Congressman Sherman Leads Bipartisan Effort to Fund U.S. – Israel Energy Cooperation
135 Members of Congress Join in Funding Request for the Energy Cooperation Program with Israel
Washington, DC – Congressman Brad Sherman (D-CA) led a bipartisan group of 135 House members in a request of $2 million for the U.S.–Israel Energy Cooperation Program in the Energy and Water Development Appropriations bill.
The appropriations request this year included the highest number of signatories – 130 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 $27.4 million from the U.S. and Israeli governments ($13.7 from each government) and has also raised over $32 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. Two years ago the House 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 carbon emissions for tractor trailers, and noise control for distributed power generation.
See text of the letter below:
March 15, 2016
Hon. Mike Simpson
Chairman
Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development
House Committee on Appropriations
Hon. Marcy Kaptur
Ranking Member
Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development
House Committee on Appropriations
RE: Support for U.S.-Israel Energy Cooperation Program
Dear Chairman Simpson and Ranking Member Kaptur,
We are writing to request that the subcommittee provide at least $2 million for the implementation of the U.S.-Israel Energy Cooperative Agreement in the FY2017 Energy and Water Appropriations bill.
This funding will be utilized to further implement Section 917 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, P.L. 110-140, and the May 2008 agreement between the U.S. and Israel on strategic energy cooperation. As you are aware, Congress passed in 2014, and the President signed into law, the United States-Israel Strategic Partnership Act (P.L. 113-296). Among other important provisions, the measure reauthorized the cooperative energy program through 2024 and expanded its mandate, covering collaborative R&D into renewable technologies, natural gas and water – key areas of interest for the United States.
We greatly appreciate the support your subcommittee has provided for this program in the past. The U.S. government has provided $13.7 million for the program since its inception. The funding has been fully matched by the Government of Israel; this is not an aid program. During the same period, the program has also leveraged over $32 million in private sector cost-sharing.
This program is an important tool in our efforts to achieve greater energy security and independence, and leverages small grant dollars to incentivize private sector innovation and new partnerships in the pursuit of a critical objective. U.S.-Israel projects currently underway include advancements in energy production over water reservoirs, 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.
Continued funding for the program will provide for collaborative U.S. and Israeli research and development efforts in areas critical to both the United States and Israel and unite our countries in the pursuit of increased energy security, energy independence and water efficiency – an issue of growing importance to much of the U.S. West and Southwest, and an area where Israel is truly the world leader.
Companies across the U.S. are working through this program to develop cutting-edge technologies with new partners in Israel in order to advance America’s energy security. Furthermore, the U.S.-Israel Energy Cooperative Agreement facilitates greater cooperation and sharing of knowledge between American and Israeli universities.
Collaboration between the American and Israeli private sector and academia will significantly enhance U.S. efforts to develop new technologies to the benefit of our economic and national security.
We thank you for your consideration and for your prior support of this program and request your continued support for FY2017.
Sincerely,
Adam B. Schiff
Adam Kinzinger
Al Green
Alan Grayson
Alan S. Lowenthal
Albio Sires
Alcee L. Hastings
Ami Bera
Ann Kirkpatrick
Ann M. Kuster
Barbara Comstock
Beto O’Rourke
Bill Foster
Bill Johnson
Blake Farenthold
Bonnie Watson Coleman
Brad Ashford
Brad Sherman
Brendan F. Boyle
Brian Higgins
Carolyn B. Maloney
Cedric L Richmond
Chaka Fattah
Charles B. Rangel
Charles W. Boustany, Jr.
Cheri Bustos
Chris Van Hollen
Christopher P. Gibson
Corrine Brown
Curt Clawson
Dan Newhouse
Daniel Lipinski
David B. McKinley
David Loebsack
David Scott
David. N. Cicilline
Debbie Wasserman Schultz
Dina Titus
Donald M. Payne Jr.
Donald Norcross
Donna F. Edwards
Doris O. Matsui
Doug Lamborn
Earl Blumenauer
Eleanor Holmes Norton
Elijah E. Cummings
Eliot L. Engel
Elizabeth H. Esty
Eric “Rick” Crawford
Eric Swalwell
Filemon Vela
Frederica Wilson
Garret Graves
Gene Green
Gerald E. Connolly
Grace F. Napolitano
Grace Meng
Gus M. Bilirakis
Gwen Moore
Hakeem S. Jeffries
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen
Jackie Walorski
James A. Himes
James R. Langevin
Janice D. Schakowsky
Janice Hahn
Jared Huffman
Jared Polis
Jeff Miller
Jerrold Nadler
Jerry McNerney
Jim Costa
Joaquin Castro
Joe Barton
John Fleming
John Garamendi
John K. Delaney
John Katko
John Larson
John P. Sarbanes
John R. Moolenaar
Juan Vargas
Judy Chu
Julia Brownley
Kathleen Rice
Keith J. Rothfus
Kevin Cramer
Kyrsten Sinema
Lee M. Zeldin
Leonard Lance
Linda Sanchez
Lois Frankel
Lorreta T. Sánchez
Marc A. Veasey
Marcia L. Fudge
Mark DeSaulnier
Mark Pocan
Mark Takai
Mark Takano
Martha McSally
Michael G. Fitzpatrick
Michael M. Honda
Mike Bost
Mike Coffman
Mike Kelly
Mike Quigley
Nydia M. Velázquez
Paul Cook
Paul Tonko
Pete Olson
Peter A. DeFazio
Peter J. Roskam
Peter T. King
Randy K. Weber, Sr.
Raul Ruiz
Richard E. Neal
Robert J. Dold
Roger Williams
Ruben Gallego
Ryan A. Costello
Sander M. Levin
Scott H. Peters
Sean Patrick Maloney
Sheila Jackson Lee
Stephen F. Lynch
Steve Cohen
Suzan K. DelBene
Ted Lieu
Ted Poe
Theodore E. Deutch
Tim Murphy
Tony Cárdenas
Tulsi Gabbard
William R. Keating
Yvette Clarke