Office of U.S. Congressmen Sean Casten
Summary
U.S. Congressman Sean Casten (IL-06) voted to pass H.R. 8294, a package of six government funding bills which include investments in multiple key priorities that Rep. Casten championed, such as industrial decarbonization and grid deployment.
“I am thrilled to have secured critical investments that lower emissions, increase access to cleaner, cheaper electricity, and help us better understand our current EV electric grid capacity,” said Rep. Sean Casten. “In the midst of a code-red climate emergency, we need to use every available tool to combat this crisis. Not only will this funding result in the further deployment of clean energy technologies, but it will create the first ever transmission focused office at the Department of Energy ensuring clean energy will reach consumers quickly and cheaply .”
The clean energy investments secured by Rep. Casten include:
- $815 million for industrial decarbonization and crosscutting initiatives
- $90 million for the establishment of the Grid Deployment Office
- Doubled the loan authority for the Title 17 Innovative Technology Loan Guarantee Program, unlocking more resources for investments in groundbreaking technologies.
- Inclusion of language that would require the Department of Energy to prepare the grid for the influx of electric vehicle charging stations.
The funding for industrial decarbonization is a result of passage of Rep. Casten’s Clean Industrial Technology Act, which saw over $1 billion in committed funding between Fiscal Year 2022 appropriations and passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). This further historic investment ensures that demonstration activities are emphasized in order to address the third largest category of US emissions.
As Chair of the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition’s Power Sector Task for, Rep. Casten also led the charge to establish the Grid Deployment Office. This new office would support the various grid provisions included in IIJA while serving as the catalyst for the development of new and upgraded high-capacity electric transmission lines nationwide. A build-out of transmission infrastructure will be necessary to achieve the President’s goals of 100% clean electricity by 2035 and net zero emissions economy-wide by 2050.
The six government funding bills passed as part of H.R. 8294 are also focused on helping families and communities across America. The transformative investments in the bill will combat the climate crisis, lower the cost of living, create good-paying American jobs, and support small businesses.
“In addition to my clean energy investments, I’m proud to have secured funding that will lower costs for families, create jobs, repair our infrastructure, and increase access to clean water,” Rep. Casten continued.
Below are priorities that Rep. Casten worked to secure funding for:
Energy and Water Development
- Includes more than $16 billion of transformative investments in clean energy and science, which will help develop and deploy clean, affordable, and secure American energy and create tens of thousands of green jobs in communities across the country:
- $4 billion for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, including $370 million for the weatherization of over 40,000 low-income households
- Revives our water infrastructures and protects communities from more frequent and severe storms with $8.89 billion for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to support project construction, operation, and maintenance
- Helps lower energy costs impacting working families by strengthening America’s energy independence
Financial Services and General Government
- Transforms the Federal vehicle fleet to electric and zero emissions vehicles with $100 million for the Electric Vehicle Fund
Interior and Environment
- Invests in renewable energy development, including offshore wind, with $51.68 million for the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s Renewable Energy Program
- Cleans up Pollution while rebuilding our infrastructure with $5.18 billion for drinking water and wastewater infrastructure through the Environmental Protection Agency grant programs
- Follows the science and develops common-sense standards to curb pollution with $11.5 billion for the EPA, including $4.67 billion for core science and environmental program work
Military Construction
- Strengthens military installations’ resilience to climate change with $135 million for Climate Change and Resiliency Projects to adapt to rising sea levels and worsening natural disasters
- Provides $653.3 million for the Energy Resilience and Conservation Investment Program to fund projects that improve energy resilience, contribute to mission assurance, save energy, and reduce the Department of Defense’s energy costs
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