Feinstein applauds subcommittee approval of bill that invests in critical water infrastructure, advances clean energy technologies, secures nuclear material worldwide, and makes the nuclear weapons stockpile safer

 
Washington, D.C. - The U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development today approved fiscal year 2013 funding legislation that totals $33.361 billion, which is $373 million below the fiscal year 2012 enacted level. The bill funds the Army Corps of Engineers, the Department of Energy (DOE), and the Bureau of Reclamation, which provide critical investments in water infrastructure, clean and alternative energy sources, and national security activities related to nuclear weapons modernization and preventing nuclear terrorism.  

 
U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Chairman of the Energy and Water Development Appropriations Subcommittee, issued the following statement:

"This bill makes responsible investments in critical water infrastructure projects, clean energy technologies and nonproliferation and nuclear weapons programs. It allows the Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation to fulfill their public safety responsibilities around the country while safeguarding and modernizing our nuclear weapon stockpile. The bill adds a limited provision to begin addressing our lack of policy for long-term storage of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste, providing the Department of Energy with the authority to initiate a pilot program for a consolidated storage facility."

Highlights of the fiscal year 2013 Energy and Water Development Appropriations bill:

Department of Energy (DOE)-The bill provides $27.128 billion for DOE, which is     $1.380 billion above fiscal year 2012.  The subcommittee's priority is to advance clean energy technologies and invest in research that will spur future economic growth.

• The Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E)-The bill provides $312 million, which is $37 million above fiscal year 2012, to accelerate commercialization of future energy technologies that can reduce the nation's dependence on foreign oil and tackle carbon emissions.

• Office of Science-The bill provides $4.909 billion, which is $35 million above fiscal year 2012, for basic research.  The highest priorities are materials and biological research to focus on breakthroughs in energy applications and computing to develop the next-generation high performance systems. 

• Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy-The bill provides $1.98 billion, which is $160 million more than fiscal year 2012, to advance solar, biomass, and vehicle technologies.

• Electricity and Energy Reliability-The bill provides $143 million, which is $4 million more than fiscal year 2012, to support energy integration into the electric transmission grid.  The bill fully funds a new Electricity Systems Hub to accelerate efforts to modernize the electric transmission and distribution systems.

• Nuclear Energy-The bill provides $793 million, which is $31 million above fiscal year 2012 for nuclear energy.  The bill fully funds the small modular reactors program to support design certification and licensing and begins to implement the recommendations of the Blue Ribbon Commission to address safe long-term storage of commercial spent nuclear fuel and defense high level waste.

·     The National Nuclear Security Administration-The bill provides $11.511 billion, which is $511 million above fiscal year 2012, for national security activities.  The bill provides funding to accelerate efforts to secure all vulnerable nuclear materials by December 2013 and to modernize the nuclear weapons stockpile, including:

·     $7.577 billion, which is $363 million above fiscal year 2012, for Weapons Activities to extend the life of three nuclear weapons systems, upgrade aging infrastructure, and invest in science, technology, and engineering activities,

·     $2.459 billion, which is $163 million above fiscal year 2012, for Nuclear Nonproliferation to meet the four year goal to secure vulnerable nuclear materials and accelerate the conversion of reactors that still use weapons-grade uranium,

·     $1.089 billion, which is $9 million above fiscal year 2012, for Naval Reactors to continue research and development of a new reactor for the Ohio-class submarine, and

·     up to $150 million across the agency's accounts to fund a research, development, and demonstration project for domestic enrichment technologies.

• Environmental Cleanup-The bill provides $5.7 billion, which is $3 million below fiscal year 2012, to remediate sites contaminated by defense and civilian activities.  This includes $5.064 billion for Defense Environmental Cleanup to safely cleanup sites contaminated by previous nuclear weapons production.

Army Corps of Engineers-The bill provides $5.007 billion, which is $276 million above the President's budget request and $5 million above fiscal year 2012, including:

• $2.404 billion, which is $8 million below fiscal year 2012, for Operations and Maintenance,
• $1.7 billion, which is $6 million above fiscal year 2012, for Construction,
• $253 million, which is $1 million above fiscal year 2012, for the Mississippi River and Tributaries,
• $199 million, which is $6 million more than fiscal year 2012, for the Regulatory Program, and
• $125 million, the same as fiscal year 2012, for General Investigations. 

Department of the Interior-The bill provides $1.049 billion, which is $15 million above the President's budget request and $27 million below fiscal year 2012, including the following highlights for the Bureau of Reclamation:

·     $892 million, which is $3 million below fiscal year 2012, for Water and Related Resources,

·     $40 million, which is $13 million below fiscal year 2012, for the Central Valley Project Restoration Fund, and

·     $36 million, which is $4 million below fiscal year 2012, for the California Bay-Delta Restoration

Independent Agencies-The bill provides $250 million, which is $2 million below fiscal year 2012.

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