Gardner-Backed Energy and Water Bills Pass Key Committee

Statement

The U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources passed a number of energy and water related bills out of committee today. Those measures include three bills authored by Senator Cory Gardner (R-CO), a comprehensive energy storage package that includes four bills cosponsored by Senator Gardner, and numerous other Gardner-supported measures.

"Investing in research and development for energy storage technologies is a key component to an all-of-the-above energystrategy and will allow the United States to remain a global leader in responsible energy production," said Senator Gardner. "As we rely more and more on intermittent renewable energy sources like wind and solar, it is critical to invest in energy storage to enhance grid resiliency. These bills will lead to greater efficiency, clean energy generation, and more jobs in the energy sector."

The bills passed include three Senator Gardner-authored bills:

S. 860, Jackson Gulch Rehabilitation Project Modification Act -- Provides flexibility for the Mancos Water Conservancy District to continue maintenance and operations while more clearly defining responsibilities and funding shares.
S. 2094, Enhancing State Energy Security Planning and Emergency Preparedness Act of 2019 - Authorizes the Department of Energy (DOE) to provide financial assistance to states to develop or revise a State Energy Security Plan.
S. 2095, Enhancing Grid Security through Public-Private Partnerships Act - Authorizes the DOE to provide physical and cyber security assistance to electric utilities.

Additionally, the energy storage package includes numerous bills cosponsored by Senator Gardner:

S. 1183, Expanding Access to Sustainable Energy (EASE) Act - Requires the DOE to award grants to assist rural electric cooperatives with identifying, evaluating, and designing energy storage and microgrid projects.
S. 1602, Better Energy Storage Technology Act (BEST Act) -- Reauthorizes and reorients the DOE's grid-scale storage research, development, and demonstration efforts around ambitious technology goals to facilitate breakthroughs on energy storage.
S. 1593, Promoting Grid Storage Act - Directs $500 million in funding toward a cross cutting research program across multiple offices within DOE, a technical assistance and grant program that focuses on projects that increase reliability and resiliency, and an energy storage demonstration program.
S. 2048, Joint Long-Term Storage Act - Establishes an ARPA-E demonstration initiative in coordination with DoD to demonstrate the potential benefits of long-duration energy storage.

Other Gardner-cosponsored bills passed:

S. 990, Platte River Recovery Implementation Program Extension Act - Seeks to provide conservation benefits to four target species through land, water, and adaptive management goals. The four target species include the endangered whooping crane, interior least tern, pallid sturgeon, and the threatened piping plover.
S. 607, Timely Review of Infrastructure Act -- Aims to reduce the long wait times for federal approval of energyinfrastructure projects, including liquefied natural gas projects.

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