2007 Geothermal Funds Restored in Senate Appropriations Bill, $50 Million Program Included in 2008 Budget

“Today, the Senate began consideration of its version of the FY 2007 Supplemental Appropriations bill, S.965 (S. Rept 110-37). This legislation provides the funding requested by the White House to continue the Iraq War and a variety of other government programs. The Senate Appropriations Committee also included $22.7 million to fund the DOE Geothermal Program this year in the bill. (S. 965, Title III, section 3201.) Senator Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND), Chairman of the Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee, led the effort to restore FY 2007 funding.

Also, on Friday March 23, the Senate approved its FY 2008 budget resolution, and included in the final bill an amendment, proposed by Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), that makes room in the FY 2008 energy budget for geothermal, ocean energy and small scale hydro-electric research at the Department of Energy. The amendment provides $50 million for geothermal research and development.

On Thursday evening, Senator Lisa Murkowski told the Senate she was offering this amendment because “..the budget shortchanges three areas of great energy potential: geothermal, ocean energy and small hydro electric development.” Senator Murkowski continued, “..by this amendment I am making a clear statement that this senator wants to see money not just restored, but increased for geothermal energy research and development, and provided for research and development of all forms of ocean energy – current, tidal and wave projects — and also for small hydroelectric developments, those that do not involving the damming of major river systems, but instead use water from lake taps, creeks or from run-of-river projects to generate power.”

The amendment was supported by Senator Reid and others, and was adopted on voice vote as part of a package of amendments to the final bill. The amendment would reverse Administration initiatives to achieve “major savings” in the federal budget by closing these two renewable research programs. The Administration proposed termination of all hydropower research in its FY 2006 budget, and termination of all geothermal research in its FY 2007 and FY 2008 budgets.”