,
therefore, will cost more to become fully skilled.
The fiscal year 2022 appropriated programs in 17 States, which
started April 1, are proceeding. Plans for the other States' programs,
which begin July 1, are on track for approval. In these administrative
functions, DOE has set a shining example of timely issuance of the
information grantees need to complete applications and of release of
appropriated funds.
Also, the recently announced addition of categorical eligibility
for HUD-assisted properties, which this subcommittee urged DOE to
achieve, is a major improvement that will progress CAAs' outreach work
and result in many multi-family buildings being weatherized. Thank you
for your persistent leadership that achieved this result.
Our Fiscal Year 2023 Recommendations in Depth:
First, I want to address the question that is sure to emerge in
times of budget constraints: Why would we need a regular program in
fiscal year 2023 through fiscal year 2027 when the IIJA program is
funded and running?
In short, the two programs are so different that both are required
to be able to appropriately serve the housing stock in America's most
disadvantaged communities. The ``regular'' or base program can do work
that cannot be done with IIJA funds. It is an essential complement. One
example of the reason both are needed is the as-yet-undefined statutory
requirement to ``Buy American.'' CAAs vastly prefer to Buy American at
all times, and we strongly support the policy. However, WAP buys many
mid-range household appliances, especially efficient refrigerators.
While GE and Whirlpool (under multiple brand names) manufacture some
appropriate models in the U.S., agencies often cannot obtain American-
made appliances in many markets in a timely manner. Imports cannot be
purchased with IIJA funds, so homes in markets with only imports
available will be weatherized with annual appropriations funds. Also,
in some rural markets with few willing contractors, it may be necessary
to use annual appropriations funds to weatherize eligible multi-family
buildings.
The Weatherization Readiness Fund at $90 Million: Appropriating the
Weatherization Readiness Fund at $90 million would allow our agencies
to repair not only the homes that will be deferred during inspections
in the fiscal year 2023 program year, but to also repair the tens of
thousands of dwellings on their ``deferral'' lists awaiting repairs
because of previous years' inspections.
The President's Request is woefully inadequate to the backlog of
deferred eligible homes. In the Budget document, DOE provided research
showing that the cost to repair the number of anticipated deferred
homes in the PY2023 program alone was $43.8 million. The Request is
less than 75 percent of the funds needed, and neither figure allows
subgrantees to address previously deferred homes. Our members strongly
believe that, if the Committee must make tradeoffs when considering the
requested WAP increases, the Readiness Fund should be the highest
priority.
Readiness Barriers: Further, DOE prohibits using annual program
funds in combination with the IIJA funds. This DOE policy must be
changed. Under current DOE policy, any home that is repaired using
Weatherization Readiness Funds cannot be weatherized with IIJA funds.
This prohibition will create impossible real-world stumbling blocks to
getting the greatly expanded pool of eligible homes retrofitted.
Further, it means hundreds of thousands of homes of the most
disadvantaged Americans who live in substandard housing cannot be
served. This reality is contrary to the government's commitment to
focusing on families with the greatest disadvantages. The Committee can
correct this problem by directing DOE to allow a combination of annual
and IIJA funds.
The LIHEAP Advantage Request: We cannot recommend the subcommittee
move forward with the President's funding request for the ``LIHEAP
Advantage'' initiative. It is a costly project that would ostensibly
``test'' what is long-standing practice. LIHEAP and Weatherization are
already inseparably intertwined.
--Most WAP participants today are LIHEAP recipients referred to the
program;
--More than $400 million a year is transferred by States to the local
WAP programs, and;
--LIHEAP funds measures that DOE cannot fund in most States.
Our member agencies ``braid'' multiple funding sources, including
DOE's WAP, LIHEAP, some USDA funding and many utility efficiency
program funds, to address a single home. With the newly established
eligibility for HUD assisted buildings, we expect to see HUD programs
added into these ``braids.''
Studies on the varieties of long-standing, State and local
''leveraged' programs and their outcomes were completed in 2014 by Oak
Ridge National Laboratory. New, nationwide research could be useful as
part of the planned evaluation of the IIJA program. However, studies of
a ``pilot'' of these already-widespread practices would not add to the
whole-program review. Notably, true innovations and pilot efforts are
already part of the program, and DOE is expected to select winners of
the first two rounds of Innovation and Enhancement competitive grants
shortly. These are mandated to occur annually. Duplication is
unnecessary.
A Final Point: The LIHEAP Advantage initiative proposes to use
State Energy Program authority so that the proposed projects can
provide ``deep retrofits'' not allowable with WAP funds (except with
Innovation Grant funds). This acknowledges that there is insufficient
authority under WAP to deliver needed services. This demonstration
would be a tangential, ineffective way to address the need for a
higher-impact program. The legislative changes which have been
incorporated in The Weatherization Assistance Program Improvements Act,
S. 3769, and its House companion, H.R. 7947, will have the same effect
along with the proposed regulatory changes DOE must make to cut red
tape.
This subcommittee's oversight of the program and your policy
guidance have been highly supportive of positive changes. Thank you in
advance for your continuing leadership and support as Community Action
and its energy partners prepare to accelerate the Weatherization of the
most inefficient and vulnerable American homes.
[This statement was submitted by David Bradley, Chief Executive
Officer,
National Community Action Foundation.]
______
Prepared Statement of the National Congress of American Indians
On behalf of the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI),
thank you for this opportunity to provide testimony on fiscal year 2023
funding for the Department of Energy (DOE), Department of Defense
(DOD)--U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), and Department of the
Interior (DOI)--Bureau of Reclamation (BOR), involving our
recommendation of $408.84 million in funding.
A 2007 report by Dr. Theodore Jojola, Ph.D., developed for the NCAI
Policy Research Center, found that underinvestment in physical
infrastructure not only harms the social, physical, and mental
wellbeing of Tribal communities, but also impairs the ability of Tribal
communities to thrive.\1\ Physical infrastructure reinforces and shapes
the socio-cultural and political milieu of the community and plays a
role in competitively positioning the economy of its enterprises for
capital gain.\2\ The provision and placement of basic utilities for the
adequate provision of drinking water, sanitation, and electricity are
considered fundamental for the physical and mental health of
communities as well as being a measure of the overall quality of
life.\3\ Further, there is a strong link between physical
infrastructure and economic development.\4\
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\1\ NCAI Policy Research Center, Physical Infrastructure and
Economic Development, May 2007, 3-4, available at: https://
www.ncai.org/attachments/PolicyPaper_OAYcOPFdNTxazqx
AOZGImEXOHFGoAnZlOepYZcUnSqRGgoWUTLp_Jojola percent20and percent20Gover
percent20FINAL percent20FORMATTED percent205.8.07.pdf, accessed on: May
25, 2022.
\2\ Id. at 2.
\3\ Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human
Rights, The Human Right to Adequate Housing, Fact Sheet No. 21/Rev.1,
available at: https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/Documents/
Publications/FS21_rev_1_Housing_en.pdf, accessed on: May 25, 2022.
\4\ Physical Infrastructure and Economic Development at 2.
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Unfortunately, the conditions noted by Dr. Jojola in 2007 have
persisted, with the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights (USCCR) finding in
2018 that the efforts undertaken by the Federal Government from its
initial 2003 report to 2018 have resulted in only minor improvements,
at best; and in some respects, the U.S. Government has backslid in its
treatment of Native Americans.\5\ Specifically, the USCCR report notes
that many Native Americans face unique challenges and harsh living
conditions resulting from the United States having removed their Tribal
Nations to locations without access to adequate resources and basic
infrastructure upon which their Tribal governments can foster thriving
communities.\6\ In its 2003 report, USCCR summarized the funding
shortfall to which Native Americans were subjected stating that, ``laws
and policies are meaningless without resources to enforce them.
Resources are an important demonstration of the U.S. government's
commitment to its responsibilities, including the obligation to
preserve civil and other rights . . . [u]nder-funding violates the
basic tenets of the trust relationship between the [Federal] Government
and Native peoples and perpetuates a civil rights crisis in Indian
Country.'' \7\
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\5\ U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, Broken Promises: Continuing
Federal Funding Shortfall for Native Americans, 3-4, available at:
https://www.usccr.gov/files/pubs/2018/12-20-Broken-Promises.pdf,
accessed on: May 25, 2022.
\6\ Id. at 1.
\7\ Id. at 2.
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Cross-referencing Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Native
American Crosscut data with Appropriations Committee reports reveals
that fiscal year 2022 spending for Native American programs represents
approximately 0.49 percent of total regular appropriations budget
authority within this subcommittee's jurisdiction. With Federal
investment metrics such as these, it is no surprise that Indian Country
is in a State of catastrophe by national standards.
Despite this chronic underinvestment, Indian Country is an
important economic driver in the U.S. Economy.\8\ Collectively, Tribal
Nations comprise the 13 largest employers in the United States, with
Tribal businesses employing more than 700,000 employees, providing
economic opportunity for both Native and non-Native workers.\9\
Evidence indicates that where Tribal Nations are successful with
economic development that poverty rates and other health issues are
lower, while educational outcomes and real per capita income are
higher.\10\ Further, revenue generated on Tribal lands results in a
spillover effect that supports local workforces and generates tax
revenue.\11\ As such, an investment to promote the building blocks of
physical infrastructure in Indian Country is an investment in America
for all Americans.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\8\ Patrice H. Kunesh, Getting real about Indian Country--
surprising progress in the heartland, https://indiancountrytoday.com/
opinion/getting-real-about-indian-country-surprising-progress-in-the-
heartland, Accessed: April 6, 2022.
\9\ Id.
\10\ Id.
\11\ Id.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
department of energy
Cross-referencing OMB Native American Crosscut data with
Appropriations Committee reports reveals that spending for Native
American programs represents approximately 0.19 percent of total fiscal
year 2022 regular appropriations budget authority for DOE within this
subcommittee's jurisdiction. By comparison, for every $100 appropriated
to DOE, less than two dimes go to Indian Country. While this statistic
is shocking, the fiscal year 2022 omnibus represents more than twice
the investment in DOE Native American programs as the previous 2 years
and more than four times the investment of FYs 2018 and 2019. This does
not mean that Tribal programs are now adequately funded--it is a signal
that funding for Tribal programs at DOE has been so woefully inadequate
for so long that even increasing funding by four times still only
equals a fraction of a penny of every dollar appropriated to the Agency
by this subcommittee.
In order to address these funding deficiencies, this subcommittee
should provide at least $150 million for the Office of Indian Energy
Policy and Programs, including resources for the feasibility studies,
assessments, planning, and financial and technical assistance necessary
to create a pipeline of projects for underutilized programs with
prohibitive cost barriers such as the Tribal Energy Loan Guarantee
Program (TELGP); at least $2.5 million for TELGP credit subsidies and
$2 million for TELGP Administrative Costs; $15.9 million for the Office
of Legacy Management Legacy Sites in and around Indian Country; and
$5.3 million for the National Nuclear Security Administration's Tribal
College and University Advanced Manufacturing Initiative.
bureau of reclamation
Indian water rights are vested rights and resources for which the
United States has a trust responsibility. The U.S. Supreme Court first
recognized Indian water rights in Winters v. United States in 1908.\12\
Under the Winters doctrine, when Congress reserves land, Congress
implicitly reserves water sufficient to fulfill the purpose of the
reservation and the water rights of Tribes often are senior to non-
Indian water rights holders.\13\ In Arizona v. California, the Supreme
Court ruled that Tribal Nations have rights to enough water to
cultivate every irrigable acre on a reservation.\14\ However, despite
the priority of Indian reserved water rights, non-Indian populations
frequently have greater access to and allocations of water through
infrastructure, leading to disputes that typically have been litigated
and/or resolved by negotiated settlements.\15\ The adjudication of
these rights is complex and costly for Tribal Nations, spanning an
average of 22 years.\16\ The Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act of
2021 (IIJA) established the Indian Water Rights Settlement Completion
Fund to satisfy Tribal water settlement obligations as authorized by
Congress, along with the mandatory funding for Indian water rights
settlements from the Reclamation Water Settlement Fund authorized
through fiscal year 2029; \17\ however, the amount does not include the
cost of ongoing operation requirements for existing settlements and
excludes future water settlements or court orders.\18\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\12\ Winters v. United States, 207 U.S. 564, 575-77 (1908).
\13\ See Winters v. United States.
\14\ Arizona v. California, 373 U.S. 546 (1963).
\15\ Congressional Research Service, Bureau of Reclamation:
History, Authorities, and Issues for Congress, R46303, available at:
https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R46303, accessed on: May
26, 2022.
\16\ L. Sanchez, E. Edwards, and B. Leonard, Beyond ``paper''
water: The complexities of full leveraging Tribal water rights,
available at: https://www.minneapolisfed.org/article/2022/beyond-paper-
water-the-complexities-of-fully-leveraging-tribal-water-rights,
accessed on: May 25, 2022.
\17\ Bureau of Reclamation, Fiscal Year 2023 Congressional
Justification, Permanent Appropriations--5, available at: https://
www.usbr.gov/budget/2023/FY-2023-Bureau-of-Reclamation-Budget-
Justifications.pdf, accessed on: May 26, 2022.
\18\ Id. at General Statement--2.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
BOR has trust and treaty obligations to Tribal Nations to promote
and protect their water rights.\19\ This subcommittee must provide at
least $34 million for ongoing operational needs of Indian water
settlements in fiscal year 2023; at least $100 million for developing,
managing, and protecting Tribal water and related resources; and work
with authorizing committees to provide a permanent mandatory funding
solution for future Indian water rights settlements and for the
operation and maintenance of previously enacted Indian water rights
settlements.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\19\ See Generally Seminole Nation v. United States, 316 U.S. 286
(1942); Winters v. United States; Arizona v. California.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
u.s. army corps of engineers
USACE implements the Tribal Partnership Program (TPP), which
provides an opportunity to assist with water resources projects that
address economic, environmental, and cultural resource needs including
flood damage reduction, environmental restoration, and protection and
preservation of natural and cultural resources. Tribal relations with
USACE have been historically contentious as well as under-resourced,
leading to the underutilization of TPP. Congress should provide $17
million for the TPP with at least $5 million for investigations and $12
million for construction and provide $3 million for the Tribal Nations
Program-which implements the Army Corps' Tribal Policy Principles-to
conduct outreach, consultation, and improve partnerships and relations
with Tribal Nations.
conclusion
Tribal Nations have paid for every penny obligated to Indian
Country hundreds of times over by providing this Nation with our land.
In order to uphold this Nation's promises to its people, it must first
uphold its promises to this land's First Peoples. We must continue down
the path of Nation-to-Nation growth, so that all of our people may
flourish.
[This statement was submitted by Larry Wright, Jr., Director of
Leadership
Engagement, National Congress of American Indians.]
______
Prepared Statement of the National Hydropower Association
The National Hydropower Association (NHA) respectfully requests
$222,000,000 for the Department of Energy's (DOE) Water Power
Technologies Office (WPTO) in the Fiscal Year 2023 Energy and Water
Development Appropriations measure. NHA recommends $85,000,000 for
hydropower and $137,000,000 for marine energy. NHA also supports robust
funding for the operations and maintenance (O&M) programs of the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and Bureau of Reclamation (BuRec) to
increase capacity and generation at their facilities, addressing the
billions of dollars of backlogged O&M needs.
Funding Justification.--The U.S. water power sector has tremendous
beneficial impacts on our Nation's electric grid, the economy, and
environment. In 2020, hydropower delivered almost 40 percent of total
U.S. renewable electricity generation and pumped storage projects
provided 93 percent of total energy storage in the country. Hydropower
also avoids approximately 200 million metric tons of CO2
emissions each year. In addition to providing affordable, renewable
power to the grid, hydropower and pumped storage help integrate greater
amounts of variable renewable generation, such as wind and solar, while
maintaining grid reliability and resilience. Finally, the water power
industry employs more than 60,000 Americans, creating good-paying jobs
in communities across the country.
The water power sector is poised to do even more to support a 100
percent clean energy future. The U.S. has significant underutilized
water power resources, including non-powered dams, conduits, new pumped
storage potential, and untapped marine energy. Advancement of new and
innovative technologies, operations, and approaches to harness these
resources in a globally competitive marketplace is enhanced by Federal
funding that augments research, development, and deployment (RD&D)
efforts being led by industry with support from universities and the
National Labs. A growing U.S. water power sector will support efforts
to address climate change and reduce carbon emissions, assist in grid
reliability and resiliency, while also advancing our National economic
goals. Significant increases in funding for the WPTO is critical and
will help create high-value employment and support businesses across
the country that comprise the water power supply chain.
NHA commends Congress for its increased support of the DOE WPTO in
recent years, culminating in the $162,000,000 appropriation in fiscal
year 2022. While a step in the right direction, this funding is well
below other DOE renewable programs. Policymakers, including many on
this committee, had the foresight to make significant and sustained
Federal technology RD&D investments in the wind and solar industries.
Thanks to these prudent investments, wind and solar technologies
improved and the costs for deploying them went down. Today, the wind
and solar industries are developing utility scale projects. A ``solar-
scale'' level of Federal investment for advanced water power
technologies is required to accelerate the pace of demonstrations and
deployments, reduce costs, and increase adoption along a similar
trajectory of more mature renewables.
Overview of DOE Water Power Technologies Office Investments.--
Congress reauthorized DOE's water power activities through passage of
the Water Power R&D Act of 2020 and the Reliable Investment in Vital
Energy Reauthorization Act (RIVER Act). These WPTO investments support
innovation of advanced technologies to increase power production and
reduce costs, improve grid reliability and resilience, create new
market opportunities that improve economic growth, and fund cross-
institutional foundational research to support workforce development.
Increased WPTO funding will help the United States achieve its clean
energy goals through the development of new water power energy
generation resources.
Hydropower.--NHA requests $85,000,000 for the hydropower program.
Hydropower is a proven renewable electricity resource, accounting for
nearly 7 percent of all U.S. electricity production. Increased WPTO
investments could significantly expand electricity generation from this
resource.
Growth opportunities for hydropower in the U.S. include adding
generation to non- powered dams. Currently, only 3 percent of the
approximately 90,000 existing dams in the U.S. generate electricity.
Other opportunities include increasing efficiencies and expanding
capacity at existing hydropower projects, new pumped storage
facilities, and new small hydro development. Pumped storage represents
a significant opportunity because it provides ancillary services that
ensure grid reliability, is the only proven long-duration energy
storage system in the United States, and can integrate intermittent
renewable generation resources on the grid.
The WPTO invests in hydropower technology RD&D for innovative,
standardized, and modular approaches to hydropower development that can
lower project costs compared to traditional development which requires
site specific engineering. For small hydropower, the WPTO supports
standardization of new turbine designs, as well as new advanced
materials and manufacturing across the sector, including applications
at non-powered dams, irrigation channels, and other waterways,
including greenfield sites. This work increases generation
opportunities with innovations that also improve environmental
performance. It also helps reduce costs for companies that have
capitalization challenges to fund this work. The WPTO supports DOE's
Advanced Energy Storage Initiative and focuses on the role of
hydropower and pumped storage in grid reliability and resiliency by
supporting innovative technologies and conducting new research to
evaluate and improve the flexibility and grid services provided by
these projects. The WPTO also supports development of innovative
environmental mitigation technologies, such as novel fish passage
systems and other advancements.
Marine Energy.--NHA requests $137,000,000 for the marine energy
program. Marine energy is a carbon-free, renewable resource that can
make a material contribution to decarbonize our domestic energy
portfolio. The DOE recently found that marine energy has the technical
potential to provide 2,300 TWhs a year of electricity generation in the
United States--the equivalent to 57 percent of 2019 energy consumption.
Marine energy is widespread, consistent, reliable, energy dense,
and can be generated close to large urban centers with significant
load. Marine energy technologies are rapidly innovating, with a number
of systems globally nearing commercialization, but Congress must invest
additional resources in this sector to ensure its future domestic
viability and to keep cutting-edge development in the United States.
Last year, NHA's Marine Energy Council (MEC) released a
Commercialization Strategy for Marine Energy. The strategy sets
technology deployment targets, starting with 50 megawatts by 2025,
which are the critical first steps for the domestic marine energy
sector to materially contribute to the effort against climate change.
Follow on targets include 500 megawatts by 2030 and 1 gigawatt by 2035.
To achieve these targets, Federal policymakers must:
--Dramatically increase technology advancement and testing support;
--Establish a clear, timely, and predictable regulatory framework for
marine energy projects; and,
--Implement a fair incentive regime structure that facilitates volume
manufacturing and rapid market deployment.
The WPTO supports industry-led RD&D for marine energy systems and
subsystems ultimately leading to reduced costs and increased
deployments. The WPTO validates the reliability of marine energy
technologies and the value of integrating energy from prototype devices
into the electric grid and Blue Economy applications. These funds
provide risk mitigation, technical advancement and review, and early
market growth opportunities.
There are wide ranges of design approaches to marine energy
systems. It is likely that different designs will be most effective in
diverse resource areas or for various market applications. Increased
funding is required to support the design, construction, and validation
of marine energy systems in open water deployments and alongside
offshore co-location opportunities, with a balanced approach across
resource areas that reflects the higher funding requirements of more
mature designs.
Marine energy technologies also present unique engineering
challenges that require collaborative foundational innovations by
cross-institution teams of researchers. NHA urges dedicated funding for
National Marine Energy Center operations and continuation of support
for foundational research activities led by universities and other
research institutions affiliated with the Centers to accelerate
development of the marine energy sector and help train a skilled
workforce for the Labs and industry.
In addition, a key barrier to marine energy technology development
is the difficulty of testing new designs. Funding is needed to
establish and expand testing infrastructure including open-water test
centers, such as PacWave, along with other capabilities. Funds are also
needed to conduct the tests, through regular and consistent Funding
Opportunity Announcements and the TEAMER program, along with
environmental monitoring technologies and research to expedite
permitting and in-water demonstration. NHA also recommends continued
close coordination with other agency partners, including the U.S. Navy
on national security applications for marine energy devices at the Wave
Energy Test Site in Hawaii.
Finally, marine energy systems can also be a cost-effective and
reliable power source in several distributed Blue Economy markets, such
as aquaculture, desalination, oil and gas production, underwater data
centers, and other emerging needs. However, prototypes must be tailored
to specific applications and their performance demonstrated to
facilitate adoption in these markets. NHA urges continued funding of
the WPTO Powering the Blue Economy activities.
Other Recommendations.--NHA recommends that DOE lead an effort with
FERC, USACE, BuRec, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,
and other Federal resource agencies to review and provide
recommendations on how to address the amount of time, effort, and
funding that is required to permit, license, and relicense marine
energy projects.
Finally, NHA urges Congress to increase funding to USACE and BuRec
to operate, maintain, and upgrade their existing projects, as well as
to add non-federal hydropower development to their non-powered
infrastructure. NHA also believes there are ways to make this
investment that do not increase costs to the power customers. The
Federal hydropower system makes up approximately half of U.S.
hydropower generation. Many of these projects are candidates for
upgrades and/or have backlogged O&M needs. USACE and BuRec projects
make the Federal Government itself one of the largest renewable energy
providers in the country. Reinvesting in these projects will help to
address climate change, provide economic and job opportunities, and
maximize the benefits of this public infrastructure.
Sincerely.
[This statement was submitted by Malcolm Woolf, President and CEO,
National Hydropower Association.]
______
Prepared Statement of The Nature Conservancy
Chairwoman Feinstein, Ranking Member Kennedy and members of the
subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to present The Nature
Conservancy's (TNC's) testimony on fiscal year (FY) 2023 appropriations
for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), Bureau of Reclamation
(Reclamation) and Department of Energy (DOE).
TNC thanks the subcommittee for its attention to the water
resources needs of the country, especially including past support for
natural infrastructure, which the Corps and Reclamation can use to
enhance water infrastructure and improve environmental outcomes. Using
natural infrastructure provides effective and cost-effective multi-
benefit solutions to many water resource management problems. TNC also
applauds the subcommittee's past commitments to vital clean energy
technology research, development and deployment programs. These
programs are a critical pillar of efforts to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions and avoid the worst effects of climate change. TNC strongly
encourages the subcommittee to continue to support natural
infrastructure and clean energy programs again in FY23.
u.s. army corps of engineers
Sustainable Rivers Program (SRP): SRP is an initiative to modernize
the operations of the Nation's reservoirs to enhance water supply,
flood protection, hydropower generation and recreation, while restoring
critical ecosystems and the economically valuable services they
provide. The challenges related to providing water supply and flood
protection are growing and will only increase due to climate change.
SRP works collaboratively with local communities, water stakeholders,
States and other Federal agencies to update decades-old water
management practices to better meet society's needs. With increased
funding in FY20-FY22, the Corps has been able to significantly expand
the program from 16 rivers--encompassing 66 reservoirs and 5,083
downstream river miles--to 43 rivers--encompassing more than 90
reservoirs and nearly 12,500 downstream river miles, while still not
being able to meet the demand for the program within the Corps. In
FY22, the Corps was able to fund only 40 percent of requests from Corps
districts for SRP involvement. TNC requests you increase funding to
$7.5 million for SRP in FY23.
Navigation and Ecosystem Sustainability Program (NESP): NESP is an
important, dual-purpose program that allows the Corps to address both
navigation and ecosystem restoration in an integrated approach along
the upper Mississippi and Illinois rivers. Past committee support led
to $5 million in pre-construction engineering and design (PED) funding
in the Corps' fiscal year 2021 work plan. Then the Infrastructure
Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) FY22 work plan moved NESP into
construction and provided $732 million for Lock and Dam 25 replacement
and $97.1 million for fish passage at Lock and Dam 22. TNC requests the
subcommittee continue its strong support for NESP by providing it $84
million in FY23, including $35 million for ecosystem restoration and
$49 million for PED at LaGrange Lock and Dam.
Chesapeake Bay Oyster Recovery: Ongoing oyster restoration work has
functionally restored several tributaries in Virginia and Maryland and
demonstrates that strong partnerships between private, State and
Federal agencies can accomplish tangible outcomes in the Chesapeake
Bay. TNC requests $5 million in FY23 to continue the essential work of
restoring the eastern oyster.
Engineering With Nature: The Corps' Engineering With Nature (EWN)
initiative is using a collaborative, science-based approach to better
deliver a full range of economic, social, and environmental benefits
from water resources infrastructure. It is leading work to share, train
and support Corps districts and other partners how to effectively
develop nature-based projects. Its innovative approaches are building
more resilient communities and a healthier environment. We urge you to
maintain funding for EWN at $16.25 million in FY23 in its own budget
line.
South Florida Ecosystem Restoration (SFER) Program: Congress made a
historic investment last year to advance Everglades restoration
projects, increasing funding for SFER to $350 million in FY22, a $100
million increase over FY21, and investing almost $1.1 billion in SFER
as part of the IIJA. With some of the largest and most important
restoration projects now underway, TNC encourages increased funding for
authorized Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan and SFER projects.
In order to complete authorized projects and keep pace with state
investments, TNC requests $725 million for SFER in FY23.
Continuing Authorities Programs: TNC supports the Continuing
Authorities Programs that promote ecosystem restoration and the use of
nature-based solutions, including beneficial uses of dredged material
(Section 204), aquatic ecosystem restoration (Section 206) and project
modifications for improvement of the environment (Section 1135). In
addition, WRDA 2020 clarified that small flood control projects
(Section 205) can use natural and nature-based features. For FY23, TNC
urges you, at a minimum, to maintain funding for these programs at
their FY22 enacted levels.
In addition, TNC supports the following projects and programs and
requests your support for them at the FY23 requested level.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Project/Program Account Budget Request
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brandon Road Lock and Dam, Aquatic Constr$47,880,500
Nuisance Species Barrier, IL.......
Claiborne and Millers Ferry Locks Investigations $400,000
and Dams (Fish Passage), Lower
Alabama River......................
Hatchie/Loosahatchie Habitat Investigations $400,000
Restoration (Tennessee and
Arkansas)..........................
Upper Mississippi River Restoration Constr$55,000,000
Program............................
------------------------------------------------------------------------
bureau of reclamation
Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery and San Juan River
Basin Recovery Programs: These programs take a balanced approach to
recovering four threatened and endangered fish species by implementing
a range of basin-wide strategies, including improved management of
Federal dams and irrigation infrastructure, river and floodplain
habitat improvement, stocking of endangered fish, and management of
non-native fish species. These efforts provide Endangered Species Act
compliance for more than 2,500 water projects. TNC supports the budget
request for these programs, which includes $7.655 million for the
Endangered Species Recovery Implementation Program (Upper Colorado and
San Juan River Basin) and $21.4 million for the Colorado River
Compliance Activities account.
WaterSMART and Drought Response Programs: In 2020, Congress
modified the WaterSMART Program to allow grants to non-profit
organizations working with traditional grant recipients, provide higher
levels of match for multi-purpose projects, and support nature-based
solutions. These changes will help prioritize projects that both
enhance water delivery reliability and benefit watershed health.
Nevertheless, we remain concerned that some projects funded through
WaterSMART grants can increase consumptive use of water, which makes
water shortages worse. TNC requests your continued oversight of the
grants by including report language similar to the FY20 bill (Senate
Report 116-102 at page 65). That language directed ``Reclamation to
ensure that all projects funded under 42 U.S.C. 10364 are in compliance
with 42 U.S.C. 10364(a)(3)(B) and to articulate the use of the
conserved water with its annual award announcements.''
Similarly, grants associated with Reclamation's Drought Response
Program frequently fund new groundwater pumping. Given that development
of a permanent or long-term new water supply through groundwater
pumping is contrary to the other purposes of WaterSMART--to conserve
water, build ecological resilience to the impacts of climate change,
and provide environmental benefit--TNC requests your oversight to
ensure Reclamation prioritizes other drought resilience strategies over
new groundwater pumping.
Cooperative Watershed Management Program: The Cooperative Watershed
Management Program provides funding to support on-the-ground capacity
to develop, plan, and design watershed management projects. With the
passage of the IIJA, funding for these capacity-building activities is
more important than ever, as stakeholders often need dedicated
resources to prepare projects at a more impactful scale. TNC requests
full funding for the Cooperative Watershed Management at $20 million in
FY23.
u.s. department of energy
TNC supports robust funding for multiple DOE programs that
accelerate the advancement of clean energy technologies and facilitate
the department's shift in focus toward decarbonization of the U.S.
economy. This includes programs that were created or reauthorized by
the Energy Act of 2020 and the IIJA. We encourage Congress to
adequately resource community consultation processes across the
Department's technology deployment programs, with specific emphasis in
the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations. Agency staffing for such
work must be adequate to the complexity of the issues and the health,
economic and civic capacity needs of underserved communities must be
foregrounded in developing these projects.
Solar and Wind Energy Technologies: TNC requests full funding to
support the overall research, development and deployment mission of
these critical energy technology offices, including $420 million for
the Solar Technology Office and $420 million for the Wind Technology
Office.
Clean Energy Demonstration Projects: TNC requests at least $250
million in FY23 funding to support the newly established Office of
Clean Energy Demonstrations for technology-neutral solicitations
focused on crosscutting energy challenges. We recommend the Office of
Clean Energy Demonstrations prioritize technology demonstrations for
the highest emitting sectors.
Industrial Energy Innovation Research and Development: To develop a
robust portfolio of emerging technologies, TNC requests $650 million
for industrial decarbonization activities, including $344 million for
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, $281 million for Fossil Energy
and Carbon Management, and $25 million for the Office of Science.
Advanced Nuclear Energy: TNC requests full funding in FY23 for two
critical programs established under the Energy Act of 2020: $300
million for the Advanced Nuclear Fuel Availability Program and $250
million for the Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program, including
funding all year-three demonstration and risk reduction cost-share
requirements in the proposals selected by DOE.
Electric Power Grid Modernization: TNC supports robust funding for
several programs to implement DOE's Building a Better Grid Initiative.
This request includes $600 million for the Smart Grid Investment
Program and $500 million for the Transmission Facilitation Program. We
also encourage the committee to include language directing the
Secretary of Energy to facilitate the development of the Office of Grid
Deployment, as authorized by the IIJA.
Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS) and Carbon Removal:
TNC supports robust funding for the Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon
Management's (FECM) mission to advance the deployment of a full suite
of carbon management technologies. TNC requests $607.5 million for CCUS
and Power Systems. This amount would support DOE's research,
development and deployment efforts for carbon capture, carbon
utilization, carbon storage, and FECM's contributions to the broader
carbon dioxide removal crosscut program.
Advanced Vehicle Technologies: TNC supports robust funding to help
advance the decarbonization of the transportation sector or the
development of new zero-carbon fuels for transportation and other end
uses. To that end, we request $602.731 million for the Vehicle
Technologies Office.
Loan Programs Office: TNC supports the role of the DOE Loan
Programs Office (LPO) in spurring commercialization and deployment of
emerging technologies by providing loans and loan guarantees. TNC
requests $160 million for the Title 17 Innovative Technology Loan
Guarantee Program to expand loan authority by $16 billion; $300 million
for Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program (ATVM), and
$20 million for the Tribal Energy Loan Guarantee Program to cover
credit subsidy cost or loan guarantees and direct loans. This request
aims to provide additional loan authority, credit subsidy funding, and
program eligibility tweaks to further improve LPO's ability to finance
innovative energy and manufacturing projects in the United States and
help fund community grant-making and technical assistance for clean
energy planning.
[This statement was submitted by Jimmy Hague, Senior Water Policy
Advisor, The Nature Conservancy.]
______
Prepared Statement of the Nuclear Energy Institute \1\
The strategic R&D investments directed by this Committee have
helped the U.S. reclaim its position as the global leader in nuclear
energy innovation. To sustain the undeniable momentum toward widespread
deployment of the technological breakthroughs enabled by these
investments, NEI recommends a minimum of $2.6 billion for Office of
Nuclear Energy (NE) programs in fiscal year 2023. Recommendations for
specific program elements are set forth below. The funding level for
those DOE NE program elements that are not discussed below should be
consistent with or greater than fiscal year 2022. Recommendations are
also provided for specific programs within the Office of Clean Energy
Demonstrations, NNSA, the Office of Science, and the NRC.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ NEI is responsible for establishing nuclear industry policy on
matters affecting the nuclear energy industry, including the regulatory
aspects of generic operational and technical issues. NEI members
include entities licensed to operate commercial nuclear power plants in
the United States, nuclear plant designers, major architect/engineering
firms, fuel cycle facilities, nuclear material licensees, and other
organizations and entities involved in the nuclear energy industry.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
This increased investment is consistent with achieving first-of-a-
kind operations of advanced nuclear reactors by 2030 and supporting the
increased use of nuclear energy to achieve a reliable, affordable,
decarbonized grid by mid-century or sooner. Congress should also
continue to provide adequate funding necessary to meet commitments to
affected communities and States conducting cleanup of DOE's shutdown
uranium enrichment facilities and former nuclear weapons material
production facilities.
DOE Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations.--We thank Congress for
its continued support for the two ARDP projects and the establishment
of the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations.
Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program (FY23 Recommendation--$70
million).
Microreactor Demonstration Program (FY23 Recommendation--$30
million).--NEI recommends establishing a new demonstration focused on
rapid deployment of microreactors. The total program cost would be $150
million.
doe office of nuclear energy
Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program (FY23 Recommendation--$235
million).--The ARDP program is helping develop a pipeline of
technologies for demonstration and NRIC is supporting demonstrations
and deployment. NEI recommends: Risk reduction for future
demonstrations: $140 million, NRIC: $75 million, Regulatory
Development: $15 million and Advanced Reactor Safeguards: $5 million.
Advanced SMR R&D Support (FY23 Recommendation--$211 million).--
Demonstrating the next generation of advanced light water small modular
reactors will support both domestic deployment and export of U.S.
technology and enable broad U.S. leadership in new technologies.
Light Water Reactor Sustainability (FY23 Recommendation--$62
million).--Increased funding will enable the program to accelerate LWR
modernization efforts while continuing to support hydrogen
demonstrations. Not less than $12 million should be used to support new
or previously awarded hydrogen demonstration projects.
Advanced Reactor Technologies (FY23 Recommendation--$70 million).--
NEI recommends the funding level for the microreactor program and
MARVEL should be a minimum of $16 million and $20 million,
respectively. The latter will support fuel acquisition and construction
in FY23. The ARC-20 program should be funded at $15 million.
Versatile Test Reactor (FY23 Recommendation--$45 million)
Accident Tolerant Fuels (FY23 Recommendation--$165 million).--The
industry is working aggressively to accelerate the commercial
development, testing, and licensing of accident tolerant fuels. $120
million is recommended to continue the participation of the industry-
led teams in the cost-shared R&D program including support for the
testing, code development, and licensing of ATF with higher fuel
utilization, $10 million is recommended to continue silicon-carbide
development, and $35 million is for laboratory specific work in support
of ATF.
Advanced Nuclear Fuel Availability Program (FY23 Recommendation--
$360 million: $300 million for commercial enrichment and deconversion
capacity and $60 million for downblending of HEU).--Russia, the only
commercial supplier of HALEU, is no longer a viable supplier. The
urgency to develop a domestic HALEU supply chain has increased and an
alternate short-term supply of HALEU must be found to bridge the gap
before domestic capacity is available, or else current demonstration
projects will be at risk. Therefore, $300 million is requested for FY23
to support the deployment of a competitive commercial HALEU supply
chain in the U.S. in the coming years. In the meantime, the fastest
path to support near-term needs is a fresh HEU downblending bridge
program. For FY23, $60 million is requested for the bridge program. The
total cost of a downblending bridge program is expected to be less than
$160 million.
TRISO Fuel and Graphite Qualification (FY23 Recommendation--$37
million)
Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (FY23 Recommendation--$10
million)
High Enriched Uranium Recovery from EBR-II spent fuel (FY23
Recommendation--$25.75 million).--This funding level is requested to
transition EBR-II spent fuel processing operations to seven days a
week, 24 hours a day to meet the needs of the industry.
Nuclear Waste Disposal (FY23 Recommendation--$100 million).--The
estimated taxpayer liability for DOE's failure to satisfy its
obligation under the NWPA has reached over $40 billion with almost $9
billion already being paid from the Judgment Fund. The funding for
Nuclear Waste Disposal should be increased substantially and DOE should
be directed to re-establish an organization to resume management of the
program and to begin implementation of an integrated nuclear waste
management system that allows for private consolidated interim spent
fuel storage approaches.
Directed R&D and University Programs (FY23 Recommendation--$161
million).--Direct funding for university programs provides stability
for all programs. We support DOE's proposal to create the new program
line that includes NEUP, SBIR/STTR, and TCF.
International Nuclear Energy Cooperation (FY23 Recommendation--$10
million).--The Office of Nuclear Energy plays a critical role in
facilitating international nuclear energy cooperation. This is critical
to promoting the adoption of U.S. nuclear technologies abroad,
assisting allies and partners in achieving their energy security and
climate goals while creating American jobs and promoting U.S.
leadership in nuclear safety, security and nonproliferation.
Program direction (FY23 Recommendation--$100 million).--The
responsibilities that DOE NE is managing have increased substantially
over the last few years while the staffing levels have reduced and
program direction funding has remained roughly constant. This
confluence of events has created challenges in many areas including
contracting management and execution. An increase in program direction
funding is necessary to ameliorate these issues.
DOE Office of International Affairs (FY23 Recommendation--$62
million).--The Office of International Affairs plays a vital role in
enhancing global energy security and increasing U.S. energy exports and
trade. Given the important role that nuclear energy plays in achieving
these objectives, industry encourages prioritization of nuclear energy
cooperation in close coordination with the Office of Nuclear Energy.
NNSA--Uranium Reserve (FY23 Recommendation--$150 million).--The
uranium reserve will create a national security strategic stockpile and
preserve critical fuel cycle capabilities.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission (FY23 Recommendation--$35 million for
Advanced Reactor Regulatory Infrastructure Activities and $20 million
for International Cooperation and Assistance Activities).--Suggested
report language: The Committee emphasizes the importance of timely,
efficient, and effective regulatory activities related to advanced
nuclear energy to meeting crucial climate and energy security goals.
The Committee recommends not less than $35,000,000 for Advanced Reactor
Regulatory Infrastructure Activities.
Nuclear Supply Chain (FY23 Recommendation--$5 million).--The DOE
should establish a program that is focused specifically on the nuclear
supply chain needed to successfully deploy advanced reactors and $5
million should be initially provided for this purpose. This new nuclear
supply chain program could be established in the Office of Nuclear
Energy or within the Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains.
Low Enriched Uranium Supply for the Existing Fleet (FY23
Recommendation--$400 million).--The U.S. reactor fleet currently
obtains about 20 percent of its enriched uranium from Russia. The U.S.
nuclear energy industry is committed to ceasing reliance on Russian
enriched uranium. NEI requests $400 million for FY23 to appropriately
fund new programs to increase domestic mining, conversion, and LEU
enrichment capacity and increase diversity of supply.
DOE Office of Science Isotope R&D and Production Program (FY23
Recommendation--$102.451 million).--Suggested report language: The
Committee remains interested in ensuring that a sufficient supply of
Strontium-90 is available for industrial purposes, utilizing legacy
materials, and provides $5,000,000 within available funds to carry out
the findings of the FY-221 Sr-90 plan to prepare capsules for removal
and transfer for beneficial use.
[This statement was submitted by Maria Korsnick, President and
Chief Executive Officer, Nuclear Energy Institute.]
______
Prepared Statement of the Nuclear Waste Strategy Coalition \1\
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\1\ The NWSC is an ad hoc organization representing the collective
interests of member state utility regulators, consumer advocates,
attorneys general, and radiation control officials; Tribal governments;
local governments; electric utilities with operating and/or shutdown
nuclear reactors; and other experts on nuclear waste policy matters.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The NWSC calls upon Congress to appropriate funds in Fiscal Year
2023 to the Department of Energy (DOE) and Nuclear Regulatory
Commission (NRC) such that each agency has the sustainable annual
funding necessary to undertake critical activities related to
developing, managing, and regulating an integrated program for the
storage, transportation, and disposal of the Nation's spent nuclear
fuel (SNF), Greater-Than-Class C (GTCC) waste, and other high-level
radioactive waste (HLW). For DOE, relevant programs include:
--Fuel Cycle Research & Development program, which includes relevant
subprograms:
--Integrated Waste Management Systems (DOE request: $53 million);
and
--Used Nuclear Fuel Disposition Research & Development (DOE
request: $46.875 million).
--Nuclear Waste Fund Oversight program (DOE request: $10.205
million).
To conduct activities necessary to develop and manage a multi-
generational, national integrated nuclear waste program and carry out
the related recommendations herein, DOE needs sustained and
significantly more funding for expansion of activities under these
items. As a general matter, direction to DOE and the NRC concerning
nuclear waste management remains unclear. Despite new Congressional
appropriations of $27.5 million to DOE in Fiscal Year 2021 and in
Fiscal Year 2022 for ``expenses necessary for nuclear waste disposal
activities to carry out the purposes of the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of
1982, Public Law 97-425, as amended, including interim storage
activities,'' this funding did not establish the meaningful integrated
nuclear waste management program that our Nation needs but has lacked
for more than a decade. Thus, our testimony focuses on the need for
Congress to:
--Direct and sufficiently fund the establishment of a national
integrated nuclear waste management program that addresses
storage, transportation, and disposal;
--Direct and sufficiently fund the formation of a new, independent
waste management organization and the orderly transition of
these responsibilities from DOE; and
--Provide sustainable annual access to the Nuclear Waste Fund (NWF)
for a national integrated program, whether managed by DOE or,
preferably, a new, independent entity.
consequences of inaction on nuclear waste management
The national nuclear waste management program established under the
1982 Nuclear Waste Policy Act (NWPA) was effectively terminated more
than a decade ago by executive action. Subsequently, Congress has
failed to provide meaningful direction or funding for that program or
any national integrated nuclear waste management program. Since 1983,
approximately $56 billion has been credited to the NWF, including over
$21.5 billion collected from electric ratepayers and over $30 billion
in interest that continues to accumulate (approximately $1.7 billion a
year). The approximate $44 billion balance sits stranded in U.S.
Treasury Securities and unappropriated for its intended purpose. These
facts have resulted in a de facto national policy of inaction that
negatively impacts:
--Host States & Communities. The de facto policy indefinitely strands
80,000 metric tons of commercial SNF and HLW at operating and
decommissioned reactor sites in 34 States without their
consent. At shutdown sites, the stranded waste impedes
beneficial property reuse.
--All U.S. Taxpayers. The de facto policy has already cost U.S.
taxpayers more than $9 billion, and this liability is growing
by approximately $2 million per day.
--Electric Customers. While no longer paying fees into the NWF per
court order, ratepayers in more than 40 States paid billions of
dollars that are not being used for their intended purpose.
nwsc call for action & specific requests/recommendations
Starting with the subcommittee's markup of the fiscal year 2023 EWD
bill, Congress should take action to mitigate these real consequences
of the Federal Government's inaction. To recognize that the Federal
Government can and should establish a national integrated nuclear waste
management program, and to set such a program up for success, Congress
should immediately take the following steps:
1. Direct and sufficiently fund the establishment of a national
integrated nuclear waste management program that is designed to
make progress on permanent disposal in parallel with progress
on consolidated interim storage (CIS) and transportation.
DOE has conducted significant transportation work over the
years and has recently re-initiated work on a consent-based
siting (CBS) process to facilitate Federal CIS facilities.
However, regarding the critical need for permanent
disposal, DOE not only has taken Yucca Mountain off the
table but also has suggested it cannot take action on
permanent disposal until Congress provides new direction
and funding. Thus, other than disposal-related R&D, DOE is
not making measurable progress on permanent disposal, which
frustrates progress on the other two critical parts of an
integrated program-CIS and transportation. We are not alone
in stressing an integrated approach. In its report,
Commercial Spent Nuclear Fuel: Congressional Action Needed
to Break Impasse and Develop a Permanent Disposal
Solution,\2\ GAO relayed that ``nearly all of the experts
we interviewed said the United States needs an integrated
waste management strategy'' (p. 30) and recommended that
Congress direct DOE accordingly.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ U.S. Government Accountability Office. (2021). Commercial Spent
Nuclear Fuel: Congressional Action Needed to Break Impasse and Develop
a Permanent Disposal Solution (GAO-21-603).
At a minimum, Congress should consider directing and
funding constructive, near-term, disposal-related actions
by Federal agencies, such as (i) Development of generic
repository standards by the Environmental Protection Agency
and NRC; and (ii) Expansion of DOE's CBS work to
incorporate disposal facilities in addition to CIS
facilities. While the NWSC has numerous concerns about the
CBS initiative, we want it to be successful, and the lack
of progress on permanent disposal is perhaps the biggest
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
impediment to siting CIS facilities.
Finally, we continue to request that the subcommittee
provide: (i) Funds for NRC and DOE to carry out their
respective roles regarding siting and/or licensing of a
repository and, simultaneously, private or Federal CIS
facilities; (ii) Funds for the continuation and expansion
of constructive SNF transportation initiatives (assessment
of infrastructure needs at shutdown sites; testing,
certification, and procurement of railcars, licensed
transportation containers, components; etc.); and (iii)
Increased financial and technical assistance to Tribal,
State, and local governments for transportation-related
emergency preparedness training and activities-both by DOE
and by private transportation to non-federal CIS facilities
licensed by the NRC.
2. Direct and sufficiently fund the formation of a new,
independent waste management organization and the orderly
transition of these responsibilities from DOE.
Although the NWSC continues to support the establishment
of a dedicated office in DOE that focuses on nuclear waste
management, DOE has exhibited no interest in implementing
this change.\3\ We believe the Blue Ribbon Commission on
America's Nuclear Future (BRC) recommendation for a new,
single-purpose organization remains the best solution for
governance reform. While the DOE team seems committed to
progress, the current structure falls short in comparison
to a model that provides additional accountability and
reasonably insulates the organization from political
interference and excessive turnover in key positions. A new
waste management organization could be structured in
numerous ways, but we urge consideration of the government-
owned corporation model (see S.3322, last introduced by the
late Senator George Voinovich in 2010) \4\ instead of
models that set up government agencies with both
politically-appointed leadership and oversight boards that
tend to change with every administration and lack the long-
term continuity needed to make progress on this issue.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ See May 3, 2021 letter from eight organizations to DOE
Secretary Granholm and Nov. 23, 2021 response letter from DOE Secretary
Granholm to NWSC Chair Katie Sieben.
\4\ United States Nuclear Fuel Management Corporation Establishment
Act of 2010, as introduced by the late Senator George Voinovich
(S.3322) and Congressman Fred Upton (H.R.5979).
3. Provide sustainable annual access to the NWF for a national
integrated program, whether managed by DOE or, preferably, a
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
new, independent entity.
We call upon the EWD subcommittee to take the lead on
reforming the Federal budgetary treatment of the NWF such
that sustainable annual access is provided to the funds
collected from electric customers-as well as to the
annually accumulating interest of approximately $1.7
billion-to support the development and management of a
multi-generational, national integrated nuclear waste
storage, transportation, and disposal program. Recognizing
the importance of funding to program success, the BRC,
members of Congress,\4\ and several other experts have
urged NWF reforms. While appreciating the budgetary
complexities involved in implementing these necessary
reforms, the NWSC notes that Congress has recently
navigated around such complexities to access similar funds
(e.g., Land and Water Conservation Fund, Harbor Maintenance
Trust Fund) and should find a similar path to ensure that
the NWF is used for its intended purpose.
bills proposing to prohibit use of federal funds for private cis
The NWSC opposes new measures proposing the outright prohibition on
use of Federal funds (i.e., the Judgment Fund) for private interim
storage of SNF until such time that a permanent repository is available
to accept the SNF. This includes S.3741 as introduced in the Senate and
its identical companion in the House (H.R.6901).
The NWSC strongly reiterates the need to make progress on permanent
disposal in parallel with progress on CIS and transportation and
appreciates state, Tribal, and community resistance to becoming de
facto permanent sites given the Federal Government's inaction on
disposal. That is precisely why we are urging in the strongest terms
immediate action by Congress and the Administration to reestablish a
national integrated nuclear waste management program.
Respectfully, the consequence of the approach advanced in S.3741
and H.R.6901 is to leave the Nation without any potential near-term
options to make progress on removing SNF from existing sites and
reducing the growing financial burden on all U.S. taxpayers. Simply, we
need Congress and the Administration to refrain from taking options off
the table and to instead focus on facilitating options and meaningful
progress on SNF management. The NWSC has repeatedly (and again herein)
suggested positive, widely endorsed approaches (by the BRC, GAO,
Members of Congress, et al.) that Congress and the Administration
should pursue.
We also highlight concerns about authorizing in appropriations
bills. From a stakeholder perspective, the appropriations process does
not lend itself to sufficient notice and debate of provisions that have
a substantial impact. To be clear, the inclusion of new language that
would prohibit the use of Federal funds (i.e., the Judgment Fund) for
private interim storage of SNF until such time that a permanent
repository is available to accept the SNF substantially impacts NWSC
members, and if such language must be considered at all, we urge that
it be vetted in the authorizations committees with subject matter
jurisdiction.
concerns with prior senate ewd appropriations language
The NWSC reiterates concerns with certain Senate-proposed
provisions (e.g., Section 306 of S. 2470, 116th Cong., 2019). First,
such language would fail to move forward on CIS and permanent disposal
in parallel, a key element of a successful integrated nuclear waste
management program. Second, establishment of specific consent-based
siting requirements by statute is unnecessary, as potential hosts
should have the flexibility to negotiate the process and conditions
that best serve the interests of their jurisdictions. Third, it would
not address underlying funding concerns while expanding Congressional
authority to tap the NWF and increase the potential for restarting the
fee on electric customers. Finally, such language raised consequential
questions about whether DOE will be allowed to engage Federal or
private CIS initiatives and whether CIS access may be limited.
uranium enrichment decontamination & decommissioning (d&d) tax
The NWSC opposes reinstatement of a uranium enrichment D&D tax.
Although supportive of environmental cleanup of enrichment sites, U.S.
nuclear-generating utilities and their customers should not be singled
out again to pay for D&D of DOE facilities developed for national
defense.
closing
The NWSC appreciates your leadership and urges you to take action
this session to ensure meaningful progress toward a national integrated
nuclear waste management program.
[This statement was submitted by Katrina McMurrian, Executive
Director,
Nuclear Waste Strategy Coalition.]
______
Prepared Statement of the Oregon Water Resources Congress
The Oregon Water Resources Congress (OWRC) continues to support
increased funding for the U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of
Reclamation's (Reclamation) Water and Related Resources program and
requests that a minimum of $2 billion be included in the fiscal year
2023 Budget, an increase from the $1.7 billion enacted for fiscal year
2022. Reclamation's highly effective WaterSMART Initiative has been
woefully underfunded for years and needs significant resources to meet
the broad and diverse water supply and infrastructure needs in the 17
western States Reclamation serves. Additional funding will help
leverage State and local resources, support collaborative partnerships,
and enhance coordination between other Federal agencies.
OWRC was established in 1912 as a trade association to support the
protection of water rights and promote the wise stewardship of water
resources statewide. OWRC members are local governmental entities,
which include irrigation districts, water control districts, drainage
districts, water improvement districts, and other agricultural water
suppliers that deliver water to roughly one-third of all irrigated land
in Oregon. These water stewards operate complex water management
systems, including water supply reservoirs, canals, pipelines, pumps,
and hydropower facilities. About one-half of our members are in
Reclamation Projects and most of our members have been awarded grants
under the WaterSMART program or have contracts with Reclamation.
watersmart initiative in oregon
Reclamation's WaterSMART Initiative and related programs have been
successfully used in Oregon to implement an array of water
conservation, water efficiency, and infrastructure modernization
projects. OWRC strongly supports increased funding for Reclamation's
WaterSMART Grants and the Water Conservation Field Services Program
(WCFSP)-the two programs used the most by Oregon's irrigation districts
to support water conservation activities. These programs are an
important part of the overall funding package for water resources
projects collaboratively developed by local communities, supported with
local and State funding, and designed to meet those communities' unique
needs while still meeting the goal of water conservation.
The WCFSP is a key component in supporting irrigation districts and
similar water delivery systems' water conservation efforts. The WCFSP
has provided a breadth of technical assistance to irrigation districts
and provided partial funding for materials used to pipe and line
canals, water measurement and other technology, and water conservation
plans-all supporting water conservation efforts being implemented by
these districts. Providing increased funding for WCFSP projects will
yield immediate and cost-effective water conservation measures in all
17 western States served by Reclamation.
Additionally, we believe the management of the WCFSP should remain
with the Regional Offices to retain the close connection between
Reclamation and Project managers and ensure Reclamation's resources are
used to best support the management of its Projects. The WCFSP is one
of the Reclamation services most appreciated by our members. The
regional staff, and particularly the local area office staff,
understand the unique operating and delivery challenges of the various
Projects, and therefore provide very meaningful support to the managers
of those Projects.
watersmart grants
WaterSMART cost-share grants have supported Oregon districts'
efforts to improve water delivery systems, conserve water, and
implement innovative projects to meet water needs in Oregon. These
projects have been a key ingredient in the districts' cooperative
efforts with other stakeholders in their respective river basins to
address in-stream, water quality, and water supply needs of their
basins, without reducing the amount of land to which the districts
deliver water and avoiding regulatory actions by Federal or State
agencies. There continues to be more applicants than available funding
and additional financial resources are needed to enable local water
suppliers to continue their work to conserve water and help meet the
Secretary's water conservation goal. With a return of over $5 for every
$1 of Federal investment, and non-federal match generally exceeding the
required amount, this program far surpasses the results of other
partnerships between the Federal Government and local project sponsors.
The following projects are examples of how the WaterSMART Initiative
has been recently used in Oregon:
2021 Water and Energy Efficiency Projects:
--Klamath Irrigation District, Supervisory Control and Data
Acquisition and Automation Improvements.--The District, located
in southern Oregon, will install twenty-one new Supervisory
Control and Data Acquisition components on gates and canals
throughout the system that do not currently have automated
controls. The project will provide near real-time data on flow
rates, water elevations, and control device statuses, and is
expected to result in annual water savings of 19,500 acre-feet
by reducing spills, over-deliveries, and seepage. Conserved
water can be stored in Upper Klamath Lake for a longer period,
which may benefit fish species, including the endangered Short
nosed Sucker and Coho Salmon, by increasing lake levels and
reducing lake temperatures, while also providing a more
reliable supply for growers during times of shortage. In
addition, conserved water may be available for the fall
waterfowl migration at the Lower Klamath National Wildlife
Refuge. The project has significant support from stakeholders,
including the Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge Complex,
the Farmers Conservation Alliance, and Ducks Unlimited.
Reclamation Funding: $500,000, Total Project Cost: $1,071,774
--North Unit Irrigation District, Optimized Conveyance Efficiency and
Control in Main Canal.--The District, located in central
Oregon, will upgrade the automation at nine gated check
structures and seven measuring stations along the main canal of
its distribution system. The improvements will increase
conveyance efficiency and operational control, resulting in an
expected annual water savings of 3,337 acre-feet.
Overallocation of the Deschutes River and an agreement to adapt
dam operations to reduce impact on endangered species has
limited District water usage to 60-75 percent of a water user's
minimum water right. The district has shut down periodically
because of drought and shortage. Water conserved because of the
project will be stored within Haystack Reservoir for a more
controlled and targeted release during the irrigation season to
avoid further reductions during times of drought. Reclamation
Funding: $244,871, Total Project Cost: $511,611
2020 Water and Energy Efficiency Projects:
--Klamath Irrigation District, C-4-a Canal Lining/Piping Project.--
The District will convert 1.5 miles of the currently open Canal
to 3,000 feet of Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer lining and
5,000 feet of high-density polyethylene pipe. The project is
expected to result in an annual water savings of 664 acre-feet
which is currently lost to seepage, evaporation, and
operational spills. The project is expected to improve lake
levels to benefit fish species such as the endangered Shortnose
Sucker, and to provide a potential late season supply for other
water users in times of shortage. In addition, conserved water
may be available for the fall waterfowl migration at the Lower
Klamath National Wildlife Refuge. Water and Energy Efficiency
Grant: $210,650 Total Project Cost: $421,301
--Middle Fork Irrigation District, Coe Branch Pipeline and Irrigation
Efficiency Project.--The District will install a high-density
polyethylene pipe from its existing diversion on Coe Creek to
an existing settling pond to provide clean irrigation water to
its users. When sedimentation worsens in Coe Creek, the
District must meet irrigation demand with water from Laurance
Reservoir and its tributaries. The district will use the
settling pond to remove glacial sediment from the water before
it is delivered to irrigators, thereby avoiding diversions from
Laurance Lake. By more efficiently and effectively removing
sediment, the project will also allow water users to install
high-efficiency micro-sprinklers. Water and Energy Efficiency
Grant: $266,600 Total Project Cost: $1,460,400
2021 Small-Scale Water Efficiency Projects
--North Unit Irrigation District, Lateral 41-9 and 58-3-2 Piping
Project.--The District, in central Oregon, will convert two
open canals with 4,450 linear feet of buried high-density
polyethylene pipe. This project will reduce water lost to
seepage, improve conveyance efficiency, and reduce problematic
sediment transport. This project is prioritized through several
planning efforts, including the District's System Improvement
Plan. Reclamation Funding: $74,691, Total Project Cost:
$149,383
--Talent Irrigation District, East Main Canal Chamberland Shotcrete
Project.--The District, in southern Oregon, will line two
unlined sections of the East Main Canal totaling 320 linear
feet, with reinforced shotcrete liner. The upgrade will
increase the efficiency and reliability of water deliveries.
The project supports the District's Water Management and
Conservation Plan of 2018. Reclamation Funding: $16,220, Total
Project Cost: $32,441
--West Extension Irrigation District, Irrigation Main Water Meter
Project, Boardman East.--The District, in northeast Oregon,
will install nine magnetic meters at the head of six piped
laterals. The project will allow the District to see at a
glance how much water is being delivered down each lateral.
This project will help the District better manage their water
supply, resulting in improved water supply consistency and
resilience to drought. The metering of these laterals is
identified in the 2016 update of the District's Boardman Master
Plan. Reclamation Funding: $32,500, Total Project Cost: $65,000
Further innovative projects like the ones above could be developed
and implemented in Oregon if more funding is made available through the
WaterSMART Initiative. Additionally, OWRC would like to see the funding
cap increased from $1 million to $5 million in areas where there are
known endangered, threatened, or vulnerable species. By increasing the
funding cap, Reclamation would have the ability to fund projects aimed
at improving species habitat at a higher level, allowing for these
important projects to move forward.
We respectfully request the appropriation of at least $2 billion
for Reclamation's Water and Related Resources program for fiscal year
2023. Providing increased funding for the WaterSMART Initiative is a
wise investment that will leverage resources, increase strategic
partnerships, and yield immediate and long-term benefits for our
Nation's economy, environment, and communities. Thank you for the
opportunity to provide testimony regarding the fiscal year 2023 budget
for the U.S Bureau of Reclamation.
Sincerely.
[This statement was submitted by April Snell, Executive Director,
Oregon Water Resources Congress.]
______
Prepared Statement of the Society for Industrial and Applied
Mathematics
summary
This written testimony is submitted on behalf of the Society for
Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM) to ask you to continue your
support of the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science with
funding of $8.8 billion in fiscal year (FY) 2023. In particular, we
urge you to provide $378 million for Mathematical, Computational, and
Computer Sciences Research in the Advanced Scientific Computing
Research (ASCR) program within the Office of Science. We also emphasize
the importance of support for graduate students through the
Computational Sciences Graduate Fellowship and request that $21 million
be provided in FY 2023.
written testimony
On behalf of SIAM, we submit this written testimony for the record
to the subcommittee on Energy and Water Development Appropriations of
the United States Senate.
SIAM has approximately 14,000 members, including applied and
computational mathematicians, computer scientists, numerical analysts,
engineers, statisticians, and mathematics educators. They work in
industrial and service organizations, universities, colleges, and
government agencies and laboratories all over the world. In addition,
SIAM has over 500 institutional members-colleges, universities,
corporations, and research organizations. SIAM members come from many
different disciplines but have a common interest in applying
mathematics in partnership with computational science towards solving
real-world problems.
SIAM appreciates your Committee's leadership on and recognition of
the critical role of the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science
and its support for mathematics, science, and engineering in enabling a
strong U.S. economy, workforce, and society. DOE was one of the first
Federal agencies to champion computational science as one of the three
pillars of science, along with theory and experiment, and SIAM deeply
appreciates and values DOE activities.
SIAM is grateful for the strong funding that the Office of Science
received in FY 2022, and we join with the research community to request
that you continue this momentum by providing the Office of Science with
$8.8 billion for fiscal year 2023. The requested amount is necessary
for ensuring continued support for areas such as mathematics and
scientific research to help address national priorities, foster
economic growth, and create jobs.
Advanced Scientific Computing Research.--Activities within the
Advanced Scientific Computing Research (ASCR) program play a key role
in supporting research that begins to fulfill the needs described
above. Within the overall amount for ASCR, we urge you to provide $378
million for Mathematical, Computational, and Computer Sciences Research
in FY 2023, consistent with the President's FY 2023 budget request.
This level of funding is needed to ensure the long-term health and
viability of the high-performance computing (HPC) ecosystem that DOE
relies on for conducting groundbreaking discovery science while
supporting increased investment in priority areas such as quantum
computing and artificial intelligence.
Core research activities within ASCR enable the development of
critical tools for computational science, modeling, and data analysis
that enhance advanced computing capabilities and seed new areas of
research with potential for revolutionary advancements. Sustained
investment in basic research ultimately enabled the global leadership
in HPC that the U.S. currently enjoys. While our strength in HPC is
exemplified by the groundbreaking exascale systems currently being
assembled, this position is increasingly being challenged by overseas
competitors.
We strongly support the Administrations plan's to reorientate ASCR
toward longer term research as the Exascale Computing Initiative comes
to fruition and funding for the associated Exascale Computing Project
continues its planned decline. This shift is underpinned by strategic
visioning exercises that have produced several recommendations for
reinvigorating ASCR's research agenda. These include a substantial
reinvestment in foundational science and increased support for high-
risk/high-reward research activities, especially at universities.\1\
Such an approach will help maintain the long-term viability and
vibrancy of the broader HPC research community as ASCR looks toward the
post-exascale future.
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\1\ Advanced Scientific Computing Advisory Committee (ASCAC),
subcommittee on Exascale Transition, ``Transition Report'', https://
science.osti.gov/-/media/ascr/ascac/pdf/meetings/202004/
Transition_Report_202004-
ASCAC.pdf?la=en&hash=5164916FE5158EE8919C26804B4CF7F6
DDA36E9D.
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In addition to the critical role that it already plays in priority
areas like artificial intelligence and quantum information science,
ASCR's research portfolio will be a critical asset to the Department's
efforts to drive innovation in climate and Earth systems predictability
and renewable energy. Specifically, research in applied mathematics and
computational science will enable new capabilities in environmental
sensing and edge computing with applications in Earth systems
prediction and climate forecasting. In addition, advancements in
modeling, simulation, and optimization can help improve grid
reliability and the integration of renewable energy sources into the
broader power distribution system.
Supporting the Pipeline of Mathematicians and Scientists.--SIAM is
grateful for Congress's strong support of the Computational Sciences
Graduate Fellowships (CSGF) in FY 2022, providing a $5 million increase
after it had been flat funded since FY 2015, but requests that $21
million be provided for the Computational Science Graduate Fellowship
(CSGF) in FY 2023 within the overall amount for research. Researchers
trained in computational science and working in universities, national
laboratories, and industry are essential to propel advances in many DOE
critical research areas. This program helps ensure the existence of an
adequate supply of scientists and engineers with strong computational
research experience and close ongoing ties to DOE to meet future
national workforce needs.
The increase we are requesting to CSGF reflects the growing need
for an expanded workforce in emerging areas of importance to DOE such
as artificial intelligence and data science. As international
competition in science and engineering intensifies, maintaining U.S.
leadership in these areas will increasingly depend on our ability to
cultivate a scientific workforce with strong research experience and
close ties to DOE. An increase in funding to CSGF would also enable
ASCR to address a consistent oversubscription in the program and
advance diversity, equity, and inclusion through expanded outreach to
minority serving institutions.
In addition to CSGF, this level of funding for the research program
would support increases for the Reaching a New Energy Sciences
Workforce (RENEW) initiative, started in FY 2022, and support the new
Accelerate and FAIR initiatives, which would further broaden and
diversify the applied mathematics and computer science research
communities by increasing opportunities for students and institutions
that are currently underrepresented.
The Role of Mathematics in Meeting Health, Energy, and Security
Challenges.--Support for applied mathematics and computational science
is critical to sustaining the Nation's global scientific and
technological leadership, energy production capabilities, and national
security. By exploiting DOE's world class supercomputing capabilities,
mathematicians and computational scientists supported by the
abovementioned programs pioneer new modeling and simulation techniques
that enable substantial breakthroughs in materials synthesis, energy
distribution, and human physiology among other complex areas where
laboratory experiments or field observations are too costly, time
consuming, or simply insufficient. This was demonstrated recently in
the midst of the novel coronavirus pandemic. Researchers at Oak Ridge
National Laboratory (ORNL) developed a computational model of the novel
coronavirus. They then ran the model on ORNL's supercomputer, Summit,
and were able to identify 77 molecular compounds that could serve as
the basis for therapeutic drugs to counter COVID-19.\2\
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\2\ https://chemrxiv.org/articles/
Repurposing_Therapeutics_for_the_Wuhan_Coronavirus_
nCov-2019_Supercomputer-Based_Docking_to_the_Viral_S--
Protein_and_Human_
ACE2_Interface/11871402/3.
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conclusion
The programs in the Office of Science, particularly those discussed
above, are important elements of DOE's efforts to fulfill its mission.
They contribute to the goals of dramatically transforming our current
capabilities to develop new sources of energy and improve energy
efficiency to ensure energy independence and facilitate DOE's effort to
increase U.S. competitiveness by training and attracting the best
scientific talent into DOE headquarters and laboratories, the American
research enterprise, and the clean energy economy.
Thank you again for your ongoing support of the DOE Office of
Science. The DOE Office of Science needs sustained annual funding to
maintain our competitive edge in science and technology, and therefore
we respectfully ask that you continue your support of these critical
programs. We appreciate the opportunity to provide testimony to the
Committee on behalf of SIAM and look forward to providing any
additional information or assistance you may ask of us during the FY
2023 appropriations process.
[This statement was submitted by Dr. Susanne C. Brenner, President;
Dr. Anne Gelb, Vice President for Science Policy; and Dr. Suzanne L.
Weekes,
Executive Director, Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics.]
______
Prepared Statement of Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource
Dear Chair Feinstein and Ranking Member Kennedy,
As a faculty member at Iowa State University, I appreciate the
strong support you have provided for the Energy and Water Development
Appropriations Bills since they have funded the large-scale X-ray light
sources that are operated by the Department of Energy's Office of
Science, Basic Energy Sciences (DOE-BES). These facilities, such as the
Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource (SSRL) in Menlo Park
California use electricity to create beams of X-ray light that are many
millions of times brighter than the sun. They are essential for the US
to remain internationally competitive on the world research stage, and
represent a pinnacle of technological achievement. Examples of their
use include the development of advanced materials that will form the
basis of transformative technologies, allowing our society to do more
with less, such as ultra-high density digital storage media or new
energy storage, and are vital for a low-carbon future. During the
recent Covid-19 pandemic the X-ray light sources delivered scientific
data that was pivotal in the development of new drugs and treatments;
more than 90 percent of drug discovery over the last decade has
resulted from work performed at X-ray light sources. In other research
areas, unique insights from X-ray light have allowed safe and effective
cleanup of legacy environmental contamination of nuclear materials, and
have proved pivotal in understanding the optimum ways to maintain the
Nation's nuclear stockpile. My research group relies on large-scale X-
ray light sources for developing new materials for water treatment.
I have seen firsthand how DOE BES User Facilities enable
discoveries that drive the Nation's economy, strengthen national
security, and improve quality of life. Therefore, as the budget for DOE
in fiscal year 2023 is developed, I urge you to work to increase the
fiscal year 2023 DOE science budget, in particular for scientific user
facilities that serve a large number of science and technology areas
and researchers in the US.
Despite challenging budgetary times, it remains clear that US
interests gain real benefits from innovations enabled by the Federal
investment in major science facilities, and in particular SSRL. We
therefore urge you to work to increase funding for SSRL and the other
DOE BES laboratories, as this is a strong investment to strengthen the
scientific and engineering workforce and build the US economy.
Sincerely.
[This statement was submitted by Joe Charbonnet, PhD, Assistant
Professor, Iowa State University.]
______
Prepared Statement of the United Barrier Technologies, Inc. \1\
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\1\ United Barrier Technologies is focused on developing new
innovative flood control solutions that will transform the Flood
Control Industry.
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Chairwoman Feinstein, Ranking Member Kennedy, and Members of the
Energy and Water subcommittee on Appropriations, thank you for the
opportunity to submit the following testimony in support of funding an
additional $4 million for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer
Research and Development Center (ERDC), Coastal & Hydraulics Laboratory
for test and evaluation of new innovative flood control barriers.
Current flood control solutions, levees and floodwalls, are outdated,
unreliable and expensive, and are unable to protect our Nation from
increasing flooding due to climate change. Congress should allocate
greater resources for new innovative flood control barriers.
The Socioeconomic Impacts of Flooding. Flooding is the most
pervasive natural disaster in the United States. For example, Hurricane
Harvey caused $125 billion in damages. Harvey's hurricane flooding
forced 39,000 people out of their homes, destroyed one million motor
vehicles and forced 200,000 homes to lose power.\2\
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\2\ How Much Damage Did Hurricane Harvey Cause? https://
www.hurricaneharveyfirm.com/blog/2020/january/how-much-damage-did-
hurricane-harvey-cause-/.
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In spring 2019, the Midwest experienced severe flooding causing
over $20 billion in damages to public and private property and losses
to crops and livestock. Over 80 levee systems within the Army Corps
levee portfolio were overtopped or breached. Over 700 miles of levees
were damaged.\3\
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\3\ Infrastructure Report Card: Levees https://
infrastructurereportcard.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Levees-
2021.pdf.
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Climate change and the concentrating of population and economic
activity in flood-prone areas are increasing flood risk. This has
implications for prosperity and economic security as well as societal
wellbeing because flooding, typically, affects the poorest and most
marginalized populations more deeply. It is incumbent on the Federal
Government to test and evaluate new modern flood control barriers with
vastly improved resilience to flood risk.
Deficiencies of Levees and Floodwalls. Sumerians pioneered using
earthen levees to protect against major flooding in southern
Mesopotamia from around 3500 B.C. Today, the United States continues to
rely on these ancient, pre-industrial, flood control solutions. There
are over 100,000 miles of levees and floodwalls throughout the United
States. These legacy flood control solutions have significant flaws
including:
(1) Permanent Structures that Block Public View and Water
Access. These permanent structures are huge, elongated,
monolithic, structures that block the public's view and access
to water. These restrictions negatively impact property values,
tourism, business, the community's aesthetic appeal and the
public's enjoyment of the seas. For these reasons, any
proposals for the construction of these legacy solutions are
often met with considerable public resistance and litigation.
(2) Permanent Structures that Fail. Levees and floodwalls have
unacceptably high failure rates. Dirt is an essential element
that makes up levees. However, the presence of water causes
dirt to become unstable. As a result, as water levels rise, so
do the risks of levee structural failures. Research shows that
levees start to fail at 50 percent of their protective
height.\4\ Home owners living near levees have a 25 percent+
chance of having their homes destroyed by flood waters caused
by failed levees.\5\
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\4\ Obtaining Fragility Curves on Levees Subjected to Flooding.
https://www.ecsmge-2019.com/uploads/2/1/7/9/21790806/0622-ecsmge-
2019_lopez-acosta.pdf.
\5\ Levees in the USACE Galveston District. https://
www.swg.usace.army.mil/Portals/26/docs/PAO/Levee.pdf.
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(3) Permanent Structures that Have Negative Impacts on the
Environment. They:
-- Interfere with the natural development of plant life
(flora).
-- Interfere with the natural development of animal life
(fauna).
(4) Expensive to Build. The average cost for levees and
floodwalls is $57 million per linear mile. These costs include
planning, materials, equipment, labor and cost creep due to
long construction times.
Requirements for the Next Generation Flood Control Barriers. The
general public wants mobile flood control barriers that allow views of
the water and access to the water, barriers that will not fail,
barriers with minimal impacts to the environment and barriers that can
be deployed at a reasonable cost. It is imperative that ERDC
investigate new innovative flood control solutions with the following
characteristics:
(1) New Flood Control Barriers Should be Mobile. Mobile,
railcar-based barriers can be rolled into position only during
flood emergency periods, and kept out of site in storage yards
when not needed. In short, the barrier should be visible to the
public when necessary and out of view when not. This will allow
the public to maintain views of the water and access to the
water. Communities will also maintain their aesthetic appeal
and property values.
(2) The Flood Control Barriers Should be Made of Very Heavy
Steel. Heavy steel barriers are highly reliable and cannot be
breached by water. Their weight can be supplemented with
ballast flood water taken from the flood location.
Transitioning to steel barriers will also invigorate the steel
and railcar industries in the United States.
(3) Minimal Environmental Impact and Climate Change Adaptable.
The railroad tracks have a small footprint and minimal impact
on flora and fauna. The mobile barriers can adapt to climate
change by swapping out shorter railcars with new taller ones.
(4) Provide Flood Protection for Marginalized Communities. A
mobile flood control barrier can be deployed cost-effectively
to low-income communities. The only infrastructure needed is
railroad track. Railroad track can also provide much-needed
transportation options, including: trolleys, bike paths and
walkways.
(5) Lower Cost. The average cost for mobile flood control
barrier systems should be approximately $30 million per linear
mile. These costs include railcars, installation of the
railroad tracks, storage, labor, system management and other
costs. In addition, the system's mobility provides for shared
use of the railcars with other locations, which will
dramatically lower the $30 million system cost.
Need for Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) Funding.
ERDC is the premier research and development center for the Army Corps
of Engineers to conduct test and evaluation of new innovative solutions
to mitigate the risks of flooding. This new research project will
better protect properties and infrastructure and reduce the impacts of
flooding on peoples' lives and livelihoods. Investments in this
technology will spur economic development, create jobs and protect the
environment and public health.
Report Language.
We recommend the following report language:
The Committee provides not less than $4,000,000 for U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development
Center (ERDC) to conduct prototyping and test and
evaluation of innovative mobile flood control barrier
systems. The Committee supports efforts to develop the next
generation of flood control barriers to improve cost,
performance, and overcome the deficiencies of permanent,
fixed barriers.
We thank the Committee for your consideration of this testimony.
[This statement was submitted by Phillip M. DeLaine, Jr.,
President, United
Barrier Technologies, Inc.]
______
Prepared Statement of the WateReuse Association
Thank you for providing the opportunity to submit written testimony
on Fiscal Year 2023 appropriations. I write today on behalf of the
WateReuse Association and its members to highlight the importance of
the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation's (USBR) Title XVI-WIIN Water
Reclamation and Reuse Competitive Grants Program and the Desalination
and Water Purification Program. The Title XVI-WIIN Program and
Desalination and Water Purification Program have helped communities
across the West build drought resilience, keep nutrients and other
pollutants out of sensitive waterways, save billions of dollars
relative to importing water, and grow sustainable economies. They are
key economic and climate resiliency tools.
Given the critical role that water recycling plays in water
resources management and the overwhelming demand for projects as
authorized in section 4009(c) of Public Law 114-322, we urge you to
include $20 million for Title XVI-WIIN in Energy and Water Development
appropriations legislation for fiscal year 2023. Along with direct
appropriations provided by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act
of 2021, this funding will help USBR meet the overwhelming demand for
Title XVI-WIIN program dollars. In addition to our request for Title
XVI-WIIN, we support a funding level that meets demand for USBR's
Desalination and Water Purification Program in fiscal year 2023. The
Desalination Program invests in projects in Reclamation States that
involve ocean or brackish water desalination. In the arid West,
desalination is an important tool that can help communities increase
their water supply.
The WateReuse Association is a not-for-profit trade association for
water utilities, businesses, industrial and commercial enterprises,
non-profit organizations, and research entities that engage in and on
water recycling. WateReuse and its state and regional sections
represent more than 200 water utilities serving over 60 million
customers, and over 300 businesses and organizations across the
country. Our mission is to engage our members in a movement for safe
and sustainable water supplies, to promote acceptance and support of
recycled water, and to advocate for policies and funding that increase
water reuse.
Since Title XVI's inception in 1992, Congress has authorized 53
Title XVI recycling projects producing more than 400,000 acre-feet of
drought-resistant water supply. To date, USBR has obligated over $700
million in Federal funding, which has been leveraged with non-federal
funding to implement more than $3.3 billion in water reuse
improvements--a nearly 5:1 leverage ratio. Due to the popularity of
Title XVI-WIIN, the program has a large backlog exceeding $700 million
in Federal cost share for eligible projects, and demand is expected to
grow as more projects become eligible. While the IIJA will help USBR
meet some of this demand, additional discretionary appropriations are
and will continue to be needed.
Water projects funded through the Title XVI program have been used
to increase the supply of fresh drinking water, generate sustainable
irrigation water for landscaping and agricultural use, restore
sensitive ecosystems, and help industries expand and create jobs, among
other purposes. The program is not limited to the reuse of municipal
wastewater--it also helps communities identify beneficial uses for
industrial, agricultural, and domestic wastewater, as well as impaired
ground and surface water. Investments through the Title XVI competitive
grants program have helped both urban and rural communities across the
West build a strong and secure economic future.
A recent GAO report (GAO-19-110) highlighted a number of
illustrative Title XVI projects. For example, program investments
helped one drought-stricken water district in California develop
infrastructure to use more than 2 billion gallons of recycled water to
irrigate sports fields, golf courses, parks, school grounds, and
medians. Another project is providing drought-resistant recycled water
to farmers to irrigate 45,000 acres of farmland, reducing demand on the
area's over-drafted groundwater basin. Other Title XVI projects have
been used to prevent saltwater intrusion into aquifers, restore
marshes, wetlands, and other habitat, and create potable drinking
water.
Thank you for considering our requests and please do not hesitate
to reach out if you have any questions.
Sincerely.
[This statement was submitted by Greg Fogel, Director of Government
Affairs and Policy, WateReuse Association.]
______
Prepared Statement of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska
Chairwoman Feinstein, Ranking Member Kennedy and Members of the
Committee, thank you for taking public testimony on appropriations for
the United States Army Corps of Engineers for Fiscal Year 2023.
winnebago lands legislation
My name is Victoria Kitcheyan, and I am the Chairwoman of the
Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska. I am here to tell our story of forced
removals by the United States Army, our reservation that was
established by treaty along the banks of the Missouri River and the
wrongful condemnation of our lands by the United States Army Corps of
Engineers.
Today, the Winnebagos make our home on a reservation along the
hills and banks of the Missouri River in Northeastern Nebraska and
Northwestern Iowa. We have over 5,000 Tribal members and Tribal
enterprises that employ thousands of employees in Nebraska and Iowa and
around the world.
The Winnebago people are originally from present-day Wisconsin. In
the mid-1800s, our people were forcibly removed by the United States
Army from Wisconsin to Minnesota, Iowa, South Dakota, and finally in
1865 to the Winnebago Indian Reservation in Nebraska and Iowa. Our
treaty promised that land was ``set apart for the occupation and future
home of the Winnebago Indians, forever....'' I will say that again--
Forever.
Unfortunately, the United States did not live up to this promise.
After enduring a history of removals, our land, reserved by treaty, was
still taken from us as recently as 1970--52 years ago. At that time,
the U.S. Army Corps began condemning lands along the Missouri River
including our lands reserved by treaty which was then broken.
In 1970, the Army Corps improperly and illegally condemned almost
2,000 acres of land of our reservation in Iowa and Nebraska. The Corps
filed two condemnation proceedings against the Tribe, one in Iowa and
one in Nebraska. Usually, the U.S. would be required to defend the
Tribe as part of its trust responsibility for our land, however,
because the Army Corps itself is a Federal entity, the U.S. could not
defend our interests. The Tribe had to defend its own interests in
multiple lawsuits, in multiple States, in multiple courts, on extremely
short notice and with limited resources. One of our councilmen at the
time, Louis ``Louie'' Larose, tells an account that the Tribe only had
one day get a lawyer to defend its lands.
The Tribe lost in both courts. When the Tribe appealed to the
Federal Court of Appeals, the Tribe prevailed in its lawsuit in
Nebraska. The Appeals Court found that the Army Corps did not have
Congressional authorization to condemn our Reservation lands.
The Tribe also appealed the Iowa case to the Federal Court of
Appeals. After years of litigation and appeals, the Eighth Circuit
Court of Appeals found that the condemnation was illegal but the Court
did not have the authority to order the Army Corps to return the land
to the Tribe because of res judicata, the matter was already decided.
To this day, the Tribe has been fighting for the return of our
land. The Tribe exhausted its remedies in the court system. After
decades of seeking redress from the U.S. Army Corps and United States
Department of the Interior (``Interior''), the Tribe was told to go to
Congress. So we did. Legislation was introduced in the U.S. House of
Representatives in the 115th and the 116th Congresses but did not pass.
Last year, the Winnebago Land Transfer Act was introduced to right
this wrong and restore our homelands. We thank the legislation's bi-
partisan sponsor and original co-sponsors, Representative Sharice
Davids, a member of our sister Tribe, the Ho-Chunk Nation,
Representative Darren Soto, and Representative Randy Feenstra, our
congressman on the Iowa side of our reservation where these lands are
located, and co-sponsor Representative Cindy Axne.
The bill would transfer the Tribe's former reservation lands from
the Army Corps back to Interior. The land in this bill is mostly
woodland and marsh along the Iowa side of the Missouri River and a
recreational, hunting and fishing area. Once restored to us, the
Winnebago Wildlife and Parks Department would be responsible for this
land just like all of our land. The Department oversees hunting and
fishing on 10,000 acres of woodland on the Nebraska side of the
Missouri River. Hunters come from all over the country to hunt at
Winnebago. The Department has the experience and resources to regulate
recreational and conservation activities and ensure Winnebago laws and
regulations are enforced. The Department's website provides information
on fees and regulations and offers an online process to obtain hunting
and fishing licenses. The Tribe would not make much change to the
conservation measures in place now by the U.S. Army Corps and the State
of Iowa Department of Natural Resources.
On October 5, 2021, the subcommittee for Indigenous Peoples of the
United States held a legislative hearing for the first time on the
bill. We are grateful that Interior supports our legislation. Secretary
Deb Haaland, the first Native American Secretary, has made restoration
of Tribal homelands one of her top priorities.
Upon passage of our legislation, we hope that the U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers makes the timely and efficient transfer of the land back
to us a priority. Only then would the United States right this wrong
and ensure that our Tribe's homelands are protected, respected and
preserved.
For 50 years, the Winnebago People have waited for their land to be
returned. Councilman Larose has served on the Winnebago Tribal Council
intermittently for the past 50 years. He was the Tribe's Chairman in
the early 1970s when the land at Snyder's Bend was illegally condemned
by the United States Army Corps of Engineers. He bore witness to the
proceedings where our lands were lost. He sits on the Council today and
has fought hard for the return of these lands. During his service to
the Tribe, he has not given up on getting our land back and we have
never been closer to the moment when our land will finally be returned
to the Tribe.
Homelands are the lifeblood of American Indians, Alaska Natives and
Native Hawaiians. Our legislation is a prime example and an opportunity
for a wrong to be made right. Congress must do everything it can to
protect all Tribal homelands.
Congressional relief is our last hope. This bill has now been
introduced in Congress three times. We hope the third time is a charm.
It is time for Congress to act and pass this bill to restore the
promises our country made to us in a treaty, the supreme law of the
land.
carlisle indian boarding school
The Boarding School Era is a stain on American history born under
genocidal Federal policy against Tribes. We appreciate Interior's
leadership and Secretary Haaland's willingness to bring this dark
history into the light through the Federal Indian Boarding School
Initiative. All Tribes have been impacted by boarding schools in their
own way. Implementation of the Initiative in a meaningful way will be
costly, lengthy, labor-intensive, and complex. We ask that Congress
steadfastly supports this Initiative.
The Tribe is working with the U.S. Army Corps at the War College in
Carlisle, Pennsylvania, the site of one of the original Indian boarding
schools. We are seeking repatriation of our precious children's remains
that are buried in its cemetery. We seek the United States' respect and
cooperation to bring them home where they belong. To date, although our
discussions with the Army Corps have been fruitful and the Army Corps
has been cooperative, their cooperation is ultimately voluntary and
could stop at any time. Congress must support this delicate and sacred
process and these efforts. We will not give up until we see justice and
our children are home.
[This statement was submitted by Victoria Kitcheyan, Chairwoman,
Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska.]
______