Energy and Water Development: FY2011 Appropriations

Carl E. Behrens, Coordinator
Specialist in Energy Policy

The Energy and Water Development appropriations bill provides funding for civil works projects of the Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation, the Department of Energy (DOE), and a number of independent agencies.

Key budgetary issues for FY2011 involving these programs may include the following:

• the distribution of Corps appropriations across the agency’s authorized planning, construction, and maintenance activities (Title I); 
• support of major ecosystem restoration initiatives, such as Florida Everglades (Title I) and California “Bay-Delta” (CALFED) and San Joaquin River (Title II); 
• alternatives to the proposed national nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, which the Administration has abandoned (Title III: Nuclear Waste Disposal); 
• several new initiatives proposed for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) programs (Title III); and 
• funding decisions in DOE’s Office of Environmental Management. 

Funding for FY2010 Energy and Water Development programs is contained in H.R. 3183, which the House passed July 17, 2009. The Senate passed its version of H.R. 3183 July 29. The conference committee issued its report (H.Rept. 111-278) September 30, and the House passed the conference bill October 1, and the Senate October 15. The President signed the bill October 28 (P.L. 111-85).

President Obama’s proposed FY2011 budget for Energy and Water Development programs was released in February 2010. On July 15, 2010, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development approved a bill to fund these programs. In the Senate, the Energy and Water Development subcommittee approved a bill on July 20, and the full Appropriations Committee reported out S. 3635 (S.Rept. 111-228) on July 22. On September 30, the Senate and the House passed H.R. 3081 (P.L. 111-242), a continuing resolution that funded government programs at the FY2010 level through December 3. Most recently, H.J.Res. 44 (P.L. 112-4) extended funding through March 18, 2011. On February 14, 2011, H.R. 1 was introduced, continuing funding through the rest of FY2011 at the FY2010 level, but with many specified exceptions in which funding was reduced. On February 19 the House passed H.R. 1 by a vote of 235-189. .


Date of Report: March 7, 2011
Number of Pages: 58
Order Number: R41150
Price: $29.95

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