Bill would establish energy-water research program at US DOE

Washington (Platts)--7Oct2005

US Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Pete Domenici
(Republican-New Mexico) Friday introduced legislation that would establish a
new program at the Dept of Energy to promote the development of technologies
that would save water, including water used in electricity and other energy
production. 
     The bill (S 1860) would authorize $5-mil in fiscal 2006 for DOE to
establish the program in its Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy division.
Lawrence Livermore, Oak Ridge and Sandia National Laboratories, in conjunction
with universities, would carry out the program for the department. 
     "There is a clear nexus between energy consumption and water use,"
Domenici said in a statement. "Simply put, we must reduce water demand for
energy production as well as more efficiently use water." Sen Jeff Bingaman
(Democrat-New Mexico), a cosponsor of the bill, said "substantial federal
investment" in water-related research is necessary. Spending on such research
has declined over the last 30 years, he said. 
     Also cosponsoring the bill were Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist and Sen
Lamar Alexander, both Tennessee Republicans. 
     The measure would establish a competitive grants program for r&d at DOE
and would require coordination of such activities among DOE and other federal
agencies. Domenici recently unveiled a report by Sandia and the Center for
Strategic and International Studies that identified a developing global water
crisis.
                                    ---Bill Loveless, bill_loveless@platts.com

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