House Appropriations Committee Approves FY2020 Energy and Water Funding Bill, Strongly Funding Programs Key to Climate Fight and Energy Research

“The increasing threat of climate change demands increased investment, especially from our government, in the technologies that reduce climate emissions and create new jobs for American workers. The adoption today by the House Appropriations Committee of the FY2020 Energy & Water appropriations bill is a critical step toward securing that investment and putting greater resources behind the agencies, technologies and programs that will move America and the world toward a 100% clean energy future.

“That future is one in which our entire economy must transition to clean energy and more energy efficiency. It is heartening then to see the Committee’s proposal to increase funding research and development that has the potential to affect nearly every part of our economy. The bill demonstrates an across-the-board commitment to support clean energy research and development by boosting appropriations for the Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy which works to make electricity, transportation, manufacturing, and buildings cleaner and more affordable; ARPA-E, which supports high-impact breakthrough technologies; and programs dedicated to innovative technologies, such as carbon capture – including a new program focused on direct air capture (DAC) – that will be vital to helping us achieve a true 100% clean future.

“The committee’s bill is a strong rebuke of the Trump administration’s proposed budget, which sought to instead cut funds from, and even eliminate, programs that will allow America to lead in the fight against climate change while cutting pollution for American families. With the bill now headed for the House floor, it is imperative that the full House of representatives follow the bi-partisan lead of the committee and send a strong bill to the Senate, one that protects and prioritizes these critical agencies and programs with the kind of increased funding levels that the House Appropriations Committee has proposed.”

• Elgie Holstein, Senior Director for Strategic Planning