Legislation invests $49.6 billion in Energy and Water Development programs, an increase of $1.26 billion above the fiscal year 2020 enacted level, addressing climate change, improving infrastructure, and upholding our commitment to strengthening national security

In response to the economic recession caused by the coronavirus pandemic, legislation provides an additional $43.5 billion in emergency spending to repair water infrastructure and modernize energy infrastructure

WASHINGTON — The House Appropriations Committee today released the draft fiscal year 2021 Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies funding bill, which will be considered in subcommittee tomorrow. The legislation funds the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Department of the Interior programs, the Department of Energy, and other related agencies.

For fiscal year 2021, the legislation invests $49.6 billion in Energy and Water Development programs, an increase of $1.26 billion, or 3 percent, above the fiscal year 2020 enacted level. This funding will spur energy innovation that will create jobs and reinvigorate the economy while working to mitigate and adapt to climate change, improve the nation’s water infrastructure, and strengthen national security. The bill includes $23.1 billion for non-defense activities, $987 million below the fiscal year 2020 enacted level, and $26.5 billion for defense spending, an increase of $2.25 billion above the fiscal year 2020 enacted level.

To respond to the coronavirus pandemic and the ensuing economic recession, the bill provides an additional $43.5 billion in emergency spending. This funding builds and repairs water infrastructure projects and modernizes energy infrastructure for a clean energy future.

“Ensuring a vibrant economic recovery from the pandemic and economic recession is my highest priority as Chairwoman,” said House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Chairwoman Marcy Kaptur. “This bill makes critical investments in rebuilding our nation’s water infrastructure to bolster the efficient movement of goods, in funding innovation at the Department of Energy and the jobs that follow, and in combating climate change by moving clean energy technologies to the marketplace. This bill rejects the President’s drastic, short-sighted cuts across the Army Corps of Engineers, Department of Energy, and Bureau of Reclamation – all of which contribute to our nation’s economic prosperity. This bill also rejects the dangerous and unnecessary plans to restart underground nuclear testing. This bill will put Americans to work while keeping our nation at the forefront of global energy innovation, accelerating improvements to water infrastructure, responsibly funding our nuclear deterrent, and ensuring that low-income households across the country have energy-efficient and more livable homes.”

 “The strong funding in this bill is critical to our nation’s ability to recover from the coronavirus pandemic and ensuing economic crisis while revitalizing America’s energy and water infrastructure and leading the way for energy innovation,” said House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Nita M. Lowey. “Critically, the bill would prevent the Trump administration from using any funds to carry out its dangerous and short-sighted plan to resume nuclear testing. With this bill, we will get Americans back to work, rebuild our crumbling infrastructure, and set a course for a clean energy future.”

A summary of the draft fiscal year 2021 Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies bill is below. The full text of the bill is here <https://appropriations.house.gov/sites/democrats.appropriations.house.gov/files/EW21%20-%20R16_xml.pdf>. The subcommittee markup will be webcast live and linked from https://appropriations.house.gov/events/markups.

Bill Summary:

Army Corps of Engineers – For fiscal year 2021, the bill provides a total of $7.63 billion, an increase of $1.7 billion above the President’s budget request.

• Investigations – The bill provides $151 million, equal to the FY 2020 enacted level and $48 million above the request.
• Construction – The bill provides $2.6 billion, $447 million above the request.
• Operation and Maintenance – The bill provides $3.84 billion, an increase of $48 million above the FY 2020 enacted level and $1.8 billion above the request.
• Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund projects receive $1.68 billion, an increase of $50 million above the FY 2020 enacted level and $665 million above the request. This meets the target set by authorizers for FY 2021 and represents 92 percent of estimated revenues compared to the FY 2021 target of 83 percent.
• The bill provides for seven new study starts and seven new construction projects.

In addition, to support the economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic, the bill provides an additional $17 billion in emergency funding to accelerate work on Corps projects around the country, putting Americans back to work and improving water infrastructure while reducing the current backlog. This includes:

• Investigations – The bill provides $110 million for feasibility studies.
• Construction – The bill provides $10 billion to accelerate projects that provide protection from floods, ensure navigable channels to move goods, and restore the environment.
• Operation and Maintenance – The bill provides $5 billion to address unmet operations and maintenance needs and repair damaged Corps projects across the country.

Department of the Interior and Bureau of Reclamation – For fiscal year 2021, the bill provides a total of $1.66 billion for the Department, an increase of $518 million above the President’s budget request.

• Central Utah Project – The bill provides $20 million, the same as the FY 2020 level and an increase of $10 million above the request.
• Bureau of Reclamation – The bill provides $1.64 billion, an increase of $508 million above the request. Within Reclamation:
  • The bill provides $502 million in additional funding for water resources projects, including those authorized in the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act.
  • Within additional funding, $100 million above the request is provided for rural water projects.

In addition, to support the economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic, the bill provides an additional $3 billion in emergency funding to accelerate work on Department of the Interior and Bureau of Reclamation projects, putting Americans back to work and improving water infrastructure.

Department of Energy – For fiscal year 2021, the bill provides a total of $41 billion for the Department, an increase of $2.3 billion above the FY 2020 level and $5.1 billion above the President’s budget request.

• Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy – The bill provides $2.85 billion, an increase of $58 million above the FY 2020 level and $2.1 billion above the request. This funding provides for clean, affordable, and secure energy and ensures American leadership in the transition to a global clean energy economy.
• Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response – The bill provides $160 million, an increase of $4 million above the FY 2020 level. This funding provides for efforts to secure the nation’s energy infrastructure against all hazards, reduce the risks of and impacts from cybersecurity events, and assist with restoration activities.
• Electricity – The bill provides $195 million, an increase of $5 million above the FY 2020 level. This funding will advance technologies to increase the resiliency and efficiency of the nation’s electricity delivery system with capabilities to incorporate growing amounts of clean energy technologies.
• Nuclear Energy – The bill provides $1.4 billion, an increase of $256 million above the request. The funding invests in research, development, and demonstration activities that develop the next generation of clean and safe reactors, further improve the safety and economic viability of our current reactor fleet, and contribute to the nation’s long-term leadership in the global nuclear power industry.
• Fossil Energy Research and Development – The bill provides $728 million. This funding provides for research, development, and demonstration activities to ensure the safe, efficient, and environmentally sound use of fossil energy resources.
• Science – The bill provides $7.05 billion, an increase of $50 million above the FY 2020 level and $1.2 billion above the request. The Office of Science funds basic science research in physics, biology, chemistry, and other science disciplines to expand scientific understanding and secure the nation’s global leadership in energy innovation.
• Nuclear Waste Disposal – The bill provides $27.5 million for interim storage of nuclear waste and oversight of the Nuclear Waste Fund.
• Advanced Research Projects Agency—Energy – The bill provides $435 million, an increase of $10 million above the FY 2020 level and rejects the President’s proposal to eliminate the program. This funding supports research aimed at rapidly developing energy technologies that are capable of significantly changing the energy sector to address the nation’s critical economic, environmental, and energy security challenges.
• Indian Energy Policy and Programs – The bill provides $22 million, an increase of $14 million above the request. This funding will provide technical assistance, direct and remote education, policy research and analysis, and financial assistance to Indian tribes, Alaska Native Village and Regional corporations, and Tribal Energy Resource Development Organizations.
• National Nuclear Security Administration – The bill provides $18 billion for DOE’s nuclear security programs, an increase of $1.3 billion above the FY 2020 level. This funding will maintain a safe, secure, and credible nuclear deterrent while addressing the threat of nuclear proliferation and terrorism. This includes:
  • Weapons Activities – $13.7 billion, an increase of $1.2 billion above the FY 2020 level to maintain a safe and reliable nuclear deterrent.
  • Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation – $2.24 billion, an increase of $75 million above the FY 2020 level and $209 million above the request. This funding secures nuclear material at home and abroad, combats the threat of nuclear terrorism, and provides emergency response capabilities.
  • Naval Reactors – $1.7 billion, an increase of $35.6 million above the FY 2020 level, to continue safe and reliable operation of the Navy’s nuclear-powered fleet.

• Environmental Management – The bill provides $7.46 billion, an increase of $1.4 billion above the request. This funding is used for nuclear cleanup work at 16 sites across the country. This includes:
  • Non-Defense Environmental Cleanup – $315 million, an increase of $39 million above the request.
  • Uranium Enrichment Decontamination and Decommissioning – $821.6 million, an increase of $15 million above the request.
  • Defense Environmental Cleanup – $6.3 billion, an increase of $66 million above the FY 2020 level and $1.3 billion above the request.
• Loan Guarantee Programs – The bill rejects the President’s proposal to eliminate these programs and includes funding consistent with the FY 2020 levels.
• Power Marketing Administrations – The bill provides the net budget request levels for the Southeastern Power Administration, Southwestern Power Administration, and Western Area Power Administration. The bill rejects the President’s proposal to sell the transmission assets of the PMAs, change the laws governing how the PMAs establish power rates, and repeal the borrowing authority for the Western Area Power Administration.

In addition, to support the economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic, the bill provides an additional $23.5 billion in emergency funding for the Department of Energy to modernize energy infrastructure for a clean energy future.

• Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy – The bill provides $7.78 billion to deploy energy efficient and clean energy infrastructure throughout the country and ensure that low-income households across the country have energy-efficient, more livable homes.
• Electricity – The bill provides $3.35 billion to enhance the resilience, reliability, and security of electric grid infrastructure.
• Nuclear Energy – The bill provides $1.25 billion to build advanced nuclear reactor demonstrations and improve infrastructure at national laboratories.
• Fossil Energy – The bill provides $1.25 billion to build demonstrations in negative emissions technologies and carbon capture, utilization, and storage technologies and improve infrastructure at national laboratories.
• Science – The bill provides $6.25 billion for national laboratories, scientific user facilities, and universities to accelerate ongoing construction projects across the country.
• Advanced Research Projects Agency—Energy – The bill provides $250 million for demonstrations of transformational energy technologies.
• Environmental Management – The bill provides $3.13 billion to accelerate nuclear cleanup work at 16 sites across the country.

Independent Agencies

• Nuclear Regulatory Commission – The bill provides a total net appropriation of $123 million, equal to the request. This funds regulatory activities to ensure the safe use of nuclear reactors and radioactive materials while protecting people and the environment.
• Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board – The bill provides $31 million, an increase of $2.2 million above the request. The Board provides recommendations regarding public health and safety matters at Department of Energy defense nuclear facilities.
• Appalachian Regional Commission – The bill provides $175 million, an increase of $10 million above the request. The Commission funds projects in the Appalachian Region to promote economic and community development, education and job training, and critical infrastructure.
• Delta Regional Authority – The bill provides $15 million, an increase of $12.5 million above the request, and rejects the President’s proposal to eliminate the Authority. This funding targets the economic development needs of distressed portions of the Mississippi River Delta Region.
• Denali Commission – The bill provides $15 million, an increase of $7.7 million above the request, and rejects the President’s proposal to eliminate the Commission. This funding provides critical utilities, infrastructure, health services, and economic support throughout Alaska.
• Northern Border Regional Commission – The bill provides $25 million, an increase of $24.1 million above the request, and rejects the President’s proposal to eliminate the Commission. This funding targets the economic development needs of distressed portions of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York.
• Southeast Crescent Regional Commission – The bill provides $1 million, an increase of $1 million above the request. This funding targets the economic development needs of distressed portions of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia.
• Southwest Border Regional Commission – The bill provides $250,000, an increase of $250,000 above the request. This funding targets the economic development needs of distressed portions of Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas.

Policy Provision

• The bill prohibits funding for nuclear weapons testing.

ORIGINAL PRESS RELEASE