United States-Mexico Economic Partnership Act

Floor Speech

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Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, which includes my bipartisan Water Power Research and Development Act.

As we work to mitigate the climate crisis and transition to a 100 percent clean energy economy, we cannot ignore our ocean. It covers more than 70 percent of the surface of our planet, and we can capture the power of its waves, currents, and tides to power our homes, buildings, and communities.

Marine energy has tremendous potential as one of the last untapped renewable energy sources, and federal investment can help unlock it. Earlier this year, I was pleased to work with my House Oceans Caucus CoChair, Congressman Don Young, and another marine energy enthusiast from the east coast, Congressman Ted Deutch, to introduce the bipartisan Water Power Research and Development Act. The bill would reauthorize funding for research, development, demonstration, and commercialization of marine energy within the Department of Energy's Water Power Technologies Office. Importantly, the bill authorizes funding for existing and new National Marine Energy Centers, including the Pacific Marine Energy Center--operated by Oregon State University, the University of Washington, and the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

Researchers at Oregon State University are leading the way on this innovative work. Through the Pacific Marine Energy Center, OSU is currently in the process of developing PacWave, the first of its kind wave energy test facility off the Oregon Coast. Their leadership scaling up the PacWave testing facility will catalyze this nascent industry. Additionally, we are fortunate to have the advanced manufacturing capacity of companies like Vigor, which recently constructed an 826-ton wave energy device that was deployed off the shores of Hawaii. It was not until I visited Vigor to see the device that I grasped the scale of this resource and what we can gain from it.

I appreciate the support of Chairwoman Johnson in helping to secure the inclusion of the Water Power Research and Development Act in today's comprehensive energy package and end of year spending bill, and I am thrilled that it will soon be signed into law. I urge all of my colleagues to support this bill, which is an important step forward in advancing ocean climate action.

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