U.S. Senate Approves Energy and Water Appropriations Bill
Press Release
This week, the full U.S. Senate approved the fiscal year 2017 Energy and Water Development Appropriations bill on a vote of 90 to 8. The $37.5 billion measure will fund U.S. Department of Energy programs and critical infrastructure projects administered by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Overall, it provides $355 million more than the FY2016 enacted level and includes key provisions backed by U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse to support Rhode Island initiatives and strengthen the state's water and energy infrastructure.
"This legislation makes important investments in energy research and protecting our coastline and waterways. I am pleased we were able to boost weatherization assistance and secure the funding the Army Corps of Engineers needs to move forward with important projects around the state," said Senator Reed. Reed, along with U.S. Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) included a total of $220,600,000 for Weatherization Assistance Programs (WAP) in the final bill, an increase of $5 million over the previous fiscal year. Through grants to states working with community partners, WAP has successfully weatherized 7.4 million low-income homes, helping low-income families reduce their energy bills by upgrading insulation and making energy-saving improvements to heating, cooling, and electrical systems.
"This bill funds a number of important efforts to promote clean energy," said Senator Whitehouse. "It will support Rhode Island's growing green economy and important Army Corps projects throughout the state. I'm grateful to Senator Reed for his strong leadership in increasing funding for the Weatherization Assistance Program, which helps Rhode Islanders save on energy and benefits our environment." Whitehouse worked to include several Rhode Island priorities that were incorporated into the bill, including boosting funding for efforts to reduce methane leaks from natural gas infrastructure; funds to improve licensing of advanced nuclear reactors; and funding for carbon utilization technologies like algae, which are a growing segment of the state's clean-energy economy.
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