Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2016

Floor Speech

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Mr. Chairman, I rise today because of the power and potential of water and in support of a bipartisan amendment that I am pleased to offer with my colleague from Pennsylvania, Congressman Perry, and with my colleague from Maine, Congresswoman Pingree.

Mr. Chairman, our amendment would increase funding to the Department of Energy's Water Power Program by just $9 million, which is a small price tag that will yield a huge return on investment. This increase is offset by an equal amount by the departmental administration account. The modest increase that we are proposing will support hydropower and also the development of innovative hydropower technologies, along with marine and hydrokinetic energy technologies.

The development of these new technologies can offer the United States a chance to lead the world in an emerging area of abundant renewable energy. Marine and hydrokinetic energy--in particular, energy from waves, currents, and tides, which, unlike the Sun and wind, do not stop--is an exciting frontier in the renewable energy sector.

Currently, Oregon State University, the University of Washington, and the University of Alaska Fairbanks are using Federal funding from the Water Power Program to support the testing and research activities of the Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center, a center that will provide visionary entrepreneurs a domestic location to test wave energy devices, along with other technology, rather than traveling to Scotland to use the European test center. Without continued Federal investment, Europe will remain the leader.

When fully developed, wave and tidal energy systems could generate a significant amount of total energy used in the United States. As Congress promotes technologies that can help lower our constituents' energy bills, we must embrace new and innovative solutions, like marine and hydrokinetic renewable energy. With this modest increase, the Water Power Program can do that while continuing to support a Federal investment in conventional hydropower technology.

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