Nisha Desai Biswal, of Virginia, to be Deputy Chief Executive Officer
of the United States International Development Finance Corporation
Edgard D. Kagan, of Virginia, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign
Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary
and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to Malaysia
Mark W. Libby, of Massachusetts, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign
Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary
and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of
Azerbaijan *Joel Ehrendreich, of New York, a Career Member of the
Senior Foreign Service, Class of Counselor, to be Ambassador
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to
the Republic of Palau
Cynthia Kierscht, of Minnesota, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign
Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary
and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of
Djibouti
The purpose of this hearing is to explore the current status of fusion
energy research and development in the United States, with a focus on
private sector innovation, Department of Energy (DOE) programs and
facilities, and international research partnerships. This hearing will
also provide an opportunity to review DOE’s
progress in carrying out fusion energy program direction recently
enacted in the CHIPS and Science Act and the
Energy Act of 2020.
Dr. Kathryn McCarthy, Director, U.S. ITER
Project Office
Dr. David Kirtley, CEO, Helion Energy
Dr. Wayne Solomon, Vice President, Magnetic Fusion Energy, General
Atomics
Andrew Holland, CEO, Fusion Industry
Association
Dr. Scott Hsu, Senior Advisor and Lead Fusion Coordinator, U.S.
Department of Energy
Department of Energy (DOE) supports fusion energy science research
primarily through the Fusion Energy Sciences (FES) program within its
Office of Science. The mission of FES is “to
expand the fundamental understanding of matter at very high temperatures
and densities and to build the scientific foundation for fusion energy.”
In addition, the FES mission includes the
development of a competitive fusion power industry in the U.S.
DOE stewards three main fusion facilities: the
NIF at LLNL, the
National Spherical Torus Experiment – Upgrade (NSTX-U) at Princeton
Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL), and DIII-D
at General Atomics. DOE also partners with the
International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), a leading
international fusion construction project.
The Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPAE), has supported
fusion projects over the last few years through two programs:
Breakthroughs Enabling Thermonuclear-fusion Energy (BETHE) and
Galvanizing Advances in Market-Aligned Fusion for an Overabundance of
Watts (GAMOW). BETHE seeks to provide funding
to high maturity, but low-cost fusion options while
GAMOW prioritizes projects of enabling
technologies and advanced materials, which are necessary for commercial
fusion systems.
Recently, Congress reauthorized FES in the
Energy Act of 2020 and the CHIPS and Science
Act of 2022. Through the Energy Act of 2020, Congress authorized two
public-private partnership programs, the Innovation Network for Fusion
Energy (INFUSE) and the Milestone Based Development Fusion program.
Launched in FY2019, the
INFUSE program provides industry access to the
national laboratories and universities who have expertise and world
leading facilities in fusion energy sciences. This relationship will
support the advancement of novel approaches to fusion through material
sciences, modeling and simulation, advanced computing, and diagnostics.
The DOE closed its
INFUSE Request for Assistance (RFA) for
FY2023 in March 2023. To date, the program has
72 awards totaling $14.7 million.
Similarly, the Fusion Milestone Development is a milestone program that
will award companies that meet technical and commercialization targets,
which will accelerate the development of a fusion power plant. The
Department of Energy closed its up-to-$50 million Funding Opportunity
Announcement (FOA) in December of 2022. On May 31, the
DOE announced that it will award $46 million
to eight companies including: Commonwealth Fusion Systems, Focused
Energy Inc., Princeton Stellarators Inc., Realta Fusion Inc., Tokamak
Energy Inc., Type One Energy Group, Xcimer Energy Inc, and Zap Energy
Inc.
Over the last few years, FES has seen a steady
increase in funding. The President’s fiscal year (FY) 2024 Budget
Request includes $1.01 billion for FES
activities, a topline consistent with CHIPS
and Science funding levels, and a 32.4% increase from
FY 2023. The President’s FY
2024 Budget Request also includes funding for new
FES activities such as dedicated fusion R&D
centers focused on blanket/fuel cycle, advanced simulations,
structural/plasma facing materials, as well as enabling technologies to
support public-private fusion power plant efforts.
EPA will hold a virtual public
hearing
on June 13, 14 and 15, 2023, to provide the public the opportunity to
present comments and information regarding the Agency’s
proposal
for carbon pollution standards for fossil fuel-fired power plants.
Hearing dates
Tuesday, June 13, 2023, 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM Eastern Time
Wednesday, June 14, 2023, 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM Eastern Time
Thursday, June 15, 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM Eastern Time
Registration closes June 6, 2023. Each speaker will have 4 minutes to
speak.
Those who wish to listen but not speak at the hearing do not need to
register. A link to view the hearing will be available
here
before the hearing begins.
EPA considers all comments equally, whether
submitted in writing to the docket, or given orally at a public hearing.
EPA will take written comment on the
proposal
until July 24, 2023.
Background:
EPA is proposing Clean Air Act standards and
guidelines to limit emissions of carbon dioxide from fossil fuel-fired
power plants based on cost-effective and available control
technologies. The proposals would set limits for new gas-fired
combustion turbines, existing coal, oil and gas-fired steam generating
units, and certain existing gas-fired combustion turbines.
Consistent with EPA’s traditional approach to
establishing pollution standards for power plants under section 111 of
the Clean Air Act, the proposed standards are based on technologies such
as carbon capture and sequestration/storage, low-GHG hydrogen co-firing,
and natural gas co-firing, which can be applied directly to power plants
that use fossil fuels to generate electricity.
As laid out in section 111 of the Clean Air Act, the proposed new source
performance standards and emission guidelines reflect the application of
the best system of emission reduction that, taking into account costs,
energy requirements, and other statutory factors, is adequately
demonstrated for the purpose of improving the emissions performance of
the covered electric generating units.
The Natural Resources Committee will hold a
markup
on Tuesday, June 13, 2023, at 10:15 a.m. in room 1324 Longworth House
Office Building. The bills to be considered include H.R. 188 (Rep.
McClintock), H.R. 630 (Rep. Grijalva), H.R. 1240 (Rep. Feenstra), H.R.
1314 (Rep. Moore of Utah), H.R. 1450 (Rep. Fulcher), H.R. 3371 (Rep.
Johnson of SD), H.R. 3389 (Rep. Valadao), and H.R. 3562 (Rep. Neguse).
The Committee will also consider a Committee resolution to establish the
Indo-Pacific Task Force in the Committee on Natural Resources.
Bills expected to move by regular order: H.R. 188 (Rep. McClintock),
“Proven Forest Management Act”; and H.R. 1450 (Rep. Fulcher), “Treating
Tribes and Counties as Good Neighbors Act”. Both H.R. 188 and H.R. 1450
have an amendment in the nature of a substitute (ANS). Members should
draft any amendments to H.R. 188 and H.R. 1450 to the
ANS thereto.
Bills expected to move by unanimous consent: H.R. 3389 (Rep. Valadao),
“Emergency Wildfire Fighting Technology Act of 2023”; H.R. 1314 (Rep.
Moore of Utah), “LODGE Act”; H.R. 3562 (Rep. Neguse), “Forest Service
Flexible Housing Partnerships Act of 2023“; H.R. 1240 (Rep. Feenstra),
“Winnebago Land Transfer Act of 2023”; H.R. 3371 (Rep. Johnson of SD),
“Wounded Knee Massacre Memorial and Sacred Site Act”; and H.R. 630 (Rep.
Grijalva), “Urban Indian Health Confer Act”.
H.R. 188 would expand a Categorical Exclusion (CE) currently available
only in the Lake Tahoe Basin to the entire National Forest System and on
all public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Under
this CE, land managers, in coordination with local governments and
interested stakeholders, can develop projects of up to 10,000 acres to
reduce forest fuels.
H.R. 1450 (Rep. Fulcher), “Treating Tribes and Counties as Good
Neighbors Act”
H.R. 1450 would extend the ability to retain timber receipts from Good
Neighbor Authority (GNA) projects to counties and tribes for additional
restoration projects. This bipartisan legislation would also improve
cross-boundary restoration work by allowing restoration projects to
occur not just on federal lands, but also on lands approved under the
project’s Good Neighbor Agreement, including state and tribal lands.
This bill will increase coordination and buy-in from counties and tribes
and lead to more active forest management. This legislation, which is
also referred to the House Agriculture Committee, passed out of that
Committee in May 2023 by a unanimous vote of 51 to 0.
H.R. 3389 would require the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and the
Department of the Interior (DOI) to conduct an evaluation on the use of
container aerial firefighting system (CAFFS) in response to wildfires.
The evaluation will focus on effectiveness, cost, ease of delivery, and
safety. As the wildfire season continues to increase in severity, it is
critical firefighting agencies have all tools and methods available to
fight fires and protect lives. In addition to on the ground crews,
agencies have air support to drop water and fire retardant. One solution
to provide more aircrafts for fighting wildland fires is using a boxed
delivery system of water or fire retardant. This method is known as
CAFFS. This technology could increase the
response time and number of aircrafts available. This technology is not
new, but it has not been actively studied by the wildland firefighting
agencies. An ANS offered by Chairman Westerman
adjusts the reporting and protocol updates for this bill.
H.R. 1314 (Rep. Moore of Utah), “LODGE Act”
H.R. 1314 would amend current law to provide the National Park Service
(NPS) with improved authorities to enter into partnerships with
non-federal entities and other federal agencies for the development of
employee housing. The LODGE Act was developed
in consultation with NPS to increase the
availability and affordability of housing in and adjacent to our
nation’s parks.
H.R. 3562 (Rep. Neguse), “Forest Service Flexible Housing Partnerships
Act of 2023”
H.R. 3562 would provide additional authority for
USFS to lease underutilized lands for housing
partnerships. This bill amends the “Agricultural Improvement Act of
2018,” or the Farm Bill, by adding additional clarification about the
leasing authority of USFS. It specifies leases
can be 100 years and renewed if needed. One of the most pressing issues
affecting wildland firefighters is the lack of available and affordable
housing. There are many concerning examples of “firefighters liv[ing]
out of their cars and trailers and camp[ed] out on the side of the
road, even when they’re not actively fighting a fire.” This, along with
other factors like pay and increasingly severe on-the-ground conditions,
has contributed to the recruitment and retention challenges facing
agencies like USFS and
DOI when it comes to hiring a sufficient
number of federal wildland firefighters. These hiring challenges are
exacerbated by certain states like California that often provide their
firefighters with hotel rooms when they are on fire assignment. While
this issue has affected firefighters primarily, it also affects other
USFS employees working in remote locations
that lack affordable housing.
H.R. 1240 (Rep. Feenstra), “Winnebago Land Transfer Act of 2023”
H.R. 1240 would transfer administrative jurisdiction of approximately
1,600 acres of land from the Army Corps of Engineers in the state of
Iowa to the Bureau of Indian Affairs to be held in trust for the
Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska. This federal land was seized through
eminent domain by the Army Corps of Engineers in the 1970’s for the
Snyder-Winnebago Oxbow Lake Recreation Complex project which was never
completed. In response, the Tribe challenged the Army Corps of Engineers
condemnation in federal court, both in Iowa and Nebraska. They were
successful in Nebraska. However, in the Iowa litigation, a failure to
properly preserve a right of appeal meant that the Eighth Circuit could
not return the land to the tribe through a court order, and
congressional action would be required to return the land to the tribe.
H.R. 3371 (Rep. Johnson of SD), “Wounded Knee Massacre Memorial and
Sacred Site Act”
H.R. 3371 would place approximately 40 acres of fee land located within
the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, into restricted fee status for the
Oglala Sioux Tribe and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe as a memorial and as a
sacred site for the approximately 300 Indian people killed in the
Wounded Knee Massacre in 1890. Restricted fee land contains the same
restrictions against alienation and taxation as land held in trust, but
title is not held by the federal government. In September 2022, the
Oglala Sioux Tribe and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe jointly purchased 40
acres of land where an old trading post was located, and which contains
a portion of the area where the Wounded Knee massacre took place. On
October 21, 2022, both tribes signed a covenant, stating that this
property shall be held and maintained as a memorial and sacred site
without any economic development, and prohibiting any gaming.
H.R. 630 (Rep. Grijalva), “Urban Indian Health Confer Act”
H.R. 630 would require all agencies within the Department of Health and
Human Services (HHS) to establish an Urban Indian Organization (UIO)
confer policy. Currently, only the Indian Health Service (IHS) is
required to confer with UIOs. Other agencies within
HHS that provide services to American Indians
and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs), such as the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services, do not
have policies regarding conferring with UIOs. These agencies are only
required to consult and confer with Indian tribes, consistent with
Executive Order 13175. As highlighted by the National Council of Urban
Indian Health, during the COVID-19 pandemic,
UIOs were not provided notice by HHS that they
were required to make a selection for COVID-19
vaccine distribution until the day of the deadline imposed by the
agency. Direct communication with agencies that impact urban Indian
health could improve health care access to urban AI/AN populations.
Resources (Reps. Westerman, Grijalva)
The Committee Resolution Authorizing the Indo-Pacific Task Force in the
Committee on Natural Resources (Indo-Pacific Task Force Resolution)
would establish in the Committee the IndoPacific Task Force. The
resolution also prescribes the functions of the Task Force, establishes
its membership, which comprises seven Republicans and seven Democrats,
names the Chair and Co-Chair of the Task Force, and sets the expiration
date of the Task Force as December 12, 2023.
The Committee recommends $337,909,342,000 in total budget authority for
the fiscal year 2024 programs and activities funded in the bill. This is
an increase of $15,184,084,000 above the fiscal year 2023 enacted level
and $999,443,000 above the President’s request.
On Tuesday, June 13, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. in 2123 Rayburn House Office
Building, the Subcommittee on Energy, Climate, and Grid Security will
hold a
hearing
entitled “Oversight of FERC: Adhering To A
Mission Of Affordable And Reliable Energy For America.” The hearing will
examine the work of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) “to
ensure affordable, reliable electricity and natural gas service
throughout the country, as well as its adherence to its core mission of
ensuring just and reasonable rates for energy services.”
April 26, 2023
letter
sent to FERC Commissioners demanding they
“return the agency to its core mission to help deliver abundant,
reliable, and affordable energy for Americans”
March 17, 2023
letter
to FERC requesting information on “how they
plan to incorporate guidance from the Council on Environmental Quality
(CEQ) in a way that does not jeopardize American energy security”
March 3, 2023
letter
sent to FERC Commissioners urging them to
“stop prioritizing the left’s political agenda over making energy more
reliable”
H.R. 3938 repeals the petroleum Superfund
tax,
clean electricity production credit, clean electricity investment
credit, credit for previously-owned clean vehicles, and credit for
qualified commercial clean vehicles; and reduces and restricts clean
vehicle credit.
Debra Nesbitt, Chair, National Rural Lenders Association, Wilmington,
NC
Jessica Bowman, Executive Director, Plant Based Products Council,
Washington, D.C.
Joshua Winslow, Chief Executive Officer and General Manager, Brunswick
Electric Membership Corporation, on behalf of the National Rural
Electric Cooperative Association, Shallotte, NC
Matthew Holmes, Chief Executive Officer, National Rural Water
Association, Duncan, OK
Olga Morales-Pate, Chief Executive Officer, Rural Community Assistance
Partnership, Washington, D.C.
Cornelius Blanding, Board Member, National Cooperative Business
Association, CLUSA International, East
Point, GA
House Agriculture Committee
Commodity Markets, Digital Assets, and Rural Development Subcommittee
The Committee on Rules will
meetMonday, June 12, 2023 at 4:00 PM ET in H-313, The Capitol on
the following measures:
H.J. Res. 44 – Providing
for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United
States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of Justice and
the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives relating to
“Factoring Criteria for Firearms With Attached ‘Stabilizing Braces’”