Sherman Leads Bipartisan Effort to Fund U.S. -- Israel Energy Cooperation

Press Release

Congressman Brad Sherman (D-CA) led a bipartisan group of 106 House members in a request of $2 million for the U.S.--Israel Energy Cooperation Program in the Energy and Water Development Appropriations bill. Co-leaders of the letter include Congressmen Bill Johnson (R-OH), Peter King (R-NY), Peter Roskam (R-IL), Eliot Engel (D-NY), and Ted Deutch (D-FL).

The appropriations request this year included the highest number of signatories -- 106 members of Congress -- since the creation of the program in 2008.

The program is designed to leverage matching contributions from the Israeli government. It also leverages investments from the Israeli and American private sector; thus, for every dollar Congress appropriates, three dollars are invested, contributing to the economy in addition to energy security. Since its inception the program has received $23.4 million from the U.S. and Israeli governments ($11.7 from each government) and has also raised over $27 million from private sector investments.

"The U.S.-Israel Energy Cooperation Program continues to spur and advance new and innovative energy projects," said Congressman Sherman. "This tremendous bipartisan support is a clear indication that Congress supports funding for this program from both sides of the aisle. Just last year the House also voted to expand this program into water technology, an important area for California and many other states. I will work with the Administration on further boosting funding for this program in future budgets."

Congressman Sherman wrote the U.S.-Israel Energy Cooperation Act in 2005. Congress ultimately enacted the legislation as Section 917 of a larger energy reform bill, the Energy Independence and Security Act, in December 2007.

The program funds research and development in energy technologies and energy efficiency in the American and Israeli private sectors. These projects include advancements in hydroelectric energy production, lowering energy consumption for water treatment, energy optimization for manufacturers, wind energy storage, reduced fuel consumption and CO2 emissions for tractor trailers, and noise control for distributed power generation.

The request comes at a time when Congress and the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, on which Sherman is a senior member, are focusing on U.S. energy security.

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