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Category: Clean Energy

COMPETES Reauthorization Heads to President for Signature

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Just moments ago, the House of Representatives passed the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act (S.3084). It was passed under suspension of the rules, during a pro forma session.  The measure passed the Senate on June 22, 2016 by unanimous consent.

For Fiscal Year (FY) 2017, the bill authorizes $7.5 billion for NSF, which is the same level of funding included in the Senate’s FY2017 Commerce-Justice-Science Appropriations bill. For FY2018, the bill authorizes a four percent increase in funding for NSF. It’s worth pointing out that this is still tentative and could change. Lastly, it worth pointing out that there is also no directorate-by-directorate level funding for NSF in the bill, and we don’t anticipate there will be any offered at the markup. That is a big difference with the House’s FIRST Act and a big win for the NSF research community, particularly the Social and Behavioral scientists.

Here is a broader summary.

House Passes Amended Senate Energy Policy Bill

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Yesterday, the House passed, by a vote of 241-178, an amended Senate legislative package (S. 2012) containing its broad energy policy overhaul. The Senate, which passed a more bipartisan bill, expressed concern about several of the many contentious elements the House added. The House included several controversial provisions including it’s stalled version to reauthorize America COMPETES. 

The next step for the House’s energy bill is a conference with the Senate’s version of the legislation. 

White House Threaten Veto on House FY 2017 E&W Bill

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This week, the House is expected to consider on the House Floor HR 5055, Energy and Water Appropriations for FY 2017. The bill provides a total of $37.4 billion in funding subject to discretionary caps for FY 2017 for the Energy Department and federal water projects, $259 million more than comparable FY 2016 funding and $168 million more than requested. On a programmatic level, after factoring out rescissions and other scorekeeping adjustments, it provides a total of $37.7 billion to the departments and agencies funded by the measure, $350 million more than the current level and $88 million more than requested. Compared with current funding, the measure increases funding for the Army Corps of Engineers by 2%, nuclear weapons activities by 4% and fossil fuels energy research by 2%. It decreases funding for nuclear nonproliferation programs by 6%, the Bureau of Reclamation by 10% and research on renewable-energy programs by 12%.

The White House has issued a veto threat though a Statement of Administrative Policy (SAP) late yesterday. The Administration cites the failure to adequately or robustly fund energy research accounts. This is not the first, nor likely the last veto threat of the fiscal year.

Read the SAP here.

Energy & Water Moves Forward with a Veto Threat

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Last night, the House Appropriations Committee cleared its FY 2017 Energy & Water Appropriations legislation by voice vote, clearing the measure for Floor consideration. The bill includes $37.4 billion for the Department of Energy, Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Reclamation and other agencies and programs.

House Democrats and Republicans sparred over language in the bill dealing with firearms on Army Corps of Engineers lands and Obama administration clean water regulations. The panel turned back Democratic amendments that would have struck a cluster of Republican policy provisions and provide emergency aid for Flint, MI.

The Senate passed its version of the FY 2017 measure last week in both subcommittee and full committee. Meanwhile, as the Senate is considering the measure on the Floor, the Administration has issued a  Statement of Administration Policy containing a veto threat of the measure if it should pass in its current form.

The SAP outlines a number of issues the administration has with the bill, including low funding for energy research and development and “the inclusion of problematic ideological provisions that are beyond the scope of funding legislation.” The OMB statement refers specifically to a policy rider in the bill that would bar changes by the administration to the definition of “fill material” or “discharge of fill material” as it relates to the Clean Water Act (PL 95-217). Republicans fear such action could harm coal and mining activities.

Regarding Energy research funding, the SAP specifically says:

“The bill underfunds critical energy research and development activities and fails to put us on an achievable path toward doubling clean energy research and development by FY 2021. Specifically, the Administration objects to the low funding levels provided for the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy and the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Reductions in both of these programs significantly below the FY 2017 Budget request would undermine critical activities that support the development and commercialization of clean energy technologies. At this funding level, the number of research, development, and demonstration projects supported in cooperation with industry, universities, and the national labs would be reduced, limiting innovation and technological advancement. Funding at this level also would impede development of solutions to reduce U.S. dependence on oil and reduce energy waste, and undermine the Nation’s competitiveness in the future global clean energy economy.”

Read the SAP here.

Read an overview of the Senate FY 2017 Energy & Water bill here. 

Read and overview of the House FY2017 Energy & Water bill here. 

OSTP Internship

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The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy is currently accepting applications for its Fall Policy Internship Program.  The application deadline is June 17, 2016.  Students who are U.S. citizens and who will be enrolled in, or have just graduated from, an academic program should feel free to apply.

More information and application instructions are available at https://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/ostp/about/student.

The Office of Science and Technology Policy advises the President on the effects of science and technology on domestic and international affairs. The office serves as a source of scientific and technological analysis and judgment for the President with respect to major policies, plans and programs of the Federal Government.

Interns are accepted for one of three annual terms (Spring, Summer, or Fall), which each last no more than 90 days. The assignments provide educational enrichment, practical work experience, and networking opportunities with other individuals in the science and technology policy arena.