NEMWI Weekly Update
March 22, 2021
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Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
Discusses Funding for Drinking Water Infrastructure
 
The Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works met last week to address failures in drinking water systems and wastewater treatment facilities. The full Committee’s joint hearing with the Subcommittee on Fisheries, Water, and Wildlife on March 17 was titled, “Examining the Challenges Facing Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Projects.”

Access to clean drinking water continues to be a major source of concern for many communities across the United States as aging water systems prove to be dangerous for cities attempting to provide Americans with safe and accessible water. The hearing called attention to the challenges lying ahead regarding future drinking water and wastewater infrastructure projects, noting that there has been a significant lack of investment in these systems. It was stated that it is imperative that future water resources infrastructure projects result in access to improved water sources for communities across the nation and that they be designed to withstand potential threats associated with climate change.

Committee Chairman Tom Carper (D-DE) shed light on how there are many communities within the United States today that do not have reliable access to safe drinking water. Senator Carper stated that the 2014 Flint Water Crisis is just one example of a severe public health disaster that can arise if we do not adequately invest in our water infrastructure. When discussing the water crisis, Carper noted that “with the current state of our water systems, there are multiple ‘Flints’ waiting to happen across the country.” Other Members of Congress agreed that increased funding and investment in water infrastructure can create jobs in the water sector while serving as a solution to this dire concern.

Among the witnesses at the hearing was Kishia L. Powell, DC Water Chief Operating Officer and Vice President of the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA), who advocated for higher levels of federal funding for communities in need of critical drinking water infrastructure. In addition to calling on Congress to provide adequate funding opportunities for the water sector, Powell noted that more must be done to “ensure that grandmothers on a fixed income, single parent households struggling to make ends meet, or the family who has now seen a recent job loss due to the pandemic are not forced to choose between safe drinking water and clean water services or staying in their home.”

A recording of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works’ joint hearing on “Examining the Challenges Facing Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Projects” is available here. 
Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
Holds Full Committee Hearing on Transportation Technologies
 
The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee held a full committee hearing on transportation technologies on March 16, examining different ways to research and develop transportation technologies to decrease emissions, minimize foreign supply chain reliance, and increase manufacturing in the United States.

In opening remarks, Senator Joe Manchin, Chairman, asserted that the United States has always been a leader of innovation in the transportation sector, and as it deals with climate change will “lead the way in the vehicles and fuels of the future.” He stated that he is proud of the Energy Act of 2020 but is disappointed that the vehicles title did not make it into the final bill, and he emphasized the importance of looking at where emissions are coming from and seeking solutions. According to Manchin, “The United States can and should be the leader in clean transportation with help from research and development at the Department of Energy and the National Labs.” He spoke of the My American Jobs in Energy Manufacturing Act to revive economic growth and decrease America’s reliance on foreign supply chains. He also discussed sourcing critical minerals needed to make cleaner technologies like batteries for electric vehicles.

Ms. Kelly Speakes-Backman, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary and Acting Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy at the Department of Energy, was the first witness. She stated that she is looking forward to working with the committee to “address the climate crisis by providing American families and businesses with a wider range of energy and mobility options that offer more affordability, reliability, and security of our nation’s energy.”

Other witnesses at the hearing included: Mr. Adam Muellerweiss, Chief Sustainability Officer at Clarios (battery supplier & manufacturer); Mr. Janvier Nkurunziza, Officer in Charge of the Commodities Branch and Chief Commodity Research and Analysis Section of the Division on International Trade and Commodities at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development; Mr. Tony Satterthwaite, Vice Chairman of Cummins; and Mr. Robert Wimmer, Director of the Energy and Environmental Research Group at Toyota Motor North America.
House Energy and Commerce Committee Begins Work on LIFT Act
 
The House Energy and Commerce Committee began work on the Leading Infrastructure for Tomorrow’s (LIFT) America Act at a hearing that went through the day on Monday. The LIFT Act proposes to invest a total of more than $300 billion in key areas such as the environment, infrastructure, energy, water, and many others, including a number of policy areas that were central to President Joe Biden’s presidential campaign.
 
The proposed legislation provides billions for electric grid infrastructure that would be able to accommodate renewable energy while at the same time improving infrastructure to work in a more efficient manner. The bill also includes grants for installing solar panels and supporting clean energy, especially in underserved communities. Energy efficiency and conservation block grants laid out in this bill total nearly $20 billion, an investment that would modernize the nation’s infrastructure to compete with other nations while at the same time helping low income communities.
 
Among those testifying at the hearing was Tom Wheeler, Visiting Fellow at the Brookings Institution, who stated that America is “currently facing many different crises at the same time,” in addition to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. He noted that since the United States has transitioned to a digital economy this century, it is very important to move forward with infrastructure progress that would improve the lives of millions of working Americans and level the playing field. Mr. Wheeler stated that “10 million children are unable to do their remote schoolwork because they do not have access to broadband, as do 40 percent of seniors.”
 
Also discussed during the hearing was the adoption of broadband internet service around the country and especially in rural communities which do not have access to the internet currently. One of the problems brought up in the hearing is the affordability of broadband for consumers and how it is often too expensive for many families. Representative Mike Doyle (D, PA-18)
noted that “Any kind of broadband is better than no broadband at all. This bill would be a starting step in addressing this problem.”
 
Also testifying at the hearing today was former Secretary of the Department of Energy Ernest J. Moniz who noted that the energy sector of the economy is growing at roughly twice the pace of the economy as a whole. This is an obvious indicator that clean energy and environmental jobs are the future of the nation, a future dependent on the infrastructure being improved.
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This Week in Washington
In the Senate:
Wednesday, March 24th, 2021 10:00AM - WEBEX| Host: Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs

Wednesday, March 24th, 2021 2:30PM - SD-215| Host: Small Business and Entrepreneurship

Wednesday, Mar 24th, 2021 2:30 PM – SD-366| Host: Energy and Natural Resources
Subcommittee on Water and Power
In the House:


Wednesday, March 24, 2021 | 2:00 PM Host: Committee on Energy and Commerce | Subcommittee on Energy

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